Tide’s 2018 Super Bowl ad is one of the most celebrated TV spots of recent times with hundreds of articles praising its ambition and creativity.

The strategy behind it, however, is less discussed. In this video, Marketing Week columnist Mark Ritson details the strategic objectives behind the campaign and how brand owner Procter and Gamble worked with agency Saatchi and Saatchi to achieve those goals.

Ritson explains how Tide used the ad to defend its significant price premium and market share advantage in a commoditised category beset by sales promotion and promiscuous customers. The key insight was to use the ad to switch brand association from dirt to cleanliness and in doing so successfully disassociating it from the functional category.

This video is the first in a series where Ritson will reveal the stories behind some of the most effective campaigns ever based upon case studies from 50 years of the Effies including Apple, Gillette, Lidl and others as we examine what makes marketing more effective.

You’ll be able to see more in the series on our dedicated marketing effectiveness page.

Mark Ritson teaches the Mini MBA in Marketing. For more information go to https://mba.marketingweek.com/