Dive Brief:

• A national survey released by the 4A's showed that 62% of Americans and 65% of ad pros believe that the domestic violence controversies of NFL players Adrian Peterson and Ray Rice will affect advertising for the Super Bowl in 2015. 
• The controversies provide an opportunity for the league to promote positive social messages — according to 78% of Americans and 73% of ad pros. 
• The survey suggests that those polled believe the focus should be more on families, women, and social issues—and less on the slapstick and fart humor of past Super Bowls. 

Dive Insight: 

The brands that haven't already backed out because of the controversy will have their work cut out for them in the upcoming Super Bowl. The good news is that with all the bad comes new opportunities which could actually work out in many brands favor. A change of pace could just be the creativity that commercials need to stand out.