Battle of Super Bowl Commercials: Trump Ad vs. Bloomberg Ad

Super Bowl 54 featured a battle of commercials between Donald J. Trump and Michael Bloomberg…

Both ads used emotional appeals to target the black community.

But before we dive into the “substance” of these ads it’s useful to consider the opportunity cost of running them…

Is running a Super Bowl ad worth the money nowadays?

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Yes, roughly 100 million people watched the Super Bowl (no other event draws as much American voter attention), but also because YOU are reading this answer. All the media coverage surrounding the novelty of these political ad spots makes it worth the cost this time.

But should they have targeted a different demographic with their ad buy: hispanics, women, whites, LGTBTQ, general American audience?

For one, it’s important to consider that Trump and Bloomberg have different goals. Trump is focused on winning the general election whereas Bloomberg is focused on winning the Democratic Primary.

Focusing on the black community was a smart move for Trump because there was a lot of black voters who stayed home in 2016 and with their continued disillusioned with American politics if Trump can siphon off a few percent to his side then it would all but guarantee his reelection, but if they turn out in the same numbers for his opponent as they did for Obama then Trump will lose. He must either get them to his sideline or keep them on the bench.

It was also a good choice for Bloomberg, but I think he would have been wiser to focus on infrastructure (maybe show a clip of Trump walking out of the infrastructure meeting with Pelosi) and being a “bridge builder”. Bloomberg shouldn’t try to out-left Bernie, but he should instead take a firm grasp of the middle. The Super Bowl would have been a great opportunity for him to appeal to middle America in that way.

What ad was more effective?

In terms of my personal preference, I give both ads a low mark because I find the blatant use of emotional appeals distasteful and unpersuasive. I prefer to see more facts and stats. But I recognize I make up a very small portion of the American electorate.
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In terms of political effectiveness, I conversely give them both high marks.

I can imagine their target audience coming away with a favorable impression, which I’m sure they tested beforehand to ad nauseam.

Overall, putting political biases aside, the better ad goes to Trump.

The quiet beginning pulls the viewer in, especially on the backdrop of such a loud sporting event.

The ad is gritty.

Dramatic.

The emotion is raw.

Real.

I can imagine during a crowded Super Bowl party people quieting down to listen or at least read the words on the screen.

And by highlighting his signature piece of bipartisan legislation, even a lot of Democrats are forced to come away thinking, “It’s true. He did get that done.”

But my major qualm with it is that it turns a bipartisan effort of Democrats and Republicans coming together for the greater good and turns it into a “ME TRUMP DID IT! ME TRUMP BEST! EVERYONE ELSE WEAK!” when in reality Trump would just as quickly sign a bill to be tough on crime if it meant he got to add his name to another big piece of legislation. And the reality is that by Trump trying to suck up all the credit for the First Step Act it makes future steps that much harder.

The problem with the Bloomberg ad, in my opinion, is that it’s a little too polished.

It fits in too well with all the other corporate commercials and for that reason it’s more forgettable.

Again, I still think it’s effective and Bloomberg will likely see a bump in his poll numbers just from its sheer exposure, but it wasn’t a home run nor a touchdown.