Olay Builds Killer Anticipation with 2019 Super Bowl Spot

Olay killed the skin game with their 2019 Super Bowl spot. But before the game they teased us with a few five-second ads. The teasers were quick and shot like horror films (hard cuts between intruder and victim with lightning strikes in the background). The first time I watched one, my instinct was to hide behind my pillow because that is what I normally do when any horror-movie trailer graces my screen. Lucky for me, it was just an ad for skin care.

#KillerSkin. Olay chose a fitting hashtag to go along with their murderous theme. Teasers and hashtags are fantastic ways to engage the audience, and build anticipation for the longer spot during the big game. I was immediately intrigued when the commercial came on. I wasn’t hiding this time, and I was immersed in that rainy horror scene once again. My questions from the teasers came back in full force: What is killer skin? Is killer skin good or bad? Do I have killer skin? Are the people going to live? Finally, these were all answered in Olay’s 30-second Super Bowl commercial.

We enter the scene, rain pouring down, a couple safely watching a movie in their home, with an intruder, masked and armed, waiting for the perfect time to strike. Then we follow the killer into the home where the distraught couple clammers up the stairs into their bedroom. In an attempt to call for help, the woman (Sarah Michelle Gellar) grasps her phone tightly and stares at the screen… nothing. Her face recognition isn’t working! A light bulb goes off in her head as she remembers she’s been using Olay on her skin.

The intruder bursts through the door as if to break the tension as the comic relief of the commercial settles in. The woman shows her significant other what her skin looked like before using Olay, and everyone understands why her face recognition wasn’t working. The commercial ends with the invader’s first and only line: “Your skin’s glowing, you could be a movie star”. Which she already is, but still funny for those who don’t recognize her.

FIN. I got all my answers. Killer skin is achieved by using Olay. Killer skin is definitely a good thing, it can apparently save you from impending death. I do not have killer skin, but maybe I should start using Olay as a weapon in my skin-care routine. The couple lives, and they even become friends with their intruder. Seriously though, this commercial made everyone in the room go, “Huh? Ohhh haha”. The ad was attention-grabbing, memorable and engaging—which is exactly what a good Super Bowl advertisement should be. Do you have #KillerSkin?