Hot Take: Why I Hate Snapchat’s Super Bowl Ad

During the Grammys on February 4th and the Super Bowl on February 11th, my friends and I (who all work in marketing) were immersed in watching the ads as intently as we did the music awards and the big game. We were eager to see where marketers had devoted their budgets and time and which brands would stand out. Advertising during those high-profile, mega-viewer events enables brands to reach a massive audience, so I had high expectations.

But I found that overall, the ads fell short this year. I didn’t feel as excited about them as in the past. “Mediocre” (at best) is how I would describe them. And even though the ads as a whole set the bar low, one ad in particular left a sour taste in my mouth: Snapchat’s “Love.”

Nothing to Love about Snapchat’s “Love” Ad

As the commercial begins, we see a seemingly plain ad — white background and black text — and wonder: Is it Apple? Something new? What is this about?

My curiosity swirled around, and I thought the ad might take an anti-social media stance. I expected that soon the screen would fill with information about social media’s effects on youth’s mental health or how the infiltration of AI-generated images poses a threat to media literacy as we know it. However, my inquisitiveness was short-lived as oddly distorted…