SBP 171: The PostPod - Making Super Ads

With the Big Game just days away, Marc and Vassilis unpack the biggest ideas from their recent conversation with Vanessa Chin (System1) — and what marketers should actually be watching for when the ads roll.

This PostPod dives deeper into why emotion beats logic, why branding is still underused in creative, and how storytelling, distinctive assets, humour, and cultural context combine to create ads that work — not just on the Big Game stage, but all year long.

If you’re watching the ads more closely than the game, this one’s for you.

Key takeaways

1. Distinctive brand assets are underleveraged - Logos alone are weak. Sonic cues, characters, colors, taglines, and product design work harder together — and compound over time.
2. “Seven brand cues” isn’t as crazy as it sounds - When you consider logos, music, characters, colors, settings, taglines, and product shots, strong brands already do this — often subconsciously.
3. Great ads balance art and commerce - If people love the ad but can’t remember the brand, you didn’t make advertising — you made entertainment.
4. Storytelling still wins — but resolution matters - Negative emotion is fine if it resolves positively. Bait-and-switch storytelling erodes trust and memorability.
5. Length matters more than platforms admit - The strongest emotional response happens between 20–40 seconds — despite the industry’s obsession with short formats.
6. Humour works — when it fits the brand - Amusement and light schadenfreude outperform sadness, but humour must feel authentic and repeatable.
7. Celebrities aren’t required - Strong characters and stories outperform star power when brand linkage is clear.
8. Cultural references can accelerate emotion - They work best as context or setting — not as the idea itself — and when the product remains the hero.
9. Consistency compounds-Rebranding for novelty breaks mental shortcuts. Growth comes from reinforcing memory, not resetting it.

Chapters / Timestamps

0:00 — Post-Pod Setup & Big Game Context: Intro to the Post-Pod, why we’re watching the ads, and framing the conversation around Making Super Ads with Vanessa Chin (System1).

1:40 — First Reactions & What Stood Out: Initial reflections on the Vanessa conversation and why this episode landed — setting up the core themes.

2:05 — Distinctive Brand Assets & the “7 Brand Codes” Idea: Deep dive into brand codes beyond logos: jingles, characters, colours, taglines, product design — and why having a palette of assets matters across channels.

5:55 — Art vs Advertising: Why Branding Protects the Investment: The risk of making ads people love but can’t attribute to a brand — and where creative often breaks down.

7:54 — Storytelling, Emotion & Resolution: Why great ads tell focused stories, the danger of bait-and-switch emotion, and why negative emotion only works if it resolves positively.

9:41 — Length Matters More Than Platforms Admit: Why 20–40 seconds still delivers the strongest emotional impact — and how ultra-short formats can undermine memorability.

12:05 — Humour & the Emotion Palette: Why humour (amusement, light schadenfreude) often outperforms sadness, and how brands should think about emotion as a palette, not a single note.

13:44 — The Recipe for Effective Ads: A concise synthesis: emotion, storytelling, distinctive assets, consistency, and clear branding — beyond just the Big Game.

14:53 — Celebrities, Creators & Cultural References: When celebrities help, when they don’t, and how cultural moments can accelerate emotion without replacing the idea or the product.

16:56 — Execution Complexity & Creative Craft: Why great creative is hard: briefing, timing, setting, product shots, and how all the pieces must align.

18:19 — Building (and Investing in) Distinctive Assets: Why unused brand assets die, the importance of committing to them, and how consistency compounds over time.

19:20 — Consistency, Habit & Why Rebrands Often Hurt: Mental shortcuts, habit formation, and why changing too much too often creates friction instead of growth.

21:16 — Closing Reflections & Thanks: Final thoughts on System1’s work, the Creative Dividend, and what marketers should watch for this weekend.