Let’s be real: most of us watch the Superbowl for the ads. And it’s no surprise why: companies fork out millions of dollars on production in order to become the most talked about brands on social media.
But Reddit – being Reddit – decided to put a unique spin on the Superbowl’s current ad model.
What just happened? pic.twitter.com/DypRp6DeQt
— Reddit (@reddit) February 8, 2021
No – it’s not a glitch. Reddit really paid for a 5-second window. The ad starts off like any typical car commercial; however, after a few seconds, the video quickly cuts to a static photo with a message reading:
“Wow, this actually worked. If you’re reading this, it means our bet paid off. Big game spots are expensive, so we couldn’t buy a full one. But we were inspired and decided to spend our entire marketing budget on 5 seconds of airtime. One thing we learned from our communities last week is that underdogs can accomplish just about anything when they come together around a common idea”.
The ad was influenced by a recent clash between Wall Street and Reddit Traders – where Reddit users active on the WallStreetBets sub forum unified together to inflate GameStop’s share price, resulting in hedge funds losing billions of dollars in their short sell positions.
“Who knows, maybe you’ll be the reason finance textbooks have to add a chapter on ‘tendies’. Maybe you’ll help r/SuperbOwn teach the world about the majesty of owls. Maybe you’ll even pause this 5-second ad. Powerful things happen when people rally around something they really care about. And there’s a place for that. It’s called Reddit”.
Ultimately, Reddit wanted to convey that underdogs – not just big brands or corporations – can have influence if they unite as a community with a central cause and passion.
Moreover, Ellie BamFord – Head of Media Connections at Reddit – stated:
“We knew we had to break the mold and disrupt the current ad model. It wouldn’t be very “Reddit” if we didn’t … the stand alone 5-second spot in the big game not only piqued curiosity in real time, it continues to inspire people to build powerful communities around their passions. That’s a big impact in 5 seconds”.
In our opinion, Reddit’s ad was perfectly on brand.
More importantly, it shows that online communities with normal people can hold a great deal of persuasive power on the internet. We are excited to see what big movement Reddit comes up with next.