“It may sound suss coming from this baby boomer, but Motel 6 is a V-great place for your squad to stay woke.”
So said Tom Bodett during the Super Bowl radio broadcast on Westwood One; and the Motel 6 spot now has brought home a trophy of its own.
Westwood One, wondering why TV should have all the fun, gives awards each year for the most popular commercials aired during its Super Bowl radio broadcast. It’s a reminder that radio creative can be both fun and impactful.
Contestants this year included numerous familiar brands like AutoZone, Marathon, H&R Block, Progressive Insurance and (here’s a name to make radio history buffs smile) Barbasol.
But longtime radio advertiser Motel 6, known for Bodett’s classic “leave the light on for you,” took both first and second place. In the winning spot, Bodett tries out “millennial lingo” to update the Motel 6 pitch. Hear it here.
The second place ad has Bodett trying to avoid saying trademarked names to stay out of legal trouble. Third place went to Hagerty Insurance, which “pulled on the heartstrings of car lovers everywhere while taking listeners back to the first car they owned.”
The announcement of winners was made by Westwood One President Suzanne Grimes, who is EVP of corporate marketing for parent company Cumulus.
Winners were chosen by listener vote from among 26 spots heard over the network’s 650 or so radio affiliates. The company had posted a voting website that encouraged listeners to vote with phrases like “These ads are so good you won’t be searching for the ‘Skip’ buttons.” The votes were accepted Feb. 1–Feb. 6.
PS: Motel 6 also won last year. Time for some other companies to step up their creative!
