Super Bowl XLI Review of Revlon Ad with Sheryl Crow

The exact reasons why, elude me right now. I can't quite put my finger on it but there is something about an ad for hair coloring that I think was one of the most effective ads during Super Bowl XLI. By effective I mean an ad that worked really well to sell the viewers on the benefits of a particular product.

Sheryl Crow stars in this ad for Revlon hair coloring products. Revlon's advertising agency seems to have hit a home run by teaming up with Crow as a sponsor of her current Not Fade Away tour. In what I feel to be an appropriate name for a hair coloring attribute, Not Fade Away refers to a Buddy Holly song that has also been covered by notable artists such as the Grateful Dead and the Rolling Stones. Crow also does a nice job with the song.

We're not here to talk about music however, we're here to talk about how Revlon hair products always make your hair look great and help the color last a long time. At least that is the message they intend to imprint in your mind with this ad.

One person with Crow in this ad is a person who is not impressed at all with Crow's choice to have her hair recolored weekly during a six week tour. That person is her "colorist" and hair stylist, and though he finally realizes he's not being replaced by the coloring, he was originally quite insulted that she would even consider the experiment.

The ad shows clips of Crow singing "Not Fade Away," intermixed with shots of her shiny mane, boarding the tour bus, taking the stage and discussions with her colorist about the frequent color changes. By the end of the ad it appears everyone's happy, including her stylist.

The reasons I feel this is one of the most effective ads of Super Bowl XLI is that it is one of the few ads that was not overloaded with testosterone and gimmickry. First, the creative team recognizes that the ball game is being viewed by a huge number of their potential customers and has accordingly targeted those women. Secondly, the ad tells the viewer their product is superior to their competition and shows proof. Finally, the ad uses a very popular celebrity to attract and retain the viewer's interest until they've closed the sale. That's an effective use of advertising dollars.