| Abstract | The Super Bowl is an extravagant sporting event that fuses an eclectic mix of entertainment in order to draw a large number of viewers. The lucrative sporting spectacle is also used as a commercial showcase for new advertising campaigns, and can be viewed as one of biggest days (if not the biggest) in a calendar year for advertisers. This quantitative study analyzes the presence of sexual, rational, emotional, and humor appeals in 189 Super Bowl commercials from 2015-2017. The study reveals that humor is the most frequently used appeal in Super Bowl advertising, followed by rational, emotional, and sexual appeals. An interesting trend of a reduction in sexual appeals began to emerge. Additionally, based on the raw data millennials disliked ads more than other age segments set by Ad Meter. Lastly, given the prominence of Super Bowl advertising in cultural discourse, the author considers ethical implications associated with the commercial appeals. |
