It’s that time again, when companies across the spectrum attempt to cash in on the millions of people glued to their TV sets to watch the Super Bowl. But don't assume all eyes will be focused on the football game. In fact, millions will be watching the Super Bowl to see the commercials between the plays.
Among the many featured TV spots from advertisers such as Coca Cola, Volkswagen, CareerBuilder.com, Toyota, GoDaddy and more, expect to see Honda CR-V's ad with actor Matthew Broderick reprising his role as the high school teenager Ferris Bueller from the 1980s classic film “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.” (commercial featured to the left of article)
More than likely, you may have already seen this particular commercial, as the buzz of this and other planned Super Bowl ads have been featured on national morning shows and all over the internet for the last two to three weeks. But when you consider reports that the cost of a 30-second spot during this Sunday’s big game will reach as high as $3.5 million, some may question if the cost is worth the return on investment (ROI).
Merrit Strunk, SVP Chief Marketing Officer of Creative Marketing International and past executive for several well-known national advertising agencies and marketing firms says advertising in the Super Bowl is not for every brand, nor the right time for many companies to pay the big price.
“Companies will have to weigh the benefits of spending millions on Super Bowl advertising or getting an equal or greater benefit by investing the money elsewhere. With an estimated 40% of the U.S. population watching not only football but also the advertising, it makes a very appealing venue for the company that needs top-of-mind awareness while also reaching that core demographic of males 20-50 years old. To get this, brands will need to bring the ‘break-through-the-clutter’ creativity that drives consumer recall and memorability. The usual suspects are the big budget beer brands, auto manufacturers, Coke, Pepsi and one of my personal favorites, the e-trade baby,” says Strunk.
Owner and Creative Strategist for the New York firm, Funky Tea Party, Jeff Zielinski says a 30-second commercial in the Super Bowl should only be one element of an advertiser’s more comprehensive ad campaign.
“It's no secret that effective ad campaigns today need to involve a mixed bag of tricks. If a company is only considering the 30 seconds on screen, they are throwing their money away. However, if they take the time to string the right pieces together it can be well worth the investment. Take, for example the ongoing Doritos approach. Crowd-sourcing not only saves them boat loads of production money but it creates a huge buzz for the brand well ahead of game day. They've carved out an amazing social experience that transcends the chosen commercial. And the free PR it garners is simply icing on the cake. That's how you make $117,000 per second count,” says Zielinski.
In 1967, NBC charged $37,500 for one 30-second Super Bowl ad. For Public Relations Specialist, Anne Wear based in High Point, North Carolina, companies willing to pay millions for just one Super Bowl ad in 2012 is a gamble that no business owner can afford to take in today's economy.
“I think purchasing a Super Bowl ad is more of a status symbol. Companies are hoping that their commercial goes viral after being seen on the Super Bowl. So, they are betting $3.5 million that their ad will be the memorable one. It's kind of like playing the lottery. Every so often one ad is head and shoulders above the rest and is the ad talked about at the office on Monday. But, to be honest, most of the time, the ads don't have that kind of staying power,” says Wear.
With more than 160 million people estimated to be watching Sunday’s match up between the New York Giants and the New England Patriots, it may be impossible to have one commercial successfully target and reach the entire viewing audience. Additionally, with the cost in the millions, there is little, if any repetition of TV ads which can mean little to no product retention in the minds of the viewers.
Tom Collins, President and Creative Director of Collins + Company, based in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina says the only smart Super Bowl ad is a memorable one.
“I don't think there have been any great ads in a long time. There have been some funny ads, but not great. I think back to the original Macintosh spot, the Mean Joe Green Coca Cola spot, Larry Bird and Michael Jordan’s ad or the original Budweiser horses playing football commercial. Most ads of late have gone for the cheap laugh. But honestly, no Super Bowl ad changes my spending habits from just one spot,” says Collins.
But other experts claim measuring the value of a Super Bowl ad may not be as simple as tracking the numbers or following the bottom line. The fact that viewers of all ages watch the Super Bowl for the commercials as much, if not more, in some cases than the game itself may give merit to the reason Super Bowl advertising comes with such a high price tag. Collins says would-be advertisers have to decide how much they are willing to pay to be part of Monday's chatter in offices across the country.
“You have to first ask the question ‘what is the objective’ of your Super Bowl commercial? Direct sales probably won’t happen. If your objective is buzz/PR driven, then yes, you probably can say you'll get your money's worth - if the idea is good. For some companies, it's more about breaking through as a player in an industry. But I think at the end of the day, it's about the impressions and the opportunity to be the focus of Monday's water cooler discussion. With so many different things to do and watch on the weekends, those water cooler moments don't exist like they used to. Today, the Super Bowl is actually one of a very few annual events that have the power to be ‘water cooler’ events,” says Collins.
Come Monday morning, after the Giants or the Patriots claim victory and the winning team has a player featured in that traditional commercial saying, “I’m going to Disney World,” the long-term value of those Super Bowl ads may only last as long as the salsa, chips and cold beverages did the day before. Some ads may be part of that ‘water cooler’ chatter or be voted on as ‘the best’ or ‘the worst’ like some awards show 'best dressed' list. And maybe one, if there is one lucky enough, may make that ‘Best of the Best Super Bowl Commercials.’
As far as the ROI, as long as the Super Bowl viewership remains in the millions and the commercials that are a part of this annual event are considered entertainment and something to look forward to, the cost of a Super Bowl ad compared to its ROI will have to be measured by how much a business is willing to pay for those precious 30 seconds, with promises of being seen by millions and only a wing and a prayer of being remembered the day after.
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