Do SuperBowl commercials work? This year’s ads were expensive at $7 million each. They are designed to create a buzz. That means they get people talking, just like powerful public relations campaigns.

A 2015 McKinsey & Company study says that word of mouth accounts for 20-50% of purchases. I’ll comment on three that worked on me, a Gen Xer:

1. Dunkings boy band with Ben Affleck, Jennifer Lopez, Matt Damon, and Tom Brady — I like this one the best and it’s one that my friends are mentioning the most. I like math and Matt starred in a popular math movie. He also does a good deadpan look and eye roll line in the ad. Matt and Ben are super likable. Bennifer is a thing again. It reminded me that I love Dunkin coffee and now I want to go to Dunkin. I wasn’t thinking about it before. I am already a huge Dunkin Donuts fan and always go back to Dunkin Donuts in Euclid, OH, where I grew up, for a cup of the best coffee in the world and sometimes a donut. Dunkin came late to San Jose, California, where I live so it became a more beloved brand when it was very hard to get.

2. Mayo Cat with Kate McKinnon — Cat mom is searching in the fridge for a snack. The cat says, “Meow” or “mayo” depending on how you hear it. Kate represents the LGBQT community so it’s a politically correct and modern ad: She’s the first openly gay SNL cast member. A+ on the diversity front. The cat gets on a popular morning show due to its gift of gab. The concept is clever and people love animals in ads: Think Clydesdale horses and the puppy. I added it here because my brother-in-law in New Jersey mentioned it to me as his number one. It’s cute but two things turn me off so it’s not my winner. First I don’t like the concept of Pete Davidson dating a cat: It’s gross weird. By the way, when he was on SNL he was by far my favorite cast member. He’s hilarious like Adam Sandler. The second reason this did not win first place is that they took the ad premise too far. I would have added a dog that said, “Woof” but meaning “roof” instead of acting like a meow is a big deal.

3. Dr. Umstick. I watched this once and it took me a minute to realize that it’s Drumstick ice cream treats. Get it? Dr. Umstick = drumstick. The fact that it was not obvious made it clever. Now I’m craving Drumsticks as a result and I have mentioned the ad as funny and clever to friends and family. Will I buy more Drumstick ice cream treats? Time will tell. I try to buy more leafy greens than any ice cream at this time of year. See the Nestlé Drumstick photo above.

By the way I did not like the Bud Light ad with Peyton Manning. I did not understand it, for one. Secondly, I’m tired of seeing Manning’s face everywhere. Third, Coors Light tastes better than Bud Light. I don’t think an ad can make something taste good. I was tired of Tom Brady too but putting him in an ad with Affleck and Damon made sense because they are associated with Boston. He’s most associated with the N.E. Patriots.

Nestlé Drumstick Photo Credit: Wikipedia Thomson200

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Michelle McIntyre is a tech public relations consultant based in the Silicon Valley who has represented a variety of b2b and b2c startups from fintech and AI to martech and data analytics. A ranked future of work influencer with 1.8 million impressions on Quora, she has also represented unicorns and big brands such as IBM (HW, SW, services, research breakthroughs), Microsoft (PR and content marketing), Bill, Moloco, and Alation. She’s on the PRSA Silicon Valley board and was 2017 VLAB volunteer of the year. Please contact her if you have news to share. michelle@michellemcintyrecommunications.com