Oreo Dips into Digital Marketing with Super Bowl Ad

Last night, the Baltimore Ravens won the Super Bowl in a fashion we’ve never seen before. There were several records shattered, including a 34 minute power-outage which left half of the Superdome in the shadows of the NFL’s biggest stars. While fans in the Superdome stewed in confusion, over 111 million people at home prepared for an onslaught of commercials, which was actually filled by blabbing commentary. During the first half of the game, Noggin saw a commercial worth discussing: Oreo’s tie-in to digital marketing and social media marketing via a television ad.

The ad encouraged viewers to follow Oreo on Instagram, one of the few ads from the game that included a very clear Call To Action (CTA) that urged viewers to use their smartphone or tablet to engage with the brand online.

Did it work? According to Nielsen, 41 percent of tablet owners and 38 percent of smart-phone users use their device when watching television, and as we said before, 111 million people tuned in to watch this year’s Super Bowl. We think it’s safe to assume that tens of millions of people were armed and ready to use their mobile devices while watching the game, and the numbers suggest that Oreo had scored a touchdown with their marketing efforts. The brand’s Instagram account began the night with around 2,000 followers - it skyrocketed to over 34,000 followers just 5 hours after delivery of the ad.

Oreo kept engaging with their fans throughout the game, especially during the power-outage. On Twitter, they tweeted, “Power Out? No Problem” with a lonesome Oreo in a blackout, of course. The phrase, “You can still dunk in the dark” quickly followed. The tweet has accrued 13,000 retweets and has received kudos for its successful integration of traditional, mobile, and digital marketing mediums during the Super Bowl.

Now that you know Noggin’s favorite commercial, we want to know yours! Please, submit your favorites below. We’d love to hear from you!