Collide Magazine

How To Create Your Own Super Bowl Ad

Scott McClellan - Originally posted Wednesday, February 3, 2010 -

Just in case you’re called upon to create a commercial for this year’s Big Game, we’ve assembled this handy guide to creating a Super Bowl ad for the ages.

Step One: Choose a product or service
In order to recoup the $3 million it will cost for Super Bowl airtime, you’ll have to sell something. Honestly, this is the least important step. Your options:

• Junk Food (chips will soon be on the food pyramid)
• Vague Dot-Com Service (the keys: weird name, unclear value)
• Overnight Shipping (ground shipping has become passé)
• Adult Beverages (let's face it, you're unlikely to choose this one)

Step Two: Choose a main character
Most commercials focus on a main character rather than the product or service being sold. For a Super Bowl ad, the following are your best options:

• Attractive Model (is that redundant?)
• Random Animal (the cuter and/or furrier, the better)
• Generic Everyman (viewers will substitute themselves)
• Precious Baby (odd-looking babies don't sell product)
• Minor Celebrity (check Jeff Goldblum's availability first)

Step Three: Choose a device
Your commercial gets a split-second to grab viewers’ attention and 30 seconds to make your mark. What is your approach going to be?

• Oddball Humor (think: Napoleon Dynamite meets "Where's the Beef?")
• Bodily Functions (try combining this with the baby or animal from Step Two)
• Slapstick Violence (for some reason, injuries amuse us)
• Elaborate Musical Number (caution: these are difficult to write)
• Goose Bumps (Freedom. Sacrifice. No payments for 12 months.)

Step Four: Present Your Pitch
Be witty. Be bold. Be aggressive. Fill in the blanks.

The spot opens with a    (Step Two)    in a  (random location) . Then,  (event consistent with Step Three)  happens. Luckily,   (Step One)   is there to save the day and/or get the party started. [Insert product/logo hero shot and fade to black.]

Congratulations in advance on your award-winning Super Bowl commercial!