I’m not an auto racing fan, but my favorite Super Bowl commercials were the Fox Sports promotions for its IndyCar Series coverage starting in March.
I didn’t see it on any lists of top commercials, probably because it was an in-house promo, but for whatever reason, this commercial caught – and managed to hold – my attention for its entire 41 seconds.
The commercial features one of the IndyCar drivers, Pato O’Ward. Never heard of him, by the way.
A knight encased in metal
But the commercial starts with a close-up of O’Ward’s eyes staring through his helmet’s visor like a knight staring down his opponent in a jousting match.
The video takes us through flashbacks, starting with his infancy when his first words were reportedly, "Eat my dust."
The narration continues, elevating O’Ward to heroic status. "Pato looks like a one-man boy band. He charms like an English spy … He doesn’t have fans. He’s got groupies." It’s all matched with video that mixes humor with literal high-speed action.
Creating a reason to watch
In auto racing, the athletes are hidden in metal boxes moving so fast they’re hard to see, let alone get to know. It’s unlike almost any other sport where the competitors are in the open, all of their emotions on display in victory and defeat.
So, how can you get more people to watch cars circling a track for a couple of hours? Give the drivers some personality, which Fox Sports did brilliantly with O’Ward. It also ran a second commercial featuring driver Josef Newgarden.
Why did I like these commercials? Their intent was clear – encourage people to watch not just IndyCar races but the drivers, too. They were funny with some action and emotion ("He’s tasted every kind of victory, except for the lactose variety," a reference to the fact that he’s finished second more than once in the Indy 500.)
The lesson for small businesses is clear. Let some of your personality show through in your marketing. Your customers will appreciate knowing about you as well as learning about your products.
The next newsletter arrives Feb. 25, when we’ll be two-thirds of the way through winter. Between now and then, we get to celebrate the birthdays of two of our better presidents, Abraham Lincoln (born Feb. 12, 1809) and George Washington (born Feb. 22, 1732). If you’re a romantic sort, and you’ve got someone to celebrate with, Valentine's Day is Friday, Feb. 14. And we shouldn’t overlook National Sticky Bun Day on Feb. 21.
Until next time, be grateful. Be generous. Be patient. Love.
Thanks for spending some of your time with me, . I appreciate you.
Mark
P.S. - This newsletter was 100 percent created by me, a human.
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