I am pretty sure that half of the people who watch the Superbowl watch it for the halftime commercials. And one of the commercials that stuck with me the most this year was the Squarespace commercial featuring one of Dolly Parton’s most popular songs, “9 to 5”. As Dr. Bezio points out in the podcast- music is one of the most effective ways to get us as humans to remember something. Squarespace takes this very famous song and twists the lyrics, changing them to “5 to 9”. Now they have you thinking about your time outside of your day-to-day job, the time when you can use their service to work on your passion, and they get that idea stuck in your head through a song. You can even listen to the full song which is 2:21 minutes instead of the shorter 39-second ad shown below. I found that this ad was very effective, I had the Dolly Parton song stuck in my head for days and it always reminded me of their commercial.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWs5eq1B34Y
I really like this commercial and I don’t think I saw it during the Super Bowl! I think it’s super creative and a great twist on the song and concept. I am pretty sure that is one of those songs that everybody knows, and if for some reason they don’t, everyone knows the saying “9-5” because that is the normal works hours and has been for decades. It is something that everyone can relate to from any demographic, and that’s what I think makes it the perfect commercial. I think some commercials don’t make sense to everyone so they are confusing and hard to relate to. But I think this commercial is easy for everyone to understand and relate with.
Love this ad! I think its a super interesting approach on SquareSpace’s part. I love when ads advertise parts of their product that aren’t obvious. In this ad, for example, instead of highlighting the works of SquareSpace as a product, the company tried to illustrate all of the ways in which the website builder can help improve your life by allowing you to connect with the things that genuinely passion you.
This was stuck in my head after the Super Bowl too, not complaining though, I love this song and Dolly Parton! I think that this ad is effective because of the song, but also the idea of pursuing a more meaningful and fun life outside of work is a fantasy that SquareSpace was trying to sell.
I certainly found this ad funny when I first saw it. It is insanely catchy and very skilled marketing on SquareSpace’s part; capitalizing on the idea of gig work and acknowledging not everyone works a 9-5 job in this day and age. Dolly Parton is so loved too, so it was certainly going to be a hit. It does seem a little bit dystopian though; the implications about gig work vs a living wage seem so. But maybe I read too much into it.
I am definitely one of the people who only watches the super bowl for the commercials and the half-time show. I love this song by Dolly Parton and after watching this ad it reminds me/is partnered with square space. It delivers an idea of fun and happiness within your profession and all you can accomplish by utilizing this product–it delivers an uplifting, fun message.
I also watch the super bowl for the commercials and I remember seeing this one this year! I think it is smart that Squarespace continued to alter Dolly Parton’s song beyond its commercial, showing a dedication to its brand and how its brand can help those who it is advertising to.