Super Ad Poll: Successes, Surprises, and Fumbles

By Donnica Smalls

@itsshawntelle: Rating ads for #cockysadpoll today!! Excited to name a winner!

@thevisionarydon: Amped for the game and ready to rate these commercials for my advertising class!! #GoSteelers

@cjbsc : At 8th annual Cocky's Super Ad Poll. USC students rate #SuperBowl ads--brand ID, persuasiveness, likeability. Sometimes ads beat game.

The chatter about commercials could easily be heard from those gathered for Cocky’s Super Ad Poll, but the real crowd noise came from the conversations found on Twitter. Students and faculty of the School of Journalism and Mass Communications joined those worldwide by sharing their thoughts about the commercial fumbles and successes of Super Bowl XLV via social media.

@alexstroman The ad that has gotten the most reaction (talking wise) in class so far is the Chevy-Facebook Voice Ad. Not exactly a good thing.

@cjbsc Chrysler/Detroit buy 2-minute block for dramatic narrative ad. At #SuperBowl prices. $12mill gamble or investment? One to talk about.

Super Bowl Sunday has redefined the traditional classroom for J-school students enrolled in Professor Bonnie Drewniany’s advertising class. The class, which was inspired by Drewniany searching for an interesting topic for a McNair Scholars lecture eight years ago, has grown from a small honors class to one of the most anticipated electives for students across campus.

The class provides an opportunity for students to understand the process of creating a commercial and the high stakes involved when creating a spot for an event as highly watched as the Super Bowl. Cocky’s Super Ad Poll adds visibility to the J-School, but most importantly gives students the chance to learn outside of a conventional classroom setting.

“The Ad Poll is an opportunity for students to engage in learning by analyzing the commercials. It is a great demonstration of our program,” said Charles Bierbauer, dean of the College,whose Twitter id is cjbsc.

As more professors begin to adopt the use of social media tools to engage their students, they have received positive feedback from students who are more than willing to continue discussions from classrooms to social media websites. Facebook, Twitter and blogs such as Tumblr and Wordpress offer a number of creative and engaging ways for students to discuss and practice what they are learning in class. World events seem to unfold on Twitter timelines and the Ad Poll was no different. Timelines were flooded overwhelmingly with spontaneous reactions to the commercials, more than to the game.

@Bleaveitornot: $3 mil so we can look at Eminem and not know your drink? #fail

@ellisetc: Audi commercial – well thought out and funny! #success

@BombBoss: Chrysler commercial gets a huge thumbs up!!

Prior to the Ad Poll students spend time learning the logistics of creating commercials, analyzing the portrayals of various groups and studying ads that have succeeded and others that did not meet expectation. This information helped students rate the ads on brand identity, likability and persuasiveness. The students’ votes combined with online participants declared Volkswagen's "The Force" as this year’s overall winner.
Deutsch executives spoke to students and answered questions via Skype on April 19. They explained the creative process used to create the commercial and how social media was utilized to share the spot around the globe before the Super Bowl was televised.

“It was interesting to hear what these young professionals had to say to those of us aspiring to be in their shoes after graduation,” said Alexandria Robinson, senior advertising major.