Big Winners in the Super Bowl Commercial Game

CommercialsDid you see Eli Manning and Odell Beckham Jr. dancing to the routine from “Dirty Dancing” last night during the Super Bowl’s commercial lineup? Granted, I did not watch the Super Bowl in its entirety, so I missed several of the commercials – but that one might have been my favorite.

I also enjoyed the marketing gusto behind the “It’s a Tide Ad” commercial. Did you have a favorite?

While the actual football game was exciting, the commercials were a mixed bag, with a few bright spots among some duds, per usual.

Forbes has a listing of the top commercial spots, as determined by a new startup that uses opt-in technology to measure actual eyes on the screen and viewer reactions:

TVision’s ranking system uses a score of 100 as a baseline, so numbers higher than 100 represent better than average performance. Here are the top 10 spots that got attention from viewers in the moment when they aired last night during the game. Note how different this list is from the spots that resonated most on social media or in earned media views online.

  1. Bud Light – Bud Knight – 130.8 
  2. E*Trade – This is Getting Old – 123.6
  3. Mountain Dew/Doritos – Doritos Blaze vs Mountain Dew Ice – 116.9
  4. Mission: Impossible – Fallout –  Mission: Impossible – Fallout – 114.2
  5. Avocados from Mexico – #GuacWorld – 113.7
  6. NFL – Touchdown Celebration – 112.4
  7. M&Ms – Human – 112.1
  8. Tide – It’s a Tide Ad –  111.1
  9. Netflix: The Cloverfield Paradox   – The Cloverfield Paradox – 110.9
  10. Amazon – Alexa Loses Her voice – 110.7

TVision also tracks a metric called the Smile Index, using data the observes the facial expressions of its opt-in panel to identify positive emotional responses. So which ads lit up the room? According to the data, it was…

  1. Bud Light –  120.2 on the Smile Index
  2. Avocados from Mexico –  118.8
  3. M&Ms –  117.8
  4. Netflix – Cloverfield – 117.2
  5. E*Trade – 115.2

Poll: We Should Give It the Old College Try?

In the wake of Indianapolis announcing its intention to seek to host another Super Bowl, we recently asked what other major event you would like to see come to our state. The results:

  • NCAA football championship game: 43%. Unfortunately, local officials indicated that potential bid (a new agreement puts the title game at a neutral location as part of a four-team playoff beginning in 2015) will likely not occur as a result of the Super Bowl effort
  • Olympic Games: 26%. OK, most responses came in while the world was watching what was taking place in London and Olympic fever was high. Can Indiana be a lead player in hosting the Olympics? No. As great as we are at big events, we’re not big enough for this big event. A previous Chicago bid would have included some events taking place in Indiana. That’s likely the best we could hope for.
  • National political convention: 24%. Indianapolis has tried before and came close. Democrats were hinting at a future effort, but also indicated that would not be possible in conjunction with another Super Bowl try (extensive corporate support for both is extremely critical).
  • U.S. Open golf championship: 7%. Hey, we hosted the PGA in 1991, have the BMW Championship event in a few weeks and have welcomed some other national and international events in between. Why not the top U.S. tournament?

Next (check out the top right of this page), we want to know if Tampa and Charlotte (both nice areas in their own right) will have your interest in the next few weeks.

Not All on Super Bowl Bandwagon

When we posted our last poll question asking whether you support Indianapolis’ decision to seek another Super Bowl, the response from some was: "Duh, what do you expect?"

Well, what we got (82% yes; 18% no) was about how I thought it would go. Yes, a slam dunk; no, not 100% agreement. Despite the nearly universal praise received for the 2012 effort and the legacy left behind after the game, some feel the attention and the private sector dollars should be focused elsewhere.

I line up with the "82%" in this case, but warn that it won’t be as automatic as some believe. The NFL powers that be don’t always embrace what seems like the obvious. The traditional warm weather hosts in Florida, Arizona, Texas, etc. always hold a significant advantage no matter how well organized and coordinated an Indiana effort turns out to be.

We’ll stay on the sports theme with our next question. Taking the Super Bowl out of the mix, what other major event would you like to see come to the state. Three of the choices are sports-related, one political. And we’re sure there are others that might apply.

No Surprise: ‘Super’ Return Expected

There really wasn’t a whole lot of mystery, at least in my opinion, where the sentiment would fall on our recent poll question. The only unknown would be the margin of "yes" votes.

The question: Do you think Indianapolis will be the host city for a future Super Bowl? Coming off national and international accolades for convenience, friendliness and being all-around good guys and gals, most expect the NFL to be open to another bid at the appropriate time down the road.

Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard summed it up well during Super Bowl week that being in the regular rotation of every four or five years was probably not in the city’s best interests, but that another "super" effort in eight to 10 years might be more realistic.

In your responses, 92% said you expected a return visit by the NFL. Not a big surprise at all. We’ll see what happens in the years ahead.

Check out the current question (upper right of this page) on your key priority for the second half of the legislative session.

It’s Going to be a Super 10 Days

OK, it’s already a little more difficult to get out of our downtown Indianapolis parking garage. The areas to the north and east of Lucas Oil Stadium are currently filled with more barricades, scaffolding and lift trucks than one can (almost) imagine. And congestion should soon reach nearly unprecedented levels.

Bring it on! Yes, there are going to be a few inconveniences associated with Indianapolis hosting Super Bowl XLVI. But that’s like a tiny, temporary pimple on the face of the most beautiful woman or handsome man in the world. (OK, I struggled with that analogy, but you get the picture).

The attention of the nation and world will be focused on our city and state on Super Sunday and the days preceding it. Hoosiers should embrace the moment — and enjoy it. Most out-of-town guests will not arrive until February 2 or so; the first few days (starting Friday) are an opportunity for all of us to take part in what could be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

You can check out all the Super Bowl details for yourself. But as information continues to become available on the wide variety of concerts, programs, events, special activities, etc., I am convinced (in a purposeful mixing of metaphors) that we’re going to hit a home run. Indianapolis and Indiana are going to simply wow the National Football League, the fans, other visitors and anyone who is paying attention.

Once-in-a-lifetime may turn into a repeat performance a few years down the road. But don’t miss out this time around. And I close with practicing my closing line during my volunteer interactions with guests: Have a Super Day!

Capital City Looking Beyond Super Bowl

Inside INdiana Business reports on how Indianapolis is looking to capitalize on the upcoming Super Bowl long after the game ends:

The head of the Indianapolis Convention & Visitors Association believes the city has a real opportunity to increase business after the Super Bowl. Association Chief Executive Officer Leonard Hoops says it’s important to make a great impression on corporate decision-makers who will be in the town for the game. During an interview set to air this weekend on Inside INdiana Business Television, Hoops also says the ICVA faces a challenge to fill additional hotel space once the Super Bowl is long gone. Watch video.

Making the Move to Indy, Colts Style

Home football game this weekend for the Colts – OK, it is preseason. But excitement is still definitely building for NFL fans. After all, Indianapolis is hosting the next Super Bowl.

With that milestone event coming up, it’s a good time to reflect on the Colts and how they came to be our team.

In the September/October issue of the Chamber’s BizVoice ® magazine (in the mail and available online August 26), we do just that. I spoke to those who were most heavily involved in the big move – and they had many great recollections. Here’s one amusing story in detail not found in the magazine article.

Michael Chernoff¸ then legal counsel and negotiator for the Baltimore Colts, on the media and the actual relocation:

“When I flew from Indianapolis to Baltimore to supervise the move, one of the executives of Mayflower (the company that moved the team) flew with us. When we landed in Baltimore, the press was already there. My guess was somebody in the tower called the press and said the Colts plane is on its way in. We got off of the plane and were met by one of the Colts people in a car that originally was going to take us to the complex, but with all the press there and everything, I didn’t want to go there.

“So instead he drove us to a motel down the road from the complex and we checked in there. It was a two-story motel; he went to his room and I went to my room. We talked a little bit and every time I would open my door to go out, the TV antenna on the trucks would go up, they’d turn on their motors and they were ready to go. I couldn’t go anywhere without bringing them with me.

“I called the guy from Mayflower and said, ‘I know where your room is, go across to the motel next door and when you get there, call me and let me know if anybody saw you.’ They didn’t. I said, ‘Sit tight, I’ll have somebody pick you up.’ I then sat around for a couple of hours. By this time I was getting hungry, so I went across the street with the (press) entourage to have a bite. I called the complex and they said, ‘Don’t worry, the press is already here. You might as well come out.’ So, I did. We finished up the move well into the night. … And then we picked up the franchise certificate that the NFL issued to the Colts many years before, put it on the plane and the group of us flew back to Indianapolis to set up shop.”
 

Terry Bradshaw Coming to Indy; Talks New Labor Deal

Being the sports nut that I am, it was pretty cool to interview NFL legend Terry Bradshaw last Friday for the Chamber’s BizVoice® magazine. The four-time Super Bowl champion quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers and current Fox NFL broadcaster  is the featured speaker at our 2011 awards dinner this fall.

The excitement over the Super Bowl coming to Indianapolis should be building come November 17 when Bradshaw takes the stage at the JW Marriott. He said to expect some good stories, reflection and humor in his speech entitled, “Why Not Your Best.”

Thankfully, today it now seems assured we will have a football season. When I spoke with Bradshaw, he didn’t hold back on his feelings regarding the labor negotiations between the players and owners, the general public’s perception of it and how things used to be:

“To a fan, it’s greed vs. greed, but I’ve wanted to tell the fan this for years, for decades: The players were held in bondage. They were like Exodus in the Bible. The Israelites wanted out and the pharaoh wouldn’t let them go, and finally Moses came and performed his miracles and set his people free. That’s kind of what happened with the players. We didn’t have the freedom to move from team to team, we didn’t know what players were making, and we didn’t know what the teams were making and whether or not that little $40,000 check I got at the end of the year should have been making $400,000 or $500,000. The (first) CBA (collective bargaining agreement) forced them to open up the books.

Like any worker out there, if you’ve got a four- or five-year contract and it expires, and some other organization says ‘We want you to come over to our place,’ the Indiana Chamber of Commerce doesn’t have the right to say, ‘Wait a minute, we have a right of first refusal.’ You take the best offer and you part company. It’s all about money; always is. If somebody offers you twice what you make now, you’re leaving. This is the American way; it’s capitalism at its best.

The players only get roughly two negotiation periods in a football career, because the average life is only four years, I think. I’m definitely more inclined to support the players in this.

When it’s all said and done, the players are still going to be taken care of. The older people (retired players) are going to be taken care of; the pensions are going to be taken care of. There’s a lot of great things. And that’s why the CBA is taking so long. I do not blame the players for taking their time as I would insist they do, to make sure. Because it’s 10 years before they can come back and revisit. ‘Well, you didn’t talk about the helmet issue,’ … then it’s too late.”

Indy Doing Its Part to Prepare for Super Bowl (Just Need Players)

Officials organizing the 2012 Super Bowl in Indianapolis are comfortable with the progress of the event, which is slated to bring an economic impact of "at least $150 million" to the area, according to a recent Indianapolis Business Journal article. The Indy Star reports on the status of preparations:

Coordinators of Indianapolis’ 2012 Super Bowl efforts said during a briefing today that all plans are on schedule for the February event.

“At 300 days out, we are very pleased with where we are,” said Mark Miles, chairman of the 2012 Indianapolis Super Bowl Host Committee. “We are at or ahead of schedule in every respect.”

Well, except for one — the game itself.

The National Football League and the players’ union are at odds over a new collective bargaining agreement. The NFL initiated a lockout. The players have decertified their union, prompting charges of bad faith from the NFL. A federal judge in St. Paul, Minn., is expected to rule in the next couple weeks on the players’ request to lift the lockout.

As he has been saying for months, Miles and other Super Bowl planners expected the uncertainty. And he warned today that it may not be until late summer or early fall that anyone gets a good indication of whether there will be a shortened NFL season, or even one at all.

During today’s briefing, Miles preemptively broached the topic before taking reporters’ questions.

“Our job is to plan and to be prepared. And that’s exactly what we’re doing,” he said.

Asked whether he was encouraged by the federal judge’s recent statements urging the two sides to return to the bargaining table, Miles said: “Not really.”

Ultimately, he said, progress on the labor agreement front is out of the host committee’s hands.
 

Strange Criteria for Picking a Super Bowl Winner

This week, there’s a lot of talk about the passing prowess of Aaron Rodgers and the closing speed of Troy Polamalu. But if you’re looking to capitalize on a friendly Super Bowl wager this weekend, it seems unemployment rate may be as important as anything in predicting a winner. Yes, it’s bizarre, but the team from the city with the lowest jobless rate has won 16 of the last 20 games. RiseSmart reports:

Could a city’s economic prosperity, as measured by employment level, make a difference in its team’s chances of winning the Super Bowl?  Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics suggests that it does.  According to a new analysis by RiseSmart, the team whose metropolitan area boasts the lower jobless rate has won 16 of the past 20 Super Bowls – an 80 percent success rate.  

Based on this historical correlation, the Green Bay Packers should be the favorite to defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLV.   Through November, the 2010 unemployment rate for the Green Bay metro area was 7.7 percent, compared to 8.1 percent for the Pittsburgh metro area. 

On January 27, 1991, the New York Giants beat the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl XXV, despite the New York City metro area having a higher 1990 jobless rate than Buffalo.  After that game, however, the Super Bowl winning city had lower unemployment in 16 of the next 19 contests, including Super Bowl XLIV, in which New Orleans (6.7 percent 2009 unemployment) defeated Indianapolis (8.4 percent). 

Other facts of note:

  • On the six previous occasions that both teams’ metro areas have had unemployment greater than 5.5 percent — as is the case this year — the team from the metro area with the lower jobless rate has won in every instance.  

  • This is the first Super Bowl in the past two decades in which both teams hail from metro areas with jobless rates exceeding 7 percent.  On the four previous occasions that one team represented a city with 7+ percent unemployment, it lost the Super Bowl in every instance.

  • Since 1991, Super Bowl winning metro areas have had an average annual unemployment rate the prior year of 4.8 percent, compared to 5.4 percent for Super Bowl losing metro areas.

“Unemployment is the No. 1 issue in America today, and that will be true on Super Bowl Sunday as well,” said Sanjay Sathe, CEO of RiseSmart, a provider of next-generation outplacement and recruitment solutions. 

“In weighing the meaning of this analysis, correlation doesn’t imply causation, of course. But you could argue that a fan base with lower unemployment is more likely to attend games, buy team gear, celebrate at sports bars and, ultimately, cheer their team on to victory.  By contrast, a metro area that is struggling with high unemployment might have a subtle but insidious effect on its team’s morale,” Sathe said.

Super Bowl: Winner – Jobless Rate; Loser – Jobless Rate
1991: NY Giants – 5.5; Buffalo – 5.3
1992: Washington – 4.6; Buffalo – 7.2
1993: Dallas – 6.9; Buffalo – 7.5
1994: Dallas – 6.1; Buffalo – 6.8
1995: San Francisco – 5.9; San Diego – 7.1
1996: Dallas – 4.8; Pittsburgh – 6.0
1997: Green Bay – 3.4; New England – 4.1
1998: Denver – 2.9; Green Bay – 3.3
1999: Denver – 2.9; Atlanta – 3.3
2000: St. Louis – 3.5; Tennessee – 2.9
2001: Baltimore – 3.8; NY Giants – 4.4
2002: New England – 3.6; St. Louis – 4.6
2003: Tampa Bay – 5.6; Oakland – 6.2
2004: New England – 5.7; Carolina – 6.3
2005: New England – 5.0; Philadelphia – 5.1
2006: Pittsburgh – 5.2; Seattle – 5.0
2007: Indianapolis – 4.4; Chicago – 4.5
2008: NY Giants – 4.4; New England – 4.1
2009: Pittsburgh – 5.1; Arizona – 5.3
2010: New Orleans – 6.7; Indianapolis – 8.4

Note: Jobless rates are for year prior to Super Bowl year.  Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics