Skip to main content
  • Home
  • About
  • Faculty Experts
  • For The Media
  • Videos
  • Topics
    • Alumni
    • Events
    • Faculty
    • Library
    • Research
    • Students
    • All Topics
  • Contact
  • Submit
Media, Law & Policy
  • All News
  • Arts & Culture
  • Business & Economy
  • Campus & Community
  • Health & Society
  • Media, Law & Policy
  • STEM
  • Veterans
  • |
  • Alumni
  • The Peel
  • Athletics
Sections
  • All News
  • Arts & Culture
  • Business & Economy
  • Campus & Community
  • Health & Society
  • Media, Law & Policy
  • STEM
  • Veterans
  • |
  • Alumni
  • The Peel
  • Athletics
  • Home
  • About
  • Faculty Experts
  • For The Media
  • Videos
  • Topics
    • Alumni
    • Events
    • Faculty
    • Library
    • Research
    • Students
    • All Topics
  • Contact
  • Submit
Media, Law & Policy

Super Bowl Ads: What May Be Missing This Year

Tuesday, January 30, 2018, By Kathleen Haley
Share
advertisingfacultymediaS.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications

Almost as fun as watching the big game, Super Bowl commercials give everyone just as much to talk about at the water cooler the morning after.

head shot

Rebecca Ortiz

Puppies, horses and big celebrities are always sure to draw attention, but what about the ones that target sexy? Remember model Cindy Crawford’s Pepsi ad? So popular it’s being redone this year, 26 years after the original. That is pretty tame in comparison to others that have pushed the boundaries of good taste, into, at times, vulgarity, for a supposed family-friendly viewing event.

Rebecca R. Ortiz, an assistant professor of advertising in the Newhouse School of Public Communications, shares what might just be on the minds of advertisers this year as they tread carefully in this time of intense focus on sexual harassment and assault and gender bias.

  • 01
    What is in a winning formula for a Super Bowl ad?

    For many, the Super Bowl is just as much about the advertising as it is about the football. Given the expense and efforts that go into producing and purchasing an ad for the Super Bowl, advertisers want to get as much bang for their buck as possible.

    In the past, they often turned to sexual appeals as a way to garner audience attention. The use of sexual appeals in advertising has, however, declined in recent years and may even be nonexistent in this year’s ads. The sexual tropes of yesteryear have lost much of their former luster.

  • 02
    Do sexual appeals in Super Bowl ads add up to better sales or furthering a brand’s image?

    Empirical research on the effectiveness of sexual appeals in advertising paints a fairly consistent picture that sex does not sell as we anecdotally thought it did. While sexual appeals may catch an audience member’s attention, the ad and associated brand can often be perceived negatively because of its sexualized imagery, particularly among women.

    In some cases, sexual appeals may even distract from the brand message entirely, leaving audiences with a memory of the sexual appeal but not of the brand or product the ad was meant to sell.

  • 03
    What about today’s dramatic recent focus on sexual harassment and sexual assault? Where does that leave advertisers in trying to win customers to their brand with sexualized images?

    Sexual harassment and sexual assault are also topics at the forefront of many consumers’ minds this year, as a result of the many sexual misconduct allegations made against some of the most powerful men in the United States.

    Advertisers would be smart to steer clear of any sexualized imagery that may be interpreted by audiences as offensive or tone deaf to the efforts made and concerns raised by the #MeToo and Time’s Up movements.

  • Author
  • Faculty Experts

Kathleen Haley

  • Rebecca Ortiz

  • Recent
  • Syracuse University Ranked in the Top 25 for Best Online Graduate Information Technology Programs by U.S. News & World Report
    Tuesday, January 26, 2021, By News Staff
  • WAER 88.3 FM Welcomes New Sports Director
    Tuesday, January 26, 2021, By Mary Kate Intaglietta
  • The State of the Immigration Courts
    Tuesday, January 26, 2021, By News Staff
  • Athlete, Activist Maya Moore Joins the Martin Luther King Jr. Virtual Event Series Jan. 27
    Tuesday, January 26, 2021, By News Staff
  • Health Promotion Advocate and Alumnus Sidney Lerner ’53 Remembered
    Tuesday, January 26, 2021, By News Staff

More In Media, Law & Policy

WAER Will Transition to the Newhouse School This Summer

Syracuse radio station WAER will become part of Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, effective July 1. The announcement was made today by Newhouse Dean Mark J. Lodato, WAER director and general manager Joe Lee and Kristian Klinger,…

‘Democracy on Trial: Can We Save It?’

James Roger Sharp, professor emeritus of history in the Maxwell School, wrote an op-ed for Syracuse.com titled “Democracy on trial: Can we save it?” Sharp is an expert in American political history, having researched and written extensively about the history…

Future of News Production the Focus of NSF Planning Grant

Two researchers from Syracuse University are part of a team that received a $130,000 planning grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) Future of Work at the Human-Technology Frontier. The project, “Planning to study automation and the future of news…

College of Law Adds Vincent H. Cohen ’92, L’95 to Board of Advisors

Syracuse University College of Law is pleased to announce the addition of Vincent H. Cohen ’92, L’95—Partner at Dechert LLP, based in Washington, DC—to its Board of Advisors. Cohen is widely recognized and honored for his work in high-stakes litigation…

‘Confronting ‘Who We Are”

Verena Erlenbusch-Anderson, associate professor of philosophy in the College of Arts and Sciences, wrote an op-ed for History News Network titled “Confronting ‘Who We Are.’” Erlenbusch-Anderson specializes in political philosophy and often teaches courses on the philosophy of law. After…

Subscribe to SU Today

If you need help with your subscription, contact sunews@syr.edu.

Connect With Us

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn
Social Media Directory

For the Media

Find an Expert Follow @SyracuseUNews
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn
  • @SyracuseU
  • @SyracuseUNews
  • @SUCampus
  • Social Media Directory
  • Accessibility
  • Privacy
  • Campus Status
  • Syracuse.edu
© 2021 Syracuse University News. All Rights Reserved.