Last Sunday, one of the world’s most iconic sporting events took place. The Super Bowl is the annual championship game of the USA’s National Football League. It is the second biggest day for food consumption in the states (after Thanksgiving) and is almost always the most watched television broadcast of the year. And with advertisers paying as much as $3.5 million for a 30 second spot during the 2012 Super Bowl, you can understand why brands put so much effort into their gametime adverts.

It works; millions of viewers were almost as keen to see the commercial breaks as they were to watch the game itself. And the advertisers didn’t disappoint; from Jeep’s patriotic story that tugged on the nation’s heart strings to the silly and entertaining Wonderful Pistachios, featuring Psy of Gangnam Style fame and the beautifully shot Blackberry advert.

The UEFA Champion’s League has more worldwide viewers than the Super Bowl, but brands and viewers alike don’t make a huge fuss out of the adverts. Here are some of the reasons why you won’t hear people shouting about the latest adverts in the UK:

1. The Cool Factor

As a nation, we like finding the next big thing, not the current big thing, and everyone knows that if someone’s shouting at you through the telly about a new product or brand, it’s already too late.  American culture, on the other hand, encourages people to get in with the latest trend.

2. Great British Reserve

Stiff upper lip syndrome means that even if we see something we really like, we shouldn’t rave about it. A nonchalant shrug and a muttering of approval will do quite nicely. During the Super Bowl, social media and living rooms are full of people discussing how awesome the ads are.

3. Critical Mass

The two factors above kick started a culture of brands investing into the adverts shown at this annual event. The more time, money and resources that the advertising agencies spend, the more people will like and share them. It’s a clever self-fulfilling cycle.

So what does that mean for UK consumers? Well if we pay more attention and are more vocal about the adverts we like and dislike, we might end up with TV we prefer. As advertisers, it means that we while we can admire loud and proud campaigns across the Atlantic, we should stick to what we do best – the great British tradition of humourous, understated advertising.