5 in 5: Super Bowl Commercials, NFL Ratings, Impossible Foods, Digital Detoxing, Home Robots

Each week, Padilla’s Insights + Strategy team stands at the intersection of people, culture and brands to bring you five stories that you can read in five minutes.

1. Olay’s Super Bowl Commercial

The Super Bowl is one month away, but Olay’s Super Bowl commercial is already trending. Why should you care? Super Bowl ads have traditionally been made with men in mind: starring men and products, like Gillette Razors, meant for men to use. Though 45% of Super Bowl viewers are women, they remain underrepresented and often stereotyped in Super Bowl ads. This year, Olay’s ad stars former scream queen Sarah Michelle Gellar and features a woman’s product. It’s about time. Kudos to Olay for stepping in and creating an ad geared towards nearly half of the viewing audience for the biggest television event of the year. [CNBC]

2. NFL Ratings Soar

The NFL accounted for 47 out of the 50 most-watched shows on TV this season. Why should you care? Two seasons ago, the NFL found itself dealing with falling ratings, increased public concern over safety, and a prominent place in national political discussions. This season, NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” averaged 20 million viewers and is set to be TV’s number one show in prime time for the ninth time. Jay Rosenstein, a professor at NYU, attributes the success to a number of colliding trends: the legalization of sports betting, a rise in participation for fantasy football and lack of impact from cord-cutting (as the games are broadcast on major networks). These elements illustrate that as brands look for new opportunities in 2020, they would do well to leverage live TV and supplementary activities as part of their strategies. [CNN]

3. Impossible Foods’ Fake Sausages and Pork

Impossible Foods has unveiled their newest products: fake sausages and pork. Why should you care? Like their burgers, the sausages and pork will be made out of soy but mimic the taste and texture of their real meat counterpart. Last year, sales of plant-based meat jumped 10% to almost $1 billion, although they still only represent around 1% of sales of all meat. Impossible Burgers already have a large foothold with availability in grocery stores and 17,000 restaurants in the U.S., Singapore, Hong Kong and Macau; their newest products will join their fake beef cousins in restaurants soon. As people continue to make eco-conscious changes in their daily lives, we can expect plant-based meats and diets will continue to grow in the next few years. [CBS]

4. Digital Detoxing Continues

Research studying American use of smartphones and other devices has shown increased moderation of tech habits to combat concerns about privacy, physical health and personal mental wellness. Why should you care? Last year, companies spent $99 billion on mobile ads: more than print and TV ads combined. As consumers retreat from mobile devices, this will have implications for marketers and the digital world. Mobile won’t go away (and neither will the ads). However, brands will need to find increasingly creative ways to reach their customers if they aren’t glued to their phones. [New York Times]

5. Samsung’s Home Robot, Ballie

Samsung has announced the creation of their newest product, Ballie, a friendly robotic ball. Why should you care? Ballie follows you around the house making your day easier. You drop something and make a mess? Ballie, which can connect to your Roomba, opens up the robot vacuum. You want to see your dog while at work? Ballie finds the dog and turns on its camera. To some this may seem like a giant leap, but for the millions of people using digital assistants (like Alexa or Siri), this is simply the next generation. While the commercial was compelling enough on its own to garner attention, it resonates because it is easy to see how this would fit into our everyday lives: we can imagine a world with Ballies. [Tech Crunch]

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