The Charles Group CEO talks Super Bowl LVII Commercials with NY1

Just before Super Bowl LVII kicked off, on February 13th on NY1, The Charles Group founder and CEO Aaron Edwards sat down with NY1’s Shannan Ferry to give insights into some of the stellar commercials aired during Super Bowl LVII.

What makes a great Super Bowl ad?
“A lot of things. Humor, nostalgia and even popular culture is really important.” Edwards said.

The ethos of Super Bowl ads is shifting, for example, for the first time in Super Bowl Commercial history, Anheuser-Busch no longer has exclusive rights to be the only beer commercial on the playing field. Coors Light and Miller Lite teamed up to do a spot together, while Busch starred Miles Teller and his wife dancing with Bud Light, Serena Williams in all her glory, and Brian Cox from “Succession,” revisiting “Caddyshack.”

How big of a deal is it this?

“It’s a great opportunity for other brands to come in and have a voice. Anheuser-Busch may have realized it’s not just about the Super Bowl. It’s about the whole year and thinking about how their advertising and messaging works across that.

Is there more pressure now that they don’t have exclusive rights?

“They’ll want to think of what they’re doing outside TV too. There is a lot of second screening, and people are on their mobile phones and tablets. It’s an opportunity for brands to have activations outside the TV spot. That’s hopefully what we’ll see this year – something on social media, TikTok, use of influencers and tying the campaign together.” Edwards emphasized.

Kevin Hart did a spot for DraftKings, does a commercial like this land for you?

“It’s clever the way they intercepted the lines. Kevin Hart’s a big entertainer, and that’s what the Super Bowl is all about, entertainment. You know, advertising should be funny and entertaining, and I think we see that in this ad.” 

For tapping into nostalgia, is putting something like Alicia Silverstone from “Clueless” in a commercial for Rakutena good idea?

“Yes, I think so. What we’re seeing is a shift toward the old school. People that tend to be watching are Gen X, and Millennial audiences and the advertising is centered around that, which I think is cool. A sort of memory recall. Those things are really important when we think about longevity.” 

Ben Stiller represented Pepsi in an ad. Was that a hit or miss?

“Yeah, I think Ben Stiller is a great fit because when we start talking about advertising, a lot of it is about memory recall and this idea if it’s in the mind of the consumer for a longer time, has been proven to drive better shorter term results for the brand overall.”

Game day and the Super Bowl LVII commercials may be over for this year, but any creative in the industry knows that the work has just begun. As the awards, panels and results roll in, we’ll be paying close attention post-Super Bowl to what held the world’s gaze during and after Super Bowl LVII. 

Which was your most loved or loathed?

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