Experts sound off on Super Bowl ads

AUSTIN (KXAN) - If you weren't much into the football game, there was plenty to watch when the clock stopped during the Super Bowl.

The ads this year ran for about $3.8 million for a 30 second spot. With such a high price tag, the message has got to work.

University of Texas advertising  professor Neal Burns, assistant professor Angeline Close and three other of their colleagues got together for a Super Bowl watch party.

"All of us have got some interest in it, which is why we decided to show up on a Sunday evening," said Burns.

They took to social media, but they weren't tweeting about touchdowns or tackles. They stuck to the ads.

"The huge theme this year is consumer co-creation, which means that companies are relying on their consumers not just to buy the product, but  also to help them construct the creative, the strategy and even the copy," said Close.

She says Frito Lay and Coca-Cola are two companies using that approach with their products.

Another theme--or challenge-the advertising professors identified was how to sell the not-so-interesting stuff.

"How do you sell things that people don't want? Like life insurance?" said Burns.

That's a tough one. But of course every year, sex sells.

"We saw more of the men this year," said Close. "We saw the Calvin Klein ad, which I tweeted as 'eye candy.'"

"I even have that underwear," joked Burns.

GoDaddy.com has had a spot Super bowl Sunday in recent years, mastering the art of sex appeal.

"People are still asking, what is the product?" said Close.

Like the UT advertising professors, millions across America spent Sunday night speaking--or typing, rather--their minds when it comes to commercials.

"There's the social networks aspect," said Burns, "I just tweeted that I think there's more negative tweets that are taking place already than have taken place at any other Super Bowl."