Super Bowl 2018: Jason DeLand, Anomaly

 

Jason DeLand
Founding Partner Anomaly
In a few words, can you tell us who you are and what your job title is?
Jason DeLand, Joint Global CEO and Founding Partner of Anomaly.

Anomaly has made over 15 SB campaigns since 2007 and has “won” the Super Bowl 3 times according to the USA Today Ad Meter and was recently recognized with the number one SB ad of all time, Budweiser’s "Puppy Love." 
The current price for a 30 second slot is over $5 million. In your opinion is the spend worth it?
Yes, and it’s probably worth more than $5 million considering the price of other media that delivers less. 

The Super Bowl is still the most unique media in the world. No other buy allows you to share a message with an entire country in such a captive way. 

However, context is vital and sometimes overlooked at great peril. Consumers tuning into the SB do so because they expect something. They expect to be entertained. Consequently, the basics must apply…. You need a great idea, you need to be relevant to the audience in that moment - and you need to connect the story to the brand, product and consumer. 

Ultimately this is just good marketing but sometimes the fundamentals get overlooked due to the panic and pressure on marketers and agencies to deliver. 
Is there a demographic you believe Super Bowl advertisers have failed to target or a business sector that is underrepresented?
To segment is to ignore the nature of the medium. Very simply put the demo of the super bowl is everybody, collectively. Super Bowl Sunday is a shared experience for friends, family, community and the nation all at once. When you advertise on the Super Bowl, if you fail to recognize this, you invariably get less for your money. 
Who do you think is the ‘brand to watch’ at this year’s Super Bowl?
There is not one brand that comes to mind. What I’ve been hoping for is that marketers take a lesson from HBO and Netflix and understand that audiences follow great ideas and content. In the last 10 years I’ve seen the creativity and risk taking go down in the SB and thus the expectations from consumers have followed. This year I hope that we get back to great ideas, well executed. Of the ads I’ve seen so far, the efforts by NBC Sports and the US Olympic Team, Amazon, Kia and MT Dew/Doritos comes to mind as doing this. 
Do you think advertisers can benefit from taking a political/social stance in the Super Bowl?
No, I do not think that being overtly political in the SB is a valid strategy. Remember the SB is a collective feel good moment for America. Seller beware if they seek to divide us in one of the last sanctuaries where we all agree to come together. 
Are there any fumbled opportunities that come to mind when you think of past Super Bowl advertising?
Yes, any brand that sought to divide, objectify or thought that the audience wanted to be sold anything on the SB. Sadly the list here is long but not very distinguished.  
Eagles or Patriots?
Go BIRDS. Eagles all the way. 
What is your favorite Super Bowl ad of all time?
This is a tough question as I have been involved in a dozen pretty good efforts. Out the ones I’ve been involved with, Budweiser’s Brotherhood - the story of a Clydesdale and his trainer set to Stevie Nix’s Landslide is the best I’ve been a part of. 

On the work that I’ve admired from afar there are three that really stick out. 

#3 - Chevy’s “So God Made a Farmer” - I came from that world and it was 100% completely spot on and authentic. 

#2 - Apple’s “1984” - It set the mold for disruption, intelligence and breakthrough

#1 - Number one for me was Chrysler’s “Imported from Detroit” - It was exactly the right message, at the right moment, for the right brand, about the right city, with the right music and the right celebrity. 
  

 

Jason DeLand
Founding Partner Anomaly