This Sunday, Super Bowl LV (55 for those of you who don’t remember Roman numerals) will be played in Tampa, Florida. Each year, the NFL playoffs end with this championship game, which annually has been the most watched TV show of the year, which is why advertisers pay so much (this year it is $5.5 million per 30 second spot).

The Super Bowl ads of the past have competed for some of the most imaginative ever produced. But this is a different year and Super Bowl ads reflect the uncertainty of the times in which we live. The game has changed on marketing, much like if the two football teams showed up at the stadium only to have it announced that they would be playing a water polo championship instead of football! Uncertainty does funny things to marketing and you will see that in the advertisers this year.

For starters, several familiar names are opting out. That includes Coca-Cola and Pepsi (although some of its brands, such as Mountain Dew and Frito-Lay will have ads). For the first time in 37 years, Budweiser announced, there will be no Clydesdales on Super Bowl Sunday. Why the wishy-washy advertising approach to a night when so many people are tuning into a game? Uncertainty. Months ago when companies had to make a decision about Super Bowl ads, no one was sure there would be an NFL season. No season, no championship game! We know now that the game will be played, but will there be an audience for it? The reason there is such a big TV audience for this game is people gather for parties and at local restaurants to watch the game. Will they this year? Probably not. Add to this a very politicized environment where you cannot reasonably tell what kind of mood your audience will be in at game time. Typically during the Super Bowl, new movie releases are advertised. You won’t see movie trailers because cinemas remained closed. So, too, do many restaurants (which is part of the reason you won’t see Pepsi and Coke ads this year.) You will see shop at home ads and delivery services.

But there is more to consider in dissecting the mood of the market. In the current environment, you can get yourself in marketing hot water if you make an ad with two people who are not properly socially distanced (I am not joking!) There have been advanced press releases from companies who used husband and wife actors in their ads (Skechers with Candice Crawford and Tony Romo; Cheetos with Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher) explaining that the actors were already living in the same household, so there was no reason to stay six feet apart in the ads! Some of the ad agencies that produced the ads have also posted blogs that claim their crews were all properly masked and distanced throughout the production process. Do you sense there is a $5.5 million land mine you could step on here?

So during this Super Bowl, ads will have a very different feel about them. The game has changed on marketing, because it is hard to determine the mood of the target market, how many of them will actually be watching, if this is the right time to push a brand, or to wait for a better time. Uncertainty does funny things to marketing.

What is the lesson to learn here? First, market conditions change and your customers will be in a better mood to buy at some point in the future. Pinpointing that time is key to your success in marketing. Second, when you see an audience dwindle, it is time to change marketing tactics. Budweiser announced they are using their marketing dollars to help fund relief efforts due to the pandemic. Will that work? They are banking on it boosting their brand. Third, if you are marketing during uncertain times, diversify the way your message gets out. Most of the advertisers have already released their ads on social media outlets. Take a look here. That used to be a big no no. Times have changed and the way people view media has changed. Get with the times and get the word out through as many media sources as you can.

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Super Bowl Ad Challenge: Get Noticed, Avoid Irking Viewers, by Gerry Smith, Bloomberg News, February 2, 2021