At least six major brands ran ads during Super Bowl LI that addressed political or social issues such as immigration and gender equality. At an average cost of $5 million per 30-second spot, those were some pretty expensive statements to make. Budweiser, Airbnb, 84 Lumber, Google Home, Audi, and Coca-Cola might have been lauded or jeered, depending on one's personal point of view, for delivering those messages, but did the brands get their money's worth?
It's a difficult question to answer, and it raises even more questions about if and when brands should speak out about policies or proposed laws,...