Monday Morning “Quarterbacking” the Super Bowl

I’m pretty sure we weren’t the only office that spent some time on Monday morning discussing the Super Bowl – whether it was the game, the ads or the halftime show – it is safe to assume that you have an opinion about each element.

I’m teaching a social media class at one of the community colleges and asked my students to watch a bit of the broadcast, paying particular attention to how social was being used.   I asked them to see how hashtags were being incorporated into the ads (#LaundryLater is now in use at my folks’ house!), what was being said on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram about the halftime show (like/dislike in equal proportion), and what lessons could be learned as it applies to the small business they are creating a strategy for.

This year’s commercials tugged at the heartstrings (Google’s #Loretta or Scout) and made us laugh (#5GThatWorks).  Some could only have worked on 2/2/2020 (Bill Murray’s Groundhog Day for #Jeep) and some I don’t understand why they bothered (Facebook’s #ReadytoRock).

Some were empowering (Katie Sowers or #MakeSpaceForWomen) and others were messages of hope (Walmart).

The Super Bowl was a big win for Kansas City. And a big win for social media strategists… and for my students who are looking for some real-time examples.