Pure marketing genius. That’s what my first thought was when I watched the “It’s a Tide ad” compilation. As a marketing major, something that has always really interested me is why certain commercials stand out due to a truly unique element. These Tide ads featured in the 2018 Super Bowl DEFINITELY stood out, and the compilation I found demonstrates why. The commercial starts off by zooming in on the image of a man driving a glossy silver vehicle. “Yeah, just your typical Super Bowl car ad…” the narrator intones. “Right?”
Wrong.
Before explaining the reason why the following scenes resulted in one of the most brilliant marketing ploys ever, let me just say that this is the start of my new article series titled “Must Watch.” I wrote one a few weeks ago called “Must Watch: the Chunky Milk Commercial!” which you can read here. These articles will detail all of the most interesting advertisements I find.
The reason this Tide compilation is so incredible is that the commercial starts off appearing to advertise something else and then turns into a Tide ad. Then a new commercial seems to start… but it’s actually just a part of the Tide ad. Then another… and another… and every time it turns into a “Tide ad” with the same narrator popping up, and a voice constantly intoning “Tide ad.” Soon, you have no idea whether the commercial is over or not. And the narrator illustrates this perfectly about fifty seconds in, saying “So does this make every Super Bowl ad a Tide ad?” Then the scene cuts to Tide’s logo and the viewer hears, “I think it does. Watch and see.”
If you are ready to watch the video click this link (otherwise keep reading for more details): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIW3l-ENHdA
So the Tide ad is actually over… or is it? The next commercial starts but quickly turns into a Tide ad. The logo appears again, and the narrator reminds you “Tide ad.” Ok, pretty funny, and the viewer assumes Tide made its point. An innocent looking medicine type commercial starts with a woman hurting herself playing tennis… but wait, it’s a Tide ad. And so on, until the viewer can’t help but wonder if EVERYTHING is in fact a Tide ad! Even a commercial with Mr. Clean in it becomes a Tide ad.
The constant chant of “Tide ad” in the background plus the anticipation involved in wondering whether the ad is actually over keeps the viewer constantly engaged with the brand. Curiosity about whether the next ad will transform into a Tide ad makes the viewer associate Tide with every aspect of life. Did the world actually turn upside down and make everything a Tide ad? Maybe this article is a Tide ad…. Just kidding!
If you haven’t seen this amazing compilation, watch it here!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIW3l-ENHdA