Martin Allan on Why Kia Won The Super Bowl

As I’m sure you’re aware, the overarching theme of this year’s Super Bowl ads aimed to address the political situation in America. From immigration to women’s rights, brands stepped out of their usual reserved safe place to blatantly express their stance on recent events. This approach has subsequently impacted the creativity of this year’s ads. Many of the more comical narratives or product-led commercials have previously included a range of VFX or character animations. This time the majority of brands have chosen to highlight a political message, so they have radically stripped production and made more simple films. 

Budweiser’s spot (above), which tells the story of Adolphus Busch, the co-founder of Budweiser’s parent company Anheuser-Busch, whose immigration journey to America in the 1850s is a fantastic example of this. While it is a beautifully-shot 60 second cinematic epic, the effects are so stripped back and well-executed, you can’t tell what effects have been used. From the ferocious storm at sea to realistic scenes in a period setting, as a viewer you’re unaware if the shots are supported by CG or matte painted backgrounds. The brilliance and simplicity of the film and its story has allowed the brand to get its message across in a subtle and engaging way. 

However, not all brands followed the political trend and some chose character animation to push their products. The worst example from this year’s Super Bowl line-up has to be the CG disaster: Cleaner of Your Dreams (below) from Mr Clean. The creators’ attempt to make the main CG character appear sexy is slightly off the mark. From a design perspective, it’s very difficult to judge if the character is supposed to entice women or actually be a joke! As a post production generalist, I can totally sympathise with the creatives on this commercial. I did a campaign in India on a well known chewing gum brand, which sadly due to time and budget we weren’t able to create and deliver the level of detail required to make a character seem believable. Stylistically, comical CG characters should always be pulled back to a level where an audience can see the joke, otherwise you run the risk of a very expensive flop.

Thankfully, some brands were able to produce everything you want to see from a Super Bowl ad. From a Hollywood actor to unbelievable effects, Kia’s spot is brilliantly executed. The commercial sees Ghostbusters and Bridesmaids star Melissa McCarthy smashed and thrown via a series of amazing CG effects. Whilst nailing such great comedy, the creators have crafted a convincing whale and rhino. This would have taken incredible skill to make sure the animals’ movements worked in sync with those of the actor. The scenes with McCarthy clinging to a falling tree or stuck between a cracking ice cap are also astonishingly believable. When you’re trying to achieve a comical narrative you can be more slapstick with the effects. If you’re going to spend over ten million dollars on a commercial to showcase your brand at one of the most watched events, you may as well do it right. Kia have done this perfectly.