🏈 Super Bowl Ads, Worth It?

📰 Industry News

• Nvidia briefly overtakes Google-parent Alphabet as the third most valuable U.S. company on Wednesday, as investors look to the dominant AI chipmaker's upcoming quarterly report. (Reuters)

• Shopify's shares dropped by 13.4% on Tuesday. The Canadian e-commerce company had higher-than-anticipated earnings in the fourth quarter, but their guidance for the current period was unclear. (CNBC)

• OpenAI is improving ChatGPT by adding a "memory" feature. This feature will help the chatbot remember users' preferences and conversation details, making interactions more personalised and effective. (The Verge)

• Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, is looking to raise as much as $7 trillion in funding for an advanced AI chip project to reshape the global semiconductor industry. (Wall Street Journal)

• Notion acquires privacy-focused productivity platform Skiff, indicating a growing emphasis on data security in productivity too (TechCrunch)

• Disney has invested $1.5 billion into Epic Games. The move will see Disney look to create a platform to include its iconic brands such as Star Wars, Marvel, Pixar, Avatar and more in a new gaming universe. (CCN)

• Jeff Bezos sold 11,997,698 Amazon shares worth more than $2 billion this week. (CNBC)

📺 Super Bowl Ads Steal the Show

It wasn’t just Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce who stole the headlines at this year’s Super Bowl, but AI had some time in the mainstream spotlight too. As for the big-spending advertisers, mostly, they did not disappoint.

With an average audience on Sunday night of 123.4 million viewers, this year’s Super Bowl was the most watched US TV broadcast since the moon landing in 1969 - the advertising potential was huge.

There were over 100 ads shown altogether, with each 30-second slot costing brands around $7 million.

That’s $233,333.33 per second.

That’s before the cost of producing them… but are they worth the cost?

I think they are. In no particular order, here’s a rundown of some of my top commercials from the show… but I have saved the best until last.

• Etsy did a good job with its commercial, which features its new AI-generated gift mode feature. The ad was targeted at men, who need gift inspiration. Etsy’s male customer base has increased by 149% since 2019, and continues to grow.

• Temu’s Shop Like a Billionaire advert was somewhat memorable for the bright cartoony visuals, but by no means a classic. Their significant investment in mainstream marketing topped off with a Super Bowl ad, highlights their ambition to capture an even larger market share.

• The Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups advert hit the mark, blending humour and product promotion. It went down well with the audience and the light-heartedness builds great brand affinity with the audience. This ad topped many of the opinion polls, and I can see why.

• Google shared their Javier in Frame ad displaying how AI can enhance many lives, with them demonstrating the example of a visually impaired man using artificial technology in their Google Pixel 8 phone, to humanise the use of their AI technology.

• In another AI-focused ad, Microsoft shared their game day commercial focussing on Copilot, their AI assistant which is now available on all devices. The ad resonates too, looking to humanise the use of AI for the everyday person.

• Squarespace made, what appeared to be a high-budget commercial called Hello Down There, where humans were too busy on their phones to notice aliens invading. The aliens had to create a website to get attention. It's a good message, but could have been executed better and seemed to lack a personal touch compared to others in the sequence - in my opinion at least.

• Disney seemed to have spent all of their Super Bowl ad budget on securing the slot for their 'Well Said' ad, which simply left viewers reading words on the screen for 30 seconds. I probably could have created something similar myself in the 2008 version of iMovie. Minimalist? Very much so. But to be fair to Disney, the words resonated with their fans, and its simplistic nature sticks out in my mind for that reason.

• Popeye’s Chicken advert for the Super Bowl was one clear favourite - featuring Ken Jeong, it was always going to be funny. Humour and celebrity endorsements seem to be the key to success for Super Bowl ads. Well played Popeye’s.

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🤖 AI Development Needs Governing Body - Sam Altman

At the World Government Summit in Dubai, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman discussed the potential dangers of AI due to ‘societal misalignments’, urging global oversight to mitigate risks.

• Altman warned of the understated ways AI could disrupt society without malicious intent, emphasizing the need for caution beyond the fear of "killer robots."

• He reiterated his proposal for establishing a global body akin to the International Atomic Energy Agency to regulate the rapidly evolving AI landscape, stressing that the AI industry itself should not lead regulation efforts.

• Altman called for worldwide cooperation and action plans to govern AI development responsibly. He also noted the shift in educational institutions from fearing to embracing AI as essential for the future.

The importance of Altman's message lies in the recognition of AI's profound impact on society and the necessity for global governance to prevent unintended consequences. This perspective underscores the critical need for international dialogue, cooperation, and proactive measures to ensure AI's safe and equitable integration into daily life.

💄 Going Viral: The Genius of Rhodes Phone Case

I don’t wear lip-gloss and I even want one…. This is an example of a brand executing social media marketing perfectly, and I just have to share it with you.

Last week, skincare brand Rhode shared an innovative accessory on their TikTok account, and it’s taken the platform by storm, thanks to a strategic reveal by Hailey Bieber.

Bieber uploaded a selfie holding the phone case, and fans quickly spotted the unusual accessory.

This phone case isn't just any merch; it cleverly holds Rhode's popular Peptide Lip Tint.

What happened next? Thousands of fans begged the company to release the innovative accessory to the public. Now, it has just been made available in the UK and US.

Why Everything About This is Genius Marketing:

• Building Anticipation: Hailey Bieber makes everything she touches popular. The photo was shared before the product was available for sale, creating huge anticipation for the product launch.

• User-Generated Content: The case's design encourages sharing on social media. This ties in perfectly to the selfie-driven Gen-Z audience.

• It Solves a Real Problem: The phone case helps people who wear lip-gloss to always have it with them, so they don't forget to bring it.

• Encourages Exclusivity: If I had one of these cases and I needed some new gloss, I’d be sure to get another Rhode gloss to fit my case.

Rhode's marketing strategy ticks every box for the perfect product release. Brands take note: integrating product functionality with your audience's lifestyle can lead to significant user-generated content wins. Well played Rhode.