Advertising is the name of the game behind the game
The story lines are unabashedly goofy. Cavemen invent the wheel to transport a beer cooler made of stone, and a car buyer enlists the help of a tribal warrior in case he needs some extra negotiating leverage at the dealership.
For most of us, Super Bowl ads make fine entertainment. But for the advertisers who make and buy them, Sunday is white-knuckle time.
The blogging boom has created crowds of armchair critics; the price for a 30-second spot is up again, to $2.7 million; and a writers strike has wiped out many other opportunities to reach mass audiences by putting scripted dramas such as “Desperate Housewives” on hold.
Even against odds like these, many major marketing powers and a few first-timers couldn’t resist the opportunity of reaching more than 90 million people in a single shot – something increasingly hard to do in any medium.
Advertisers still love the Internet for its ability to deliver measured results from click-throughs and carve audiences into tiny segments. But only the largest of television’s events – the Super Bowl, the Olympics, the Oscars and the Grammys – have the muscle to pull in tens of millions of people in real time.
“There are so few media vehicles out there that reach that size audience that there’s still a big value in not only reaching so many people, but in such an engaging manner,” said Andy Donchin, director of national broadcast at Carat, a major buyer and planner of advertising.
Add the extra buzz created by the possibility of the New England Patriots making history with an undefeated season, and advertisers have a lot on the line. The placement is great if they have a winning ad, not so great if the ad tanks. Last year’s viewership of 93.2 million was close to the all-time record of 94.1 million set in 1996, and many believe that record could be surpassed this year.
The results from online advertising often confirm the value of hitting big audiences with TV, Donchin said, because advertisers can measure the upswing in traffic to Web sites after an ad is broadcast.
The Super Bowl continues to draw new advertisers, including Planters packaged nut company, part of Kraft Foods Inc., as well as Cars.com, an online auto classified advertising company co-owned by the newspaper publishers Gannett Co., McClatchy Co., Tribune Co., Washington Post Co. and Belo Corp.
No neophyte in the advertising world, Kraft decided a Super Bowl spot was well worth the money last year as it began repositioning Planters beyond the $3 billion packaged nuts business. Planters now competes in the $20 billion market of salted snacks, which includes potato chips, pretzels and popcorn.
“If we really wanted to accelerate our growth, we needed to think bigger,” said Allan Lindsay, senior director of marketing for salty snacks at Kraft. “We wanted the big platform to get our message out there … and it’s a natural venue to do that.”
Lindsay, like many other advertisers, offered hints about his ad, but not the full story line. It will feature men being “drawn” to Planters’ nuts.
Tire maker Bridgestone Firestone North America, another first-timer, is jumping in with two spots and sponsorship of the halftime show. One ad features a car accelerating toward Richard Simmons as he dances on a road at night. In the other, a woman screams as the car she’s riding in approaches a squirrel nibbling on an acorn.
The $2.7 million for a 30-second spot Fox is getting is up from the $2.6 million CBS got last year.
Brady says he’ll be ready
Don’t worry, Patriots fans. Tom Brady plans to play in the Super Bowl.
New England’s star quarterback walked up the three short steps to the podium with ease Sunday night, showing no signs of the right ankle injury that had become such a hot topic since he was spotted wearing a protective boot last Monday.
“It’s feeling good. I’ll be ready to go,” Brady said with a smile as the AFC champions met the media for the first time shortly after arriving in Phoenix. The Giants are to arrive today.
It was the first time Brady acknowledged he was injured in the AFC championship game.
“It was in the San Diego game, I think in the third quarter,” Brady said, referring the Patriots’ 21-12 victory last Sunday.
Since then, Brady hasn’t practiced, but said he moved a little bit during the week and “shuffled around.”
Redskins to interview Meeks
Dan Snyder plans to take to the road in his quest to find a new coach for the Washington Redskins.
The owner is scheduled to have another interview with Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator Ron Meeks this week, a person familiar with the selection process told the Associated Press on Sunday. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the Redskins have not publicly stated the names of any candidates.
The person said the interview was planned for Tuesday. Late Sunday, The Washington Post reported that the session had been rescheduled for today.
Around the league
Steelers great Ernie Holmes was fearsome on the field, but kind, gentle and devout off it, said friends, family and teammates at his funeral in Beaumont, Texas. Holmes, who died in a car accident Jan. 17, was part of Pittsburgh’s famous “Steel Curtain” defensive line that helped the team win the Super Bowl in 1975 and 1976. Despite his fierce play and passion on the field, Holmes was a “gentle soul” who once dressed up as Santa Claus for the team’s Christmas party and purchased gifts for all of his teammates’ children, said fellow Steel Curtain member “Mean” Joe Greene. … Mike Holovak, a longtime NFL executive who coached the Patriots to their first championship game (the 1963 AFL championship, a 51-10 loss to San Diego), died Sunday. He was 88. … Patriots nose tackle Vince Wilfork has been fined $5,000 for unnecessary roughness during the AFC championship game, his fourth fine of the season. The NFL acted after Wilfork received a 15-yard penalty for grabbing the face mask of Chargers running back Michael Turner with his right hand during New England’s 21-12 win over San Diego on Jan. 20. The fine brings Wilfork’s total to $37,500 this season.