Downy is making an appearance in the Super Bowl commercial lineup for the first time in 11 years, joining the list of brands that will make an entrance onto advertising’s biggest stage in 2023. And the Proctor & Gamble Co. staple will be doing so with a “famous skeptic” in the ad.
Well, maybe, pending if his hoodie stays fresh or not.
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The creative push behind the campaign has been one of the longer-running builds this season—the first teaser dropping in December 2022—but it’s also been one of the more notable.
And the rollout behind such a lengthy concept wasn’t a misfire, either, but instead the exact logline the brand was looking to highlight.
“The product benefit of Downy Unstopables is unbelievable,” Ciro Sarmiento, Chief Creative Officer of Woven Collaborative explained to USA TODAY Ad Meter via email. “And that’s exactly the trial barrier for consumers: They don’t believe it keeps clothes smelling fresh for weeks.”
Freshness for 12 weeks? Don’t believe it?
Neither does this … guy.
It’s new territory for Super Bowl ads, matching the overall messaging (in this case, the length of time Product X works) with a teaser campaign, and so far, the pioneering effort hasn’t stunk—literally and creatively.
Each spot (now five total) has featured the masked individual expressing his doubts about Downy Unstopables living up to the test of keeping this hoodie smelling fresh. And at the same time, he’s delivered plenty of comedic zest, a rare achievement with just a voiceover.
Here’s the latest:
Of course, to turn that 12-week test into a viable campaign is one thing. Turning 12 weeks of guessing into 30 seconds of Super Bowl commercial success is another. But the brand is confident in its “Trojan horse for comedy.”
Sarmiento continued: “We talked about the brand’s personality from the start, the fact that Downy Unstopables is feisty and packs a punch to it. So it was important for us to make an ad in a way only Downy Unstopables could and still entertain the audience with a memorable story.”
And who might that personality be, you ask? (We did.)
It’s a familiar voice, without question — one that we’ve taken a guess or two about—but if there’s one thing we’ve learned in the Super Bowl ad space, it’s this: the sleight-of-hand gusto associated with Super Bowl spots can leave even seasoned commercial fans in wide-eyed disbelief.
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