If I had an “extra” $7 million, would I use it to buy 30 seconds of advertising during Super Bowl 2024? Absolutely not!

Each of those commercials cost more than $7 million to make when you add up the production costs and celebrity payments.

What did $7 million buy them?

Exposure to the product and the hopes consumers would buy whatever they were peddling.

This year, in my humble opinion, the commercials were a letdown. Only two stood out for me - the Budweiser Clydesdale horses and the Dunkin’ commercial with Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Tom Brady, Jack Harlow, Jennifer Lopez and Fat Joe.

In the Budweiser commercial, they are unable to make a beer delivery due to a snowstorm, but they decide to make the delivery the old-fashioned way with the Clydesdale horses pulling through.

In the Dunkin’ commercial, The “DunKings” crash a recording session with Lopez and perform a number, hoping to be on her next album.

Full disclaimer: I’m a Dunkin’ girl, but I did say to my husband, “They paid $7 million for that?” on the Dunkin’ commercial and almost every commercial during the Super Bowl.

Apparently, the Dunkin’ commercial worked because the media is still talking about it and the “DunKings” attire will be sold shortly as well as any other merchandising products they can come up with.

I’m not a marketing executive; however, I have worked in marketing and I believe these commercials work when they do one of two things. They either have to tug at your heartstrings or they have to make you laugh. They have to be memorable.

Regardless, these advertisers are pushing products and they want you to remember what they are selling.

My top commercial will always be from Budweiser on Feb. 3, 2002, when the Clydesdales paid tribute to New York City after 9/11. Hands down. It only ran once but can be found on the Internet. They ran another tribute commercial in 2011, in recognition of the 10th anniversary of 9/11, which was equally moving.

Another favorite of mine was in 1984 when three older women were remarking on the size of a hamburger bun, which when the top was lifted, they could see a small hamburger patty. Favorite line of all time, still used today, was “Where’s the beef?” Do you remember the restaurant who paid for that ad? If you guessed Wendy’s, you are correct.

Another favorite was a Budweiser ad in 2014 called “Puppy Love,” where a bond is made between a puppy up for adoption and a Clydesdale. The puppy is adopted and continues to return back to the farm to be with the Clydesdale.

In 2015, I wrote an editorial about a Super Bowl ad in which a woman calls 911 to order a pizza with half pepperoni and half mushroom. The 911 operator was at first confused, telling the woman she had called 911 and asked her if this was an emergency. Realizing she was in danger and not alone, he sent police to the address of the caller.

It seems to me $7 million to air a 30-second commercial is outrageous.

What if instead of paying for commercial time, these companies donated $7 million each to helping those in need - those who are homeless, those who are hungry, support services for veterans, mental health services or educating the youth of today.

Then they could go on social media and let the public know what they used their money for.

That to me would be a better use of $7 million.

Can you imagine if no companies were willing to pay the high cost of advertising during the Super Bowl? I wonder what the NFL and the networks would do.

Debbie Galbraith

editor

East Penn Press

Salisbury Press