Tiny dicks, faraday cages, and minority EVs...
Automotive advertising, the Big Game vs. YouTube, and our next Gadget of the Week
114,000,000 views - Why YouTube is 100x More Important Than You Can Imagine…
According to Neilsen, the Super Bowl LVII totaled more than 113 million viewers, ranking it as the second most-watched Super Bowl game ever. Meanwhile, on YouTube, a 24 year old named Jimmy Donaldson – you probably know him as MrBeast – had 114 million views on “Hydraulic Press vs. Lamborghini”, 136 million views on “Survive 100 Days in a Circle, win $500,000” and over 162 millions views on “I built Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory.” That’s right, a kid born in 1998 consistently reaches more people – including your co-workers and your children – than the most watched television event in the world, and he is doing it on the very same platform you are using to reach your customers.
With more the 22 billion – billion with a B – views on his YouTube channel, MrBeast is a reminder that YOU and your brand can be bigger than the big game, and you can do it on almost every video, almost every week. And maybe you won’t be MrBeast, but even our boy Cleetus McFarland has a billion cumulative views on his channel, and that’s something anyone reading this could do with enough time and effort.
Imagine for a moment what a Super Bowl ad would do for your business… the awareness it would bring, the customers, the sales. Now stop imagining it and get to work on your next YouTube video! Go get it!
Super Bowl Advertisers Winners and Losers
That’s right car fans, the NFL once again pulled together the best car marketers on the planet for us to see who was going to grab our attention the hardest. Budgets ranged from high to unimaginable as the celebrity-packed spots vied for the eyes of 114 million viewers. Electric ruled the day as GM was begging for you to pay attention to their EVs, RAM made a dick joke out of the whole thing, and Jeep showed you their EV product in action. Meanwhile, Kia’s relentless march on market share focused on product with a punchy little piece aimed at every dad’s worst nightmare.
General Motors shames us into considering an EV. GM is hitting us hard with their EV efforts. Pulling in Netflix for promised product placement is brilliant but perhaps a little telegraphed. Will Ferrell was the lead with several chances for cross-promotion and a zombie subplot. The Squid Game spot put a smile on our face, but then the “Let’s give EVs the stage they deserve” tagline seemed a little too strained. Keep pushing, GM.
Ram thinks your manhood needs a lift. Leading with “Premature Electrification”, this one left us scratching our head. Cute attempt to relate the reluctance to go EV with a male sexual disfunction, but did that attract the truck buyer that RAM was going after? The product looked promising, and in between the jokes, you could see a functional, American truck. Still, do you want this parked in your driveway reminding the neighbors that your hubby may have a problem?
Jeep shows EVs in their place. Out in the wild where everyone has range anxiety, Jeep put dancing animals to the task of selling their EV-powered off-roader. The brilliance of this one? They put all the animation to “Electric Slide” … Brilliant! We get you, Jeep. Upbeat and full of energy, this is the product spot that we think you were all looking for when it comes to EV. Special recognition to that EV charger parked in the middle of … nowhere.
Kia wins the day. Running an ad that showed an exaggerated example of what a real life customer could face (“Binky Dad”), Kia paid for a 60 second product placement that was relentless in showcasing the best looking SUV on the market, their gorgeous new Telluride. The story went a little too far, but the truck is shown in all possible situations: getting a family to a location, quick maneuvers on the street, and even an aggressive off-road shot. All of the contenders were strong this year, but we think Kia won the day.
Made in America Pride Winner. Weathertech did it again this year with the full American pride treatment. Their piece included executives telling them that they couldn’t build a plant in America, product shots of their entire catalog, the American flag, and a golden retriever. Safe for all viewers, Weathertech is a class act.
Gadget of the Week
Hellcat owners take note: We got you covered this week! If you own a Hellcat-powered Mopar, you have two concerns: 1) Where is the next street race? and 2) Some POS stealing your car. Thieves are using blank Chrysler keys and a scanning tool to duplicate your keys. Often, they use a signal amplifier outside your house to pull the signal off your key. Well, this week’s gadget, a Faraday Box, will keep your keys out of reach of those scumbags and keep your car in the garage.