Why is optimistic advertising so appealing? How are people defining the ‘American Dream’ for themselves? And could breaking the fourth wall to subvert hard-selling win over new fans? Canvas8 unpicks the behavioral themes present in 11 notable campaigns from the 2020 Super Bowl. To access the full report, visit: https://resources.canvas8.com/superbowl2020

1. Super Bowl 2020
/ The insights behind the ads

2. The big-budget commercial breaks during
the Super Bowl routinely draw more media
headlines than the on-field action – and with
millions of dollars spent on the top spots,
it’s easy to see why they spur such interest.
But what can we learn from America’s
biggest ad campaigns?
At Canvas8, we always want to know why.
Why are people embracing optimism? In
what ways are brands celebrating individual
definitions of the ‘American Dream’? And
could breaking the fourth wall to subvert
hard-selling win over new fans? We unpick
the behavioral themes present in 11 notable
campaigns from the 2020 Super Bowl.
SUPER BOWL 2020

3. Fourth wall
foolery
/ People appreciate subversions
of traditional advertising
Values-led campaigns have become
commonplace as brands have sought to
keep up with a rising tide of consumer
activism. But as people see through
unfulfilled brand promises – just 30%
trust ‘corporate America’ to do what is
right – adland is turning to humor to
express some uncomfortable truths.

4. Snickers’ satirical subversion of cause
marketing aimed a punch at brands that
attempt to convert people through ‘woke’
missions. With a distinct nod to Coca-Cola’s
famous 1971 Hilltop ad, it swipes at celebrities
naming their kids after trendy vegetables and
the pseudo-ethics of influencers. Swaying
firmly on the side of a disillusioned audience,
with the tongue-in-cheek kicker ‘Snickers
fixes the world’, the brand self-consciously
underlined the superficiality of advertising.
Brand / Snickers
Agency / BBDO New York and AMV BBDO
Snickers
FOURTH WALL FOOLERY
SUPER BOWL 2020

5. Using Adult Swim’s off-the-wall characters Rick
and Morty, Pringles took a gamble on absurdist
humor. The characters begin by criticizing
a Pringles ad they’re watching, but soon
realize they’re starring in it and try to escape.
By highlighting people’s desire to evade
advertising, the brand connected with
a widespread sense of fatigue and mocked
its own complicity in the commercial cycle.
Pringles
FOURTH WALL FOOLERY
SUPER BOWL 2020
Brand / Pringles
Agency / Grey Group/Adult Swim

6. FOURTH WALL FOOLERY
SUPER BOWL 2020
Little Caesars, meanwhile, used its commercial
to tell a story about a highly-strung CEO (played
by The Office actor Rainn Wilson) pushed to
breaking point when he finds that people are
calling Little Caesars delivery ‘the best thing
since sliced bread’. Cut to the Sliced Bread
Corporation HQ, where its demise leads to
scenes of chaos featuring a rampaging ostrich,
burning loaves, and Wilson sobbing in his car.
Implementing slapstick to illustrate the often
ludicrous tactics employed by entrepreneurs
to stay on top, it revealed how elaborate,
character-driven stories around simple
affirmations can win laughs.
Little Caesars
Brand / Little Caesars
Agency / McKinney

7. Optimistic
outlooks
/ People are rejecting negativity
Over the course of the 2010s, techno-
optimism curdled into fear and cynicism
as privacy scandals tarnished confidence
in social media and search giants while
the rise of fake news sowed doubts about
almost everything published online. In a
fraught political and social climate, people
want to be uplifted by ads and shown a
world where things really can be better.

8. For Jeep’s big moment, Bill Murray reprised
his role in the 1993 film Groundhog Day,
replacing his Chevrolet with a Gladiator
pickup. The cantankerous weatherman
took a more positive outlook, befriending
his groundhog companion and embracing
a sense of possibility, even in the context
of a monotonous life. In doing so, the
brand reflected a desire to fly in the face of
adversity and pessimism and shift towards
a sense of inner optimism.
Jeep Gladiator
OPTIMISTIC OUTLOOKS
SUPER BOWL 2020
Brand / Jeep Gladiator
Agency / Highdive

9. SUPER BOWL 2020
Just 50% of Americans believe that tech firms
are having a positive effect on the way things
are going in the country. In response, some
used their Super Bowl spots to give the world
warm and fuzzy feelings. Google showed its
tender side in a moving story about an elderly
man’s love for his late wife, named Loretta.
The spot demonstrated how Google Assistant
could help keep memories of loved ones
alive, positioning the AI tool as a preserver
of human relationships.
Google
OPTIMISTIC OUTLOOKS
Brand / Google

10. Microsoft similarly focused on the human
side of tech in its commercial. Although
Katie Sowers, an assistant coach for the San
Francisco 49ers, used the Surface tablet
throughout the spot, the emphasis was on her
becoming the first woman to ever coach in the
Super Bowl. By shining a light on stories that
inspire people and giving viewers hope for the
future, these adverts sought to undo some of
the ‘techlash’ that characterized 2019.
Microsoft
SUPER BOWL 2020
OPTIMISTIC OUTLOOKS
Brand / Microsoft
Agency / McCann New York

11. Everyday
Americans
/ People are redefining the American
Dream on their own terms
In a bid to connect with the broadest possible
spectrum of Americans, many of the ads at
the 2020 Super Bowl elevated the underdog.
By spotlighting the lives of regular folk and
amplifying underrepresented voices, brands
spoke to a desire to find common ground at
a time of political polarization, acknowledging
all the nuanced definitions of what it means
to be American.

12. While partisan politics are causing Americans to
question their national identity, Squarespace’s
‘Welcome to Winona’ ad focused on the
quirks and charm of Winona, Minnesota. It
features actor Winona Ryder venturing to her
birthplace and namesake to find herself and
build a website dedicated to the town. With
urban and rural Americans living increasingly
divided lives, many feel underrepresented by
the media. By celebrating the idiosyncrasies
of local communities and small businesses
that combine to form the country’s spirit of
entrepreneurialism, Squarespace created
a vision of the American Dream that’s both
relatable and humorous.
Squarespace
EVERYDAY AMERICANS
SUPER BOWL 2020
Brand / Squarespace

13. SUPER BOWL 2020
Budweiser’s ‘Typical American’ ad depicted
people performing small acts of kindness,
heroism, and love – a firefighter tackling a
forest blaze, a man helping a stranger by
pushing his car out of the snow, protesters
peacefully marching through the streets.
In the background, a voiceover challenged
stereotypes of ‘typical Americans’ and
highlighted the extraordinary acts people
accomplish on a daily basis, evoking a sense
of patriotism and possibility. It spoke to a
growing desire to connect to one another,
despite individual differences.
Budweiser
EVERYDAY AMERICANS
Brand / Budweiser
Agency / David Miami

14. Forgoing the voices of LA and NYC locals
that are typically heard on-screen, Hyundai
harnessed the distinctive Boston accent in its
‘Smaht Pahk’ spot. Using famous Bostonians,
who comically exaggerated their intonation,
the ad served to celebrate the quirks of
‘regular’ people. In doing so, it spoke to all
Americans through the language of humor.
Hyundai
SUPER BOWL 2020
EVERYDAY AMERICANS
Brand / Hyundai
Agency / Innocean USA

15. Want more?
Download the full analysis by clicking here.
James Cunningham
Head of Strategic Partnerships
james@canvas8.com
(+44) (0)20 7377 8585
London
Canvas8
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EC1V 8AR
United Kingdom
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