Skip to main content
  • Home
  • About
  • Faculty Experts
  • For The Media
  • ’Cuse Conversations Podcast
  • Topics
    • Alumni
    • Events
    • Faculty
    • Students
    • All Topics
  • Contact
  • Submit
Media, Law & Policy
  • All News
  • Arts & Culture
  • Business & Economy
  • Campus & Community
  • Health & Society
  • Media, Law & Policy
  • STEM
  • Veterans
  • University Statements
  • Syracuse University Impact
  • |
  • The Peel
  • Athletics
Sections
  • All News
  • Arts & Culture
  • Business & Economy
  • Campus & Community
  • Health & Society
  • Media, Law & Policy
  • STEM
  • Veterans
  • University Statements
  • Syracuse University Impact
  • |
  • The Peel
  • Athletics
  • Home
  • About
  • Faculty Experts
  • For The Media
  • ’Cuse Conversations Podcast
  • Topics
    • Alumni
    • Events
    • Faculty
    • 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
facultymediaNewhouse 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
  • Empowering Learners With Personalized Microcredentials, Stackable Badges
    Thursday, July 3, 2025, By Hope Alvarez
  • WISE Women’s Business Center Awarded Grant From Empire State Development, Celebrates Entrepreneur of the Year Award
    Thursday, July 3, 2025, By Dawn McWilliams
  • Rose Tardiff ’15: Sparking Innovation With Data, Mapping and More
    Thursday, July 3, 2025, By News Staff
  • Paulo De Miranda G’00 Received ‘Much More Than a Formal Education’ From Maxwell
    Thursday, July 3, 2025, By Jessica Youngman
  • Law Professor Receives 2025 Onondaga County NAACP Freedom Fund Award
    Thursday, July 3, 2025, By Robert Conrad

More In Media, Law & Policy

Professor Nina Kohn Serves as Reporter for Two Uniform Acts

College of Law Distinguished Professor Nina Kohn is helping to create “gold standard” legislation on some of the most important issues facing older adults and individuals with cognitive disabilities. Based on her legal expertise, including in the area of elder…

250 Years Later, Declaration of Independence Still Challenges, Inspires a Nation: A Conversation With Professor Carol Faulkner

In June 1776, from a rented room in Philadelphia, Thomas Jefferson penned the first draft of the document that would forge a nation. The stakes were high, amidst the ongoing war with the British, to find the right words to…

Philanthropy Driven by Passion, Potential and Purpose

Ken Pontarelli ’92 credits the University for changing his life, opening up opportunities to pursue his passions and achieve professional success that allows him to focus on the public good. In return, he and his wife, Tracey, are paying it…

First-Year Law Student to First-Year Dean: Lau Combines Law and Business to Continue College of Law’s Upward Trajectory

Three decades ago, Terence J. Lau L’98 walked the corridors as an eager student in the College of Law, then located in White Hall. He knew he had been given a rare chance—and a full scholarship—to be a part of…

Ian ’90 and Noah Eagle ’19 Share a Love of Sportscasting and Storytelling (Podcast)

There’s a new father-son sportscasting team on the national scene, one with a decidedly Orange background: Ian ’90 and Noah Eagle ’19. Ian finished his second year as the lead announcer for the NCAA men’s basketball tournament and has crafted…

Subscribe to SU Today

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

Connect With Us

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

For the Media

Find an Expert Follow @SyracuseUNews
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn
  • @SyracuseU
  • @SyracuseUNews
  • Social Media Directory
  • Accessibility
  • Privacy
  • Campus Status
  • Syracuse.edu
© 2025 Syracuse University News. All Rights Reserved.