Super Bowl Ads Are Good To Go

This is an exciting time in the United States of America. First we have the inauguration of Barack Obama to the U.S. presidency, followed by the Super Bowl on Feb. 1. Even though these are tough economic times, both events promise to deliver.

Every year Super Bowl fans look forward to a sneak preview of the new ads. This year will be no exception as 90 per cent of NBC's ads were sold by mid-January. Aggressive marketing by NBC has ensured that Super Bowl XLIII will deliver all the fan fare in the usual style. NBC was able to secure ad deals before last Septembers financial crisis. Of course there are some advertisers that are nervous. Buying expensive ad slots probably will have some of them on the edge of their seat come game day. Most 30 second ad spots sold for $3 million US, an all-time high price for the Super Bowl. Next to the inauguration of President-Elect Obama this is the most watched event in the U.S. with over 100 million viewers. There will be some changes to the advertising line up. General Motors Corp., Garmin Ltd., and FedEx Corp., won't be advertising this year. For the first time in nine years Playboy Enterprises Inc. won't be throwing their usual party at the game. Out with the old and in with the new -- Mars Inc.'s Pedigree pet food will advertise for the first time in the Super Bowl. "There is unrivaled attention surrounding the game," said Brian Walker, senior director of communications at NBC Sports in New York. "As research confirms, it remains the most powerful vehicle for an advertiser to promote its brand and products." The network is in negotiations with the remaining time slots. Most are in the fourth quarter and the price is generally a little less than the other slots in the broadcast. The sales pace has still matched those of previous years. The tone of some of the ads will reflect the changing times we're in. Tim Calkins, marketing professor at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management puts it like this: A good ad connects with its audience, and that audience is stressed about finances. Automotive ads are usually of particular interest to the audience as they wait with eagerness to see new products strut their stuff. This year Hyundai Motors America was planning to run two 30-second spots for its Genesis Coupe. One of the ads was going to feature renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma playing a Bach piece that viewers could re-edit online. But now, the South Korean car maker may exchange one of those ads to reflect the times. It would instead feature a new incentive program that forgives auto loans for car buyers who lose their income within one year from the date of purchase. "We know consumers are concerned about their future earnings," said Joel Ewanick, vice-president of marketing at Hyundai Motor Co.'s Foundation Valley, California based American division. "That's keeping a whole bunch of people on the sidelines from buying a new car." Longtime Super Bowl patron Anheuser-Busch is sticking to the usual approach that attracts viewers. The Budweiser brewer wants to have ads that uplift and entertain the viewers instead of reminding them about the economy. Business as usual. The company is still spending heavily on the Super Bowl even though it just announced in December that there would be 1,400 jobs cut that were tied to its acquisition by InBevSA. Anheuser-Busch has decided to up the ante this year. It will be airing 4 and a half minutes worth of ads which is 30 seconds more than it purchased last year. There will be two 60 second ads along with five 30 second spots. The Super Bowl still remains a popular and unique marketing vehicle.It is well known for its commercials just as much as watching the game itself. A recent TNS Media survey released this month confirmed that people tend to watch the commercials throughout the game instead of changing channels when the commercials come on. This years game will be between the Arizona Cardinals - which won the NFC Conference Championship with a 32-25 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles Sunday - and the Pittsburgh Steelers - who won the AFC title, beating the Baltimore Ravens 23-14. So this year whether you are watching the Super Bowl for the love of the game or the love of the commercials, or both, you can't lose. Super Bowl XLIII promises the excitement it has always delivered in previous years!

image:24778:2::0