Super Bowl Ads Won’t Tell You Not to Shop

On the pro-consumerism side of the Super Bowl ads was Squarespace’s ode to small business, starring Zendaya as Sally, who went from selling seashells by the seashore to being a seashell-themed lifestyle brand thanks to online sales. Equally #stuff-friendly is the ad for cash-back shopping app Rakuten, which depicts a poker player betting personal belongings such as a vacuum cleaner and TV instead of poker chips. Nobody should buy more #stuff than they need just to get cash back, of course, so even if you like to shop, spend wisely and use the #declutterer’s rule of thumb: Eliminate two items for every new thing you bring in.

Make an Investment in Decluttering

Cryptocurrency came of age during Super Bowl LVI, with no less than four different trading platforms vying for investment dollars with some of the most expensive television airtime available. While crypto isn’t exactly #ecofriendly, its virtual nature means that it will never #clutter up the house like an extra pair of shoes or kitchen gadget. Advertising Age rated a spot starring irascible cynic Larry David for FTX the best of the category, and while The Organizing Blog will never offer investment advice, we will say that we’re never wrong about the importance of #decluttering.

Super Bowl Ad Touts Experiences Over Stuff

Super Bowl advertising celebrates #consumerism, or at least the urge to watch the big game over a buffet of chips and guacamole. But Expedia went for a higher concept with its high-ticket “Stuff” ad this year, parodying classic Super Bowl spots of the past while urging people to spend their hard-earned money on travel #experiences instead of material goods. “I doubt that any of us will look back at our lives and think ‘I wish I’d gotten a slightly sportier SUV, or an even thinner TV. Or found a lighter light beer or had an even smarter smartphone,’” narrator Ewan McGregor says.

Super Bowl Ads Go Clutter-Free

Super Bowl LVI ended in a 23-20 win for the Los Angeles Rams over the Cincinnati Bengals. As is the custom, the gridiron action was framed by record-settingly expensive ads, but maybe for the first time, selling more #stuff wasn’t on the agenda. Apps, consumable snacks and experiences led the way this year, with even the biggest consumer products pitched — automobiles — being mostly #sustainable electric vehicles. It’s too soon to tell, but The Organizing Blog thinks that maybe this is an indication that the country has finally turned the corner on #clutter.

Watching the Super Bowl for the Ads Alone

The ads are the main attraction for many media-savvy Super Bowl viewers — especially if their favorite team didn’t make the cut this year. Brands will shell out $4 million to reach the biggest television audience of the year with a single 30-second spot. Watch for Anheuser Busch’s Clydesdales to trot out an ecofriendly message, former Buffy the Vampire Slayer star Sarah Michelle Gellar killing it with Olay skin products, and rapper Lil’ Jon pouring one out for Pepsi. Good news for the clutter-free: Other than the big car companies, few advertisers will try to tempt viewers to buy actual stuff.