Hare Communications

To me, this Reese’s spot epitomizes why everyone I’ve asked was disappointed with the overall quality of this year’s Super Bowl ads — and I have a theory about one of the root causes.

First, I’m assuming most of the spots (particularly the ones attempting humor) were developed by younger creatives — let’s say 35 and under. That’s a generation raised almost entirely on cringe comedy, a genre built on placing “funny” people in “funny” situations saying “funny” things. OK, fine. But to make traditional live comedy, you need all those elements, AND you have to write jokes. So there’s an entire layer of craftsmanship that, for all practical purposes, has been lost on them.

Here’s another critical difference between Cringe and Traditional comedy. When Karla, for instance, said something mean to Cliff on “Cheers,” it rolled off his back before the audience stopped laughing. When someone says something mean on a cringe comedy, it HURTS. So there’s an underlying respect for other humans that’s also been lost on them.

In short, these young creatives have had virtually no exposure to genuinely well-crafted comedy, OR to the kind of human connectedness that comes from knowing the difference between Funny and Mean-Spirited. The result? Lots of spots, like this Reese’s debacle, that lack a fundamentally-sound selling concept — or any underlying human connection to the viewer.

That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

Special thanks to Tom Spetalnick for sending me this note. Which he found on his mailbox this morning.

What makes a $249 pair of AirPods Pro, with absolutely pathetic sound, better than my $19.99 earbuds with absolutely brilliant sound? The Apple Brand. Read all about it in my latest blog post:

Branding 101: Earbuds Edition
https://bit.ly/3r4Ewpj

Offhand, I'd say this is my favorite new example of great branding in a while. Think about the name --- doesn't Plant Butter sound LOTS tastier than Margarine (which, by definition, is exactly what it is)?

Here's the best part: They actually did make a really good product --- fulfilling the promise of its brand name. Big Thumbs Up to Country Crock and its agency!