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Mission
Accomplished?
By Amanda Myers
The event has come and gone
when all of America celebrates TV commercials, recognizing them as the art they
have truly become. Yes, that’s right, the SUPER BOWL. Many even refer to
this extravagant display of commercials as, “The Holy Grail of Advertising.”
Companies spent an estimated $2.3 million this year (as compared to last year’s
$2 million) for a 30-second commercial spot during Super Bowl XXXVIII.
Not only do the prices for
the commercials go up each year, our expectations do, as well. With an estimated
100 million viewers, the possibilities are endless, if the ads perform.
A survey of 500 Americans
conducted by online market research firm InsightExpress found that of those planning
to watch this year's game, 50 percent said they were tuning in specifically to
see the commercials. We are no longer looking for just a catchy commercial, but
instead one that is funny, creative and fun for all ages. The viewers expect advertisers
to outdo themselves year after year. How did they measure up this year?
Anheuser-Busch, a clear
winner, used such tactics as crotch-biting dogs, a flatulent horse, a donkey dreaming
of joining the Clydesdales and many more creative ideas to grab the viewer’s
attention, placing six out of their nine commercials in the top 10, polled by
USA Today. Due to their exclusivity deal through 2006, they were the
only beer company advertised during the Super Bowl.
Pepsi, a longtime leader
in Super Bowl advertising, produced several high-ranking commercials this year.
Among those was a commercial featuring several young teens who were accused of
downloading free music from the Internet. In partnership with Apple’s iTunes,
they are giving away 100 million free music downloads. This is a great example
of finding an issue that resonates with the target market and using it as an advantage.
Two of the lowest performing
and ranking commercials were those from erectile dysfunction drug companies Cialis
and Levitra, both competing for market share. Worthwhile? Not necessarily. Do
men really want to be discussing their erectile dysfunctions with their buddies
while watching the “manly” Super Bowl? The market was right, but the
timing was not.
For Procter & Gamble,
an internal contest was held to decide which company would air its first-ever
Super Bowl ad. According to CNN, Procter & Gamble currently buys
about 10 percent of all U.S. advertising spots. Ultimately, Charmin was awarded
P & G’s one and only Super Bowl spot in which a bear switches Charmin
for a football player’s towel. The commercial was not worthy of the honor,
placing 17th according to USA Today.
Companies gamble large sums
of their advertising budgets on the Super Bowl, knowing the outcomes are unclear.
According to AdAge.com, polls show that 61 percent of voters don’t
think Super Bowl commercials are worth their cost; however, many of us continue
to talk about them well past their debut. Maybe that is all the advertisers set
out to accomplish.
It’s important to
note that, while the Super Bowl can be an effective advertising venue, it doesn’t
have to be the only option. There are plenty of other advertising opportunities
that $2.3 million could be invested into, e.g. prime time spots, award ceremonies
(Grammy’s, Academy Awards, etc.), and season finales. With these other options,
at least advertisers won’t have to worry about being left in the dark while
the halftime show steals the spotlight.
E-mail
the authors: Amanda
Myers
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