You’ve gotten the bags of chips … and all the seven-layer dip ingredients … but what about the wings?

Over Super Bowl LVII weekend, Americans will eat nearly 1.5 billion chicken wings, an all-time high, according to the National Chicken Council. Wing sales are up 11.5% year over year, for which the organization’s spokesperson credits to lower prices (despite wider grocery inflation) and “people getting back to normal and gathering for the Big Game, whether at home or at a bar/restaurant.”

That’s good news for the chicken industry; however, in good news for the chickens themselves, Chick-fil-A is releasing its first plant-based sandwich in a few test markets next week. Whatever you choose to eat (and drink) on Super Bowl Sunday, try not to get too carried away — Monday is a workday, after all.

Super Bowl: Secrets of the world’s most expensive ads.

Healthy outlook: Take sick days without guilt.

Let’s circle back: This week in business history.

(Source: Popcorners)

As Super Bowl mania sweeps the country, tens of thousands of people head to Arizona this weekend, hoping their flights run on time. All the while, marketing directors eagerly await the buzzworthy ads — which cost up to $7 million for a 30-second spot this year.

You should study the commercials, too. Even on a Little League budget (and without the A-list cameos), your next campaign can take a page from their playbook.

Focus on the opening image

A good Super Bowl ad is one that raises immediate curiosity in order to create a lasting impression.

“The most important elements are a great script [and] high production value,” says ROI Machines founder Rudy Mawer. He adds that an eye-catching “hook” or visual to begin the ad is crucial to catch viewers’ attention.

Facts tell, stories sell

Many Super Bowl ads connect with viewers on a deeply emotional level — whether happy, sad, or inspirational.

“Memorable storytelling is essential to get your message across in 30 seconds or less,” says Mawer. He cites relatable and relevant characters as a cornerstone of emotional marketing.

Keep it repeatable

You’ve probably seen numerous teasers for PopCorners’ Breaking Bad commercial on social media. Christena Garduno, CEO of multichannel agency Media Culture, emphasizes that digital advertising means you don’t have to rely on a single 30-second ad to craft your story.

“Using sequential advertising, brands can reach consumers with multiple, related ads before, during, and after the Super Bowl,” Garduno says, adding, “Don’t be afraid to experiment with low-budget executions prior to the main event.”

While reaching the audience through multiple touchpoints, however, Garduno recommends maintaining a “consistent, catchy message.”

It should look (and sound) professional

Even on a small budget, you don’t want your ad to feel cheap. Audiovisual quality is important, so make sure your in-house or external production team is up to the task.

That said, an eye-catching campaign doesn’t have to cost smaller brands a lot, especially if you’re focusing on mobile or social media advertising.

“Consumers have a substantially different expectation of ad quality on their large-screen televisions versus on their mobile devices,” advises Garduno.

Make viewers laugh

Major brands get serious about hiring Hollywood’s top comedy writers for Super Bowl ads. “Funny commercials are a mainstay of Super Bowl advertising,” Mawer says, adding that “creating humor can help get your commercial noticed even if you don’t have a big budget.”

But make sure the jokes are appropriate to your brand and that your message doesn’t get lost in the laughs.

“A memorable commercial is one that is so different that the consumer has no choice but to commit it to memory,” says Garduno. “This can be done through humor [but] the goal is for the audience to remember the product or brand long after the Super Bowl has ended.” 

(Source: Shutterstock)

Dr. Eden King is a Rice University professor of psychology and former president of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology.

A reader asks: “Even though I never second-guess anyone else for taking time off when they're sick, I always beat myself up doing so. How can I take the time I need without the guilt? How can my boss help me be more comfortable when these situations arise?”

Guilt is a nagging, persistent feeling that’s tough to shake. It usually comes from some sort of discrepancy between what we are actually doing and what we think we should be doing. So you basically have two choices: change what you are doing or change your “should” beliefs.

When it comes to being sick, it’s really just the latter choice. Shift your focus from the “should” of being at work to the “should” of preventing others’ illnesses. Focus on the fact that by staying home, you are protecting other people rather than missing out on work responsibilities.

Bosses can help address or prevent guilty feelings through direct communication, role modeling, and timely support. Stating expectations about what employees should do when they are sick helps to create that norm. In addition, bosses should take time off when they are sick, so that the “should” behavior of staying home to recover is clear.

Finally, when an employee is sick, leaders can ask their teammates to refrain from contacting them, pause or redistribute tasks, and give them real time to recover so they can come back at full strength.

Do you have a business question for the Organizational Psychologist’s Couch? Send it to b.newsletter@business.com and our experts may answer in an upcoming issue.

• 1863: Alanson Crane received the first patent in the U.S. for a fire extinguisher.
• 1897: The New York Times adopted its slogan, “All the News That’s Fit to Print.”
• 1996: Gary Kasparov went head-to-head with (and beat!) IBM’s most powerful chess supercomputer, Deep Blue.
• 2009: The U.S. Senate approved a stimulus package in response to the ongoing housing market crash.

(Source: Shutterstock)

Shake things up (no pun intended) for Valentine’s Day next week by ditching the box of chocolates and concocting a chocolaty martini. Chocolate martinis bring together two guilty pleasure favorites — booze and dessert — that make for a perfect post-dinner Valentine’s treat. 

This recipe from Preppy Kitchen calls for:

• 3 tbsp. chocolate syrup
• 4 oz. Baileys Irish Cream
• 4 oz. chocolate liqueur
• 8 oz. vodka
• chocolate shavings (for garnish)

Start by drizzling the chocolate syrup on the inside of your martini glass in a spiral, then dip the rim onto a plate of more syrup. Next, vigorously shake your vodka, chocolate liqueur, Baileys, and a cup of ice in a cocktail shaker. Finally, pour the drink into your glass and garnish with another drizzle of the chocolate syrup and a sprinkle of chocolate shavings — or however much your sweet tooth desires.

Written by Dawn Allcot, Ali Saleh, and Dan Ketchum. Comic by John McNamee.

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