There’s something immensely satisfying about watching Super Bowl ads. For me it’s a feeling similar to the one I get watching episodes of The Bear. Witnessing the behind the scenes hell, the smashing of plates, the burning of reductions, Chef losing his mind and generally everyone on the team hyperventilating. The pressure, the pain, the joy just behind those swinging restaurant doors. And all the customers ever get to see is the delicious morsel presented perfectly.

The audience watching the Super Bowl are likewise blithely unaware of the passion, effort and dedication that goes into every second of every ad. They gorge on a veritable Super Bowl smorgasbord. But at 72andSunny, an agency with six ads in the Super Bowl this year, we know what it takes to hover over the burning stove. Super Bowl advertising has evolved over the years, from simple product showcases to elaborate, multimillion-dollar productions. With every 30 seconds costing an eye watering 7 million, the stakes are high to fill it with something epic.

Think of the people slaving over hot computers for over a year to bring you one ad. The strategy decks rewritten or creative teams broken. Or how many clients exploded, or production company producers went into therapy just to treat you to the most delicious advertising amuse bouche. And is there a secret recipe to serving up Super Bowl success that Australian marketers can steal? We humbly have some thoughts. Walk with me. Bring your appetite.

First, rip up the recipe book

Like every great Chef before you, you must tear any Super Bowl recipe into shreds. Death to the derivative. That being said, reinventing a classic with a fresh twist is a deep Super Bowl tradition. Many Super Bowl commercials tap into US nostalgia culture by featuring iconic characters, retro aesthetics, or references to popular culture from previous decades. But nostalgia isn’t enough. You have to boldly go somewhere new. This year, we brought the famous E*Trade babies into a new world obsessed with pickleball and smack talk, as a metaphor for the daunting world of securities trading. On Pickle Babies, The New York Times reviewers commented, “One of the few ads whose humour has anything resembling a bite.”

Select the finest and / or weirdest ingredients

Celebrity endorsements and influencer partnerships are key ingredients that consistently deliver winning Super Bowl dishes. Often the weirdest combinations deliver brand visibility. But leveraging celebrities' charisma also works. This year for United Airlines, legendary “Friday Night Lights” Coach Eric Taylor inspired fans to believe in their teams and book flights now for next year’s Super Bowl. The commercials, which are part of United Airlines' ‘Believing Changes Everything’ campaign directed by Academy Award-winner Chloé Zhao, promote United’s long-standing elimination of change fees on flights.

Time and again the Super Bowl proves that it's not enough to have a celebrity face in an ad. However, cleverly leveraging the charisma or halo of a celebrity to build out an idea is a smart lesson for Australian marketers looking to spice up their own brand communications with our local stable of famous faces.

Don’t skimp on the soul food

The Super Bowl is a serving suggestion for all kinds of stories. And humour is almost table stakes. When everyone is dishing up chicken, serve up something more complex. For the brands that tell emotionally resonant stories, the Super Bowl is a moment to forge a deeper connection with the audience. With the National Football League (NFL), we created a powerful story around inclusion. Growing the game of football globally and increasing the number of international athletes playing in the NFL are priorities for the league. Our Born to Play commercial took place in Ghana, with around 20 athletes and 400 extras. Inspired by a speech given to NFL hopefuls at a football camp hosted by British-Nigerian former NFL player-pioneer Osi Umenyiora, the story shares the NFL mission to offer youth around the world the life-changing opportunity to play NFL. 

All Super Bowl ads aim to elicit an emotional response. But going beyond basic humour to a story that resonates emotionally to forge deeper connections is an approach local marketers could also embrace more often.

Leave people hungry for what’s next

The best Super Bowl ads always lead somewhere. They never forget they’re ads, even when they’re totally bonkers. Whether selling cars, building a website, or signing up for a streaming service like we did for Paramount Plus this year with Nobody Watches Like Us - great Super Bowl ads are a masterclass in proving bold and sometimes unhinged creativity is what differentiates brands and sells products. Australian marketers, dare to give your creative team the freedom to run wild in the kitchen. Don’t tell them what to cook - or else we’d never have got ads like “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like”or “It’s a Tide Ad”. With respect, please leave the kitchen. Just tell your team, who you trust and respect, what you’re hungry for. Give them a clear CTA or objective, a ‘what’s next’. Then, the dish they serve you will not only truly surprise you -  it will probably leave your brand fans hungry for what’s next too.

Just like the joy I get from devouring ‘The Bear’,  I find the Super Bowl to be equally satisfying - a creative feast rich with strategic recipes, spicy wins and epic flavour fails. And unlike many advertising awards shows - every ad that runs in the Super Bowl actually had to work in the real world! How deliciously novel. So Australian marketers - savour the Super Bowl labour of 12 months of hard US advertising slog, then sprinkle these learnings liberally to enhance your own campaigns here. Bon Appetit!