$44B Worth Brand’s ‘Typical’ Super Bowl Commercial Earns High Praise From 3x NCAA Champion Madisen Skinner, Who Demands a Female Spin on It

Why are companies willing to shell out close to $7 million for a 30-second advertisement during the Super Bowl? Well, there is more psychology to it than business. The companies want to leave a long-lasting impact on the viewers that stays with them after the biggest show on Earth has concluded. So how do they do it? NCAA Champion Madisen Skinner broke this down in this week’s episode of our EssentiallySports Thought Leadership Podcast series, Think Tank.

Skinner, who has seen the heights of fame earlier with Kentucky and then Texas, is not the usual avid TV viewer. But when it’s Super Bowl time, she turns into one. And as she told our host Trey Holder, it was one ad from this year that “stuck with her.” 

The brand in question is $44B worth Dr. Pepper, as it launched a perfect campaign, tapping into viewers’ emotions, and carving out a positive image for itself. It turned out to be a perfect blend of resonance, and emotional connection with the viewers, topped by an element of humor. The ad campaign was such that it left its mark on a casual television viewer like Skinner. However, the 3-time national champion also left a suggestion for the brand so they could tap deep into the fan’s consciences and rope in a demographic that is usually missed.

Dr. Pepper’s Super Bowl Ad struck a chord with Madisen Skinner

What made Dr. Pepper’s ad stand out for Skinner? The comical idea of putting star quarterbacks and a team’s best players in peril and fans still choosing a Dr. Pepper bottle over a team they deeply care for. The 22-year-old shed light on the campaign and said, “I think the main idea was a kind of about a transfer portal and the scene was just really windy.”

“It was basically because transfer portal was like sucking up people. Starting quarterbacks and their best players and the fans were like freaking out. ‘Don’t leave us, please. We need you’. And the guy that is getting sucked in like, ‘I have to go. I’m so sorry’,” Skinner added.

But what influenced Skinner was the portal element. The humor made it stand out. She declared, “So, I thought it was funny and kind of stuck with me.” At the same time, she wished she could witness a female athlete in such a commercial. This would even allow brands to reach more female athletes, something they have been shying away till now.

“I would love to see them do one more with female sports and female athletes. Because all of it is typically football. But I think it’ll be cool to see them,” Skinner expressed her desire so that brands can follow up soon.

Advertisements remain a major source of marketing strategy for any brand. But those also have deep psychological effects beyond the realm of business. Maybe watching a female athlete might influence a young girl to pick up the sport she always wanted. And who knows? Maybe this will give us a lot more athletes like Skinner. Moreover, it will also put female athletes at the forefront, a recognition that has been due for a long time.

Watch Madisen Skinner join us for our latest Think Tank episode, where she gets candid on how women’s sports have progressed.

Think Tank is a premium initiative of EssentiallySports where we bring together the finest brains who talk about strategy, leadership, change, and opportunities in the world of sports content business. Stay tuned if you would like to see how athletes also manage to build a successful business brand for themselves at a young age.