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
advertisingfacultymediaNewhouse 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
  • Funding Expands for Newhouse Professors’ Work on Technology to Combat Fake News
    Wednesday, May 18, 2022, By Wendy S. Loughlin
  • Biology and Earth and Environmental Sciences Departments Come Together on Diversity and Engagement Initiatives
    Tuesday, May 17, 2022, By News Staff
  • As the School of Education’s Italy Program Returns, Sara Jo Soldovieri ’18, G’19 Reflects on Its Influence
    Tuesday, May 17, 2022, By Martin Walls
  • Center for Fellowship and Scholarship Advising Team Helps Match Students With Unique Experiences That Enhance Their Studies
    Tuesday, May 17, 2022, By Jen Maser
  • COVID-19 Update: Public Health Protocols for Summer 2022
    Tuesday, May 17, 2022, By News Staff

More In Media, Law & Policy

Funding Expands for Newhouse Professors’ Work on Technology to Combat Fake News

Two professors from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications who are working on the development of technology to detect manipulated media and combat the spread of fake news are supported by a subcontract that now tops $1.1 million, thanks…

As the School of Education’s Italy Program Returns, Sara Jo Soldovieri ’18, G’19 Reflects on Its Influence

Now a doctoral student researching inclusive education, Sara Jo Soldovieri ’18, G’19 was a sophomore when she took Literacy, Inclusion and Diversity in Italy, a study abroad short course offered by the School of Education and Syracuse Abroad. Soldovieri matriculated…

New Law Scholarship Honors the Ongoing Legacy of the Hon. Theodore A. McKee L’75

Syracuse University College of Law is pleased to announce the establishment of the Hon. Theodore A. McKee L’75 Endowed Law Scholarship with a generous gift from Syracuse University Trustee and College of Law Board of Advisors Member Richard M. Alexander…

College of Law Holds Commencement for Class of 2022

On Friday, May 6, the College of Law held Commencement for its 199 J.D. and 33 LL.M. graduates. The event, the first in-person Commencement since 2019, featured the first cohort of graduating online J.D. students. Luke Cooper L’01, CEO of…

College of Law Graduates Inaugural Class of Its Groundbreaking Online JDinteractive Program

On May 6, students in the inaugural class of Syracuse University College of Law’s first-of-its-kind JDinteractive (JDi) program graduated alongside their peers in the college’s residential J.D. program. JDi, a fully ABA-accredited program, was the first to combine live online…

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
© 2022 Syracuse University News. All Rights Reserved.