Super Bowl 49 advertising strikes a serious tone with controversial commercials

Nationwide ran an ad on preventable childhood death. Carnival struck a sombre note with a voiceover by John F. Kennedy speaking lyrically about the sea. And a public service announcement by coalition No More depicted a chilling 911 call from a battered woman to demonstrate the terror of domestic abuse.

Other advertisers had positive, albeit equally serious themes: McDonald’s said it would let some customers pay with acts of kindness, Coca-Cola showed online negativity and bullying turning positive and Procter & Gamble’s ad for its Always feminine products brand tried to redefine what it means to do things like a girl.

“It’s a shame there aren’t any commercials for antidepressants because these commercials make me want some,” said Jon Early, who was watching the game in New York with friends. “Football is supposed to be an escape.”

The serious tone is an effort to win over Americans who have a lower tolerance for crass ads with an overuse of sexually explicit themes and sophomoric humor. They also have short attention spans these days, thanks to bite-sized communication of social media.

The serious spots were a continuation of a trend that started last year when advertisers shied away from the tactics that had been commonplace during Super Bowl. The difference this year is that many of the serious ads had an overarching “message” to live better, think better and be better.

With 30-second ads costing $4.5 million for the chance to market their brand to 110-plus million Americans, advertisers were trying to make their mark by marketing socially-conscious messages. In the process, they hoped to boost the image of their brands.