For the better part of 365 days, we do just about everything we can to avoid commercials.  But on one magical Sunday each year, for just a few hours, we tolerate…no, celebrate…television advertising.   And we watch a football game at the same time.

As great as Super Bowl commercials can be, they’re dominated by massive brands with big budgets.  If you want to play, you’ve got to pay…at least that’s the way it’s been in the past.  But the explosion of the social web has changed all that.  Now, if you have a good idea, and can think creatively about how you “seed” or distribute your idea, you can reach a large audience regardless of your budget.  It may not be a Super Bowl-sized audience but it WILL be more targeted and likely more efficient.

A great example of this is the Old Milwaukee spot Will Ferrell and his creative friends made a few years back.  The brewing company gave his team total creative control, and not only did they  create something memorable, they “played the game” by different rules.  They took the spot and aired it during the “big game” in 2012, but only in a single TV market:  North Platte, Nebraska.  While much bigger brands were paying over three million bucks for 30 seconds of national air time, Old Milwaukee paid just over a grand.

The results?  Well, millions and millions of people have watched and shared the campaign online. PR outlets and the news media talked about it alongside all the “full-price” spots that ran.  And two years later, here we are, still talking about it.  I’d say Old Milwaukee got their money’s worth.

What does all of this mean? Well, for starters, if you can get Will Ferrell to make a video for you, people are going to watch it.  But it also shows that creative thinking, both in terms of concept and delivery, is what wins the game.  Nobody shares video that they don’t care about.

And since we like football and love fun, creative ideas,  we decided to do a “Super Bowl” spot of our own, as seen above.  There are also some “behind the scenes” instagram videos below.  Enjoy and have a great time on Sunday.