Did You Make a ‘Super Bowl Baby’ Yet?

Although it costs millions for airtime (plus the cost of producing the commercial), marketers are counting on their ability to convert their investments into wins for their brands.

Most ads managed to avoid the somber tone struck past year, when an ad for Nationwide about preventable household accidents bummed out many viewers. Tonal problems can be an issue; nobody wants to feel sad during the Super Bowl, for example.

A more recent ad aired in 2010 during Super Bowl XLIV and starred Betty White and the late Abe Vigoda.

“We don’t get treated by advertisers on a daily basis the way we get treated in the Super Bowl”, said John Roberts.

Jeff Goldblum, Lil Wayne and George Washington want you to live in a better place.

Soberman: I’m a marketing professor, so for me by far the best Super Bowl ad ever was the ad that was used in 1984 to launch the Macintosh (computer). Forty-plus advertisers – including newcomers like Amazon and stalwarts like Anheuser-Busch – have taken a $5 million gamble for a 30-second chance to wow viewers.

“It kind of feeds on itself, every year people do bigger, wackier and more interesting ads and more people tune in”.

McKendry said Super Bowl advertising has changed drastically with the growth of the digital landscape and mobile devices.

Keeping these commercials a secret until the day they air has helped FCA earn a reputation for having some of the most memorable Super Bowl ads in recent years. “So this year, for example, the ads are selling for up to $5 million U.S. for 30 seconds”. But during the Super Bowl, they are often the most popular part of the day.

“You can put millions of dollars into production, but if it doesn’t achieve those goals, then it’s an ineffective commercial”.

When Steve Harvey announced the wrong victor in the Miss Universe contest, he was lampooned so mercilessly it looked like a serious setback.

My two favorite ads of the evening both featured animals in cool ways. The media coverage may have spread word about the spots, but they also robbed viewers of the thrill which comes from being surprised by an inventive ad in the moment. But this year, some advertisers are taking on a different tone.

But over the years, now 50 years later, Super Bowl Sunday pregame shows on TV start hours before with night before TV specials and endless days of hype and wonder over what the Super Bowl commercials would be.

GoDaddy became known for its ads’ risque, proudly sophomoric tone. They’ve got the two No. 1 teams from each division.

“They don’t necessarily directly lead to higher sales, but that’s not really the point of it. The point of Super Bowl advertising is to be a Super Bowl advertiser, and have people recognize you as a big player on a big field”, Durbin says.

One of those ads is a text conversation from The NO MORE Project, which brings attention to the warning signs of domestic violence.

Then, he says, advertisers hope you’ll do something more this year than in years past, that being sharing the commercials you really like on your social media pages.