Coca-Cola
Not to be outdone by it’s cola rival, Coca-Cola has launched cokechase.com, an interactive website where viewers can “sabotage†several rival groups vying for a mirage of a Coke bottle in the desert. Fans can vote to distract a group of cowboys, showgirls and “Badlanders,†with the winning team to be revealed on Super Bowl Sunday.
The campaign has not been without controversy; however, with some Arab-Americans showing their disproval of the desert character featured in the spot (who is not a character in the competition) believing the individual personifies racist stereotypes. The company responded saying the character identity is a part of a key plot twist in the campaign.
Audi
In the old days, ad execs made all of the decisions. However, in the age of social media, brands are realizing that customer input could go a long way to creating awareness and loyalty. Luxury carmaker Audi did just that when it filmed three separate endings to its Super Bowl ad and let fans do the voting. The commercial features a seemingly introverted, dateless teenager who, emboldened by his father’s 2013 Audi S6, gains enough confidence to kiss the prom king’s date. The audience chooses the boy’s fate after her date notices she’s getting smooched. The car company revealed the winning ending this week–the boy gets a black eye from the Mr. Prom King and speeds away in the spot titled “Worth It.â€
Budweiser
Budweiser’s iconic Clydesdales have been Super Bowl staples, making 23 appearances in the big game since 1986. But in the age of social media, the beer brand needed to freshen up it’s image. Budweiser joined Twitter for the first time this week with a rather unique social media campaign. The Anheuser-Busch brand is encouraging its fans to help name its newest “star,†a baby horse. To tug on its consumer’s heartstrings, the brand also released their 2013 commercial on YouTube yesterday–a first for the beer maker–and plans to reveal the winning name during the Super Bowl broadcast.