This was the year that social media and traditional media came together on the Super Bowl field and scored a touchdown.

Campaigns were more integrated this year, with buzz building on Facebook and the web building anticipation for the multimillion dollar on-air campaigns, with an unprecedented number of sneak peeks and teaser campaigns (if not whole spots) posted online before the big game.

Major brand advertisers not only invested in gorgeously produced on-air spots — in the case of Coca-Cola, a Coke Cheers Facebook app and website whetted fans' appetites for the big game (and, naturally, the beverage) with a pro-social initiative that let fans pick their Super Bowl fave, with Coke donating $1 per vote (and then $5 per vote on the eve of the game) to charity — the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.Continue reading...

Groupon made a splash with its Super Bowl debut last night: a trio of spots that spoofed, mildly, pro-social causes such as saving endangered whales (featuring Cuba Gooding Jr.), the Brazilian rainforests (a CGI-imposed Elizabeth Hurley) and Tibet (Timothy Hutton).

Of course, any mocking (however gentle) of good causes, and transferring "saving" an imperiled precious resource with "saving" money on goods and services via social-based group purchasing runs the risk of crossing a line — which this campaign, created by Crispin Porter + Bogusky, appeared to do with many viewers.

The kick-off to the brand's Save the Money campaign was accused of being insensitive to social causes — the roots of the brand's origins — while the spot featuring Hutton caused the biggest backlash, landing the lowest score and social sentiment on the Brand Bowl Super Bowl social media tracker.Continue reading...