The real losers of the Super Bowl (hint: marketers), what the Saved by the Bell reunion can teach us about teens, and virtual reality’s take off. The Friday Don’t Miss List rounds up all the insights and trends for the week.
1. The Real Loss of the Super Bowl?
The day after the biggest marketing event of the year, we looked at the night as a whole to identify the highs, lows, and the major marketing trends of the big game. The ads not making viewers cry used positivity, a focus on dads, and plenty of nostalgia to pull in young consumers. Don’t miss another take on the big game advertising that says brands were the real losers of the night: One Salesforce exec tracked the commercials and called the lack of call-to-action used “marketing malpractice.” According to his calculations, 51% of advertisers ran ads without asking viewers to do anything to engage afterward, and the average hashtag (which he calls “lazy marketing”) was on screen for less than one second. We should add that while Loctite’s ad, pictured here, might not have flashed that hashtag for long, we consider their spot a Super Bowl win thanks to the awesomely weird content, which we know has major Millennial appeal.
2. Virtual’s Take Off
After years of being called a pipe dream, virtual reality is here, and this could be the year it takes off. We told you about the ways the technology could have impacts far beyond gaming, and you shouldn’t miss the latest on how one brand is making VR a part of their experience, and making it take off in a more literal way: Australia’s Quantas airline is partnering with Samsung to offer its first class passengers a virtual reality service that offers them immersive entertainment content and “virtual reality tours which “showcase the delights” of the airline’s network destinations.” While we doubt many Millennials will be partaking in this particular luxury perk, this is another great example of how VR could be used in the future, and another indication that the technology has implications outside of the gaming world.
3. Fashion Chat
For many young consumers, chat apps are as vital to their everyday interactions as social media and some smart brands are infiltrating increasingly popular chat spaces, and engaging their young users. Don’t miss the fashionable way that one app is being put to use: Burberry, which has a history of forward thinking digital marketing, has partnered with messaging app Line to live stream their London fashion show in real time. Using Line’s “Live Cast” function, the label will allow users to experience their London Fashion Week collection. Line’s adorable digital sticker characters Cony and Brown will also be outfitted in Burberry trenches and scarves for the occasion.
4. Saved by the Reunion
As most anyone with an internet connection knows, this week Jimmy Fallon’s Tonight Show staged a long, long awaited Saved by the Bell reunion, to the delight of Millennials everywhere. Zach, Kelly, Slater, and Jessie were all there, gamely recreating some of the iconic moments of the beloved show, and igniting nostalgia-fits nation-wide. Don’t miss one unique take on the reunion: “How things have changed for teens in the 25 years since Saved by the Bell.” (Yes, that says 25 years. Sigh.) The reunion reminded viewers of what once was, but also highlighted how much has changed. Compared to the Zach Attack crew, teens today are more mobile, have vastly different attitudes towards sex and gender, and smoke and get pregnant at a lower rate. We won’t see many very special episodes about those stats, but they are something we can get so excited about. (Sorry.)
5. Valentine’s Shut-Ins
Our infographic on Millennials and Valentine’s Day gave you the data on how young consumers are approaching the candy heart holiday. While 58% of 13-32-year-olds tell us that they think V Day is overrated, 56% say they are celebrating it. At the same time, 27% say they avoid going out in public that day. For those Valentine’s shut-ins, subscription service Date to Door has a solution. The service sends a monthly box of materials to make a fun date and take the planning out of spending time together. Don’t miss their February box, with a time machine theme that includes candles, offline games, and time capsule supplies. Avoiding going out in public just got romantic.
