Texas AdGrad hosts first-ever live Twitter Chat for Super Bowl XLVII

There’s a reason the Super Bowl is one of the highest rated events on television, and there’s a reason people across the nation tune in even if their favorite team isn’t facing off on the field. It’s the ads.

That’s why on Super Bowl Sunday, Texas AdGrad hosted its first annual #AdGradBowl, a Twitter chat dedicated to fostering online conversation of the most water-cooler-talk-inducing commercial spots of the big game.

“Watching and critiquing Super Bowl commercials has become almost as American as watching the game itself,” said Nicole Goad, a Texas AdGrad social media strategist. “Now, social media enables consumers to share their real-time thoughts on the ads that brands spend up to $4 million on. It’s a gold mine of consumer insights for branding and creative professionals.”

The #AdGradBowl chat saw enthusiastic advertising and public relations students and professionals alike weigh in on this year’s ads. The AdGrad social team, UT student organizations, professors, students and alumni connected to exchange their opinions and critiques of the most watched U.S. television event (and advertisements) of the year.

Students’ comments on the ads ranged from neutral to passionately excited to downright disappointed. A few alumni even got together to participate in the chat from Brooklyn, NY.

Once the Pepsi-branded halftime show began and Beyoncé took the stage, Twitter exploded with emotion from music and football fans alike. After a rave-worthy light show and surprise Destiny’s Child performance, halftime was over and the ad critiques resumed.

Shortly after the third quarter began, however, the lights at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome went out and play was delayed for about 34 minutes. Though coaches might have been concerned for team safety, the extended coverage of the field with an irregular commercial schedule left many wondering if furious advertising executives would be calling CBS for discounted media placements in the morning. CBS officials assured media that all commercial commitments would be honored.

A few brands stood out for seizing their opportunity online as bored viewers turned to the internet for entertainment. Oreo and Tide were praised for their humorous, rapid and Twitter-friendly responses to the black out. Even parody Super Bowl lights handles cropped up, with the most popular account @TheSBLights gaining over 15,000 followers after less than an hour.

Once the power was back on and advertisements were back on schedule, the talk turned back to the original spots. The Clydesdales tugged heart strings, singing fish caused many to scratch their heads and Texans felt a surge of pride for local ad spots. Overall, UT students just seemed to be excited to have a universal opportunity to talk about commercial advertisements for hours.

“The @TexasAdGrad brand metrics showed significant increases in all of the measurable metrics,” said Dr. Gary Wilcox, advertising professor and Texas AdGrad team advisor. “Reach and frequency were up by over 200 percent and engagement increased by almost 300 percent. Total network impressions increased five fold.  I would call this a widely successful event for the TexasAdGrad brand.”

For the full Twitter chat conversation, see the Storify recap here.