The Slow Clap Super Bowl Ad from CarMax Celebrates Its Consumers
Laura McQuarrie — January 26, 2014 — Autos
The ‘Slow Clap’ CarMax Big Game Commercial 2014 marks the auto superstore’s return to the Super Bowl after sitting out for three years.
The commercial begins with a customer who gets a slow clap after making a purchase, but it doesn’t stop as he leaves the store. On his entire way home, the gesture becomes more ridiculous as the customer gets claps from his entire neighborhood — everyone from doctors to beekeepers and even Sean Astin, which serves as a reference to the role he played in the 1993 football-themed film ‘Rudy.’
This extended version of the ad by Silver + Partners will be cut down to 30 seconds for Super Bowl Sunday. CarMax also has a second version of this Super Bowl ad that has been completely remade with puppies for the Puppy Bowl and has appropriately called it the ‘Slow Bark.’
The commercial begins with a customer who gets a slow clap after making a purchase, but it doesn’t stop as he leaves the store. On his entire way home, the gesture becomes more ridiculous as the customer gets claps from his entire neighborhood — everyone from doctors to beekeepers and even Sean Astin, which serves as a reference to the role he played in the 1993 football-themed film ‘Rudy.’
This extended version of the ad by Silver + Partners will be cut down to 30 seconds for Super Bowl Sunday. CarMax also has a second version of this Super Bowl ad that has been completely remade with puppies for the Puppy Bowl and has appropriately called it the ‘Slow Bark.’
Trend Themes
1. Celebrating Consumer Engagement - The Slow Clap Super Bowl commercial demonstrates the power of celebrating and engaging with consumers, offering opportunities for brands to create similar experiences that connect with their audience.
2. Humor-based Advertising - The use of comedic elements, like the slow clap gesture and the inclusion of puppies in the 'Slow Bark' version, showcases the effectiveness of humor in advertising and presents opportunities for brands to inject humor into their marketing campaigns.
3. Nostalgia Marketing - Referencing Sean Astin's role in the 1993 film 'Rudy' taps into consumers' nostalgia, highlighting the potential for brands to leverage nostalgia marketing to connect with their target audience.
Industry Implications
1. Automotive - The CarMax Super Bowl ads demonstrate innovative approaches to automotive advertising that engage and entertain consumers, signaling opportunities for other automotive brands to explore unique and humorous marketing strategies.
2. Advertising - The 'Slow Clap' commercial showcases the impact of creative and humorous advertising campaigns, prompting advertising agencies to explore similar approaches that captivate and resonate with audiences.
3. Entertainment - The use of Sean Astin's cameo in the CarMax ad highlights the role of entertainment in advertising, encouraging entertainment companies to collaborate with brands to create memorable and shareable content.
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