Snickers Superbowl
Update: please see comments and additional notes
I’m not sure if the Snickers ad shown at afterthekiss.com was targeted solely at the Superbowl as it appears to be a Daytona thing as well. Showing the Chest Hair version this evening, they drive you to the URL where there are 3 other versions for you to see and vote for to choose one to show during the big race. The only link to the football game is watching the reactions of a few players to the ads.
I’d love to know how many takes they actors had to do for this - and how many Snickers they ate (or did they have a conveniently placed spitbowl?)
Update:
The Gay Expat provided a different take (and links) in the comments. Pointing primarily to AmericaBlog he raises the fact that the Snickers ad and, more importantly, the website associated with it, can be seen as homophobic and as inciting violence towards gays.
This was not my initial reaction at all - my thoughts were about how many chocolate bars they went through and how the site had such a weak link to the superbowl. I’d watched the other endings to the ads, but had not watched the footballer’s comments. I did not see it through the same set of perceptions as others. Read the many comments associated with that link - there is a wide difference of opinion. On reflection, I would be inclined to read the ad as making fun of homophobia and those ‘manly men’ who would have to do something completely stupid to prove they were still ‘men’. But I obviously live in a completely different world to those that object to the ads - it’s not filled with the potential of violence that comes through in the comments to the post. So read the links in the comments and make up your own mind.
Whatever your point of view, it appears that the protests and comments that Mars have received have had an effect. they have taken down the site, diverting it to snickers.com. There’s been no statements yet - that’s going to have to wait ’til all their lawyers have got together.
Related Stories
POSTED IN: Advertisements, Television & Radio
2 opinions for Snickers Superbowl
The Gay Expat
Feb 5, 2007 at 11:38 am
The gay blogosphere is quite concerned about this campaign being potentially homphobic, but aren’t necessarily in agreement about it. The concensus seems to be, however, that the NFL player reactions on the website (”Oh my god! That’s Gross!”) are pretty despicable/harmful.
I personally don’t think homophobia is what TBWA NY intended (or perhaps I’m being charitable to think they wouldn’t use homphobia worded as something else as a target’s behavioural insight), but I’d love to know if there were gay creatives/account people on the agency team.
Related links:
http://www.datalounge.com/cgi-bin/iowa/forum/thread/gossip/4447858/page-1.html
(Gay gossip message board that is NOT for the faint-of heart, subject to “prime time” restriction during high traffic periods)
http://www.towleroad.com/2007/02/snickers_quick_.html
http://www.goodasyou.org/good_as_you/2007/02/snickers_vote_c.html
The Gay Expat
Feb 5, 2007 at 1:46 pm
Just wanted to give you another link, as it looks as if there’s a bit of a stink:
http://americablog.blogspot.com/2007/02/snickers-superbowl-web-site-promotes.html
Have an opinion? Leave a comment: