Keep politics out of the Super Bowl. That's the warning sounded by a consumer survey before Sunday's matchup between the Eagles and Patriots.
Sixty-three percent of the respondents to the fifth annual Burson-Marsteller survey say it's "not appropriate" to use the Super Bowl to deliver a political message; 37 percent say it's OK. The survey was conducted in mid-January among a cross-section of 1,000 Americans who intend to watch this year.
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Interestingly, avid football fans are more open to political messages (47 percent appropriate vs. 53 percent not appropriate) than casual fans (27 percent appropriate vs 73 percent not appropriate). Another 61 percent are turned off by players peacefully protesting against racial/social injustice during the national anthem. But most plan to watch Sunday, even if players do protest.
Millennials are more tolerant, with a combined 51 percent saying it's "somewhat" (30 percent) or "very" appropriate (21 percent) to deliver a message. Over half of Baby Boomers, on the other hand, want players to stick to sports.
Many Americans view the Super Bowl as an unofficial national holiday — and a respite from the Red State vs. Blue State dispute that has been roiling the country since the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Come Super Sunday in Minneapolis, they'll be looking for a mix of serious, competitive football and funny, entertaining TV commercials.
More than 70 percent of Americans say they will watch the Big Game at home with a small group of family and friends who actually care about the outcome. Another 67 percent say advertisers should try to be funny in their TV commercials, not browbeat viewers with heavy-handed social or political messages.
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The humorous TV spots aired by advertisers such as Bud Light and Pepsi during the High Holy Day of advertising are part of the experience. Over half of the Millennial and Generation X consumers surveyed by Burson's Fan Experience group would be disappointed if there were no ads. Meanwhile, 41 percent of Baby Boomers would prefer to watch the game commercial-free.
Despite Madison Avenue's obsession with Super Bowl commercials (NBC is charging $5 million per 30-second spot), it's still about the competition: 73 percent would prefer a great game with boring commercials vs. 27 percent who'd prefer a boring game with great commercials.
"The Super Bowl is an event where consumers want to be entertained and marketed to, which is why the game continues to be a key moment in time for brand marketers," said Kyle Farnham of Burston-Marsteller in a statement.
And, hello, "second screen." The days of fans just watching Super Bowl on their TV set are almost over. Two-thirds of consumers surveyed will use social media during the telecast and 87 percent will use Facebook to share commercials.