Last year’s Super Bowl on Fox had an average of 102 million viewers and was the most watched show of 2020. That means the game is still a valuable investment for some companies.
But there is substantial uncertainty about how large the audience will be this year, as brands are concerned that the virus will prevent fans from throwing Super Bowl parties. The pandemic is also changing the messages that brands want to convey to customers.
“Obviously, brands need to speak to consumers in the right tone and are rightly concerned about not understanding this,” Mark Read, CEO WPP (WPP), the world’s largest advertising company, previously told CNN Business. “But I have no doubt that the Super Bowl will continue to be the biggest sporting and advertising event of the year.”
Here’s what you should know.
How much?
Super Bowl commercials are not cheap, even this year, despite economic difficulties. CBS is charging $ 5.5 million for a 30-second commercial. That’s a little less than last year, but for the first time, advertisers will have to pay an additional $ 300,000 to participate in the network’s live stream online.
CBS sold out all of the game’s slots in mid-January. That’s noticeably slower than last year’s pace, when Fox said it was sold out on Thanksgiving 2019.
Who left?
For starters, Budweiser and your Clydesdales are leaving this one out. The brewery said it would invest millions of dollars that would have been spent on an ad to support “critical awareness of the Covid-19 vaccine” with donations and future advertising campaigns.
It doesn’t mean that your parent company, Anheuser-Busch (BUD), is not spending a lot on the game. The company is showing its first commercial for the famous film directed by David Fincher. The purpose of the ad is “to remind us of the role that beer can play in people’s lives”. Some of Budweiser’s sister brands, including Bud Light and Michelob Ultra, will also put ads on the air, totaling four minutes.
Two major automakers, Kia and Hyundai, are also in the bank this year. Kia said that after running Super Bowl ads for a decade, he is slowing down this year to “expand his charitable initiatives in support of America’s youth.” Hyundai, which announced during the game for several years, has parked its usual plans for several reasons.
Planters attracted attention last year for killing Mr. Peanut. This year, it is using the $ 5 million allocated for a Super Bowl ad and giving it to people who did acts of charity during the pandemic. Avocados from Mexico he is also out after six consecutive years.
Coke, which faces financial difficulties, is also not advertising. Pepsi is not advertising its namesake soda, but instead is focusing on its sponsored break program starring The Weeknd.
Who’s in?
The absences do not mean that the game will be filled with commercials for the CBS series “NCIS”, however. Several high-profile advertisers will remain in the game, including Amazon, Cheetos, and Doritos.
There are also several newbies, mostly from companies that grew up during the pandemic. Chipotle is running an ad focused on its sustainability efforts, including “reducing carbon emissions, saving water and supporting local producers”.
DoorDash attracted big names to his ad, including rapper Daveed Diggs and Big Bird, Cookie Monster and Grover from “Sesame Street”. The one-minute ad shows the variety of foods that users can deliver.
Other celebrities starring in advertisements for rookies, including Amy Schumer for Hellman’s mayonnaise, John Travolta and his daughter to Scotts Miracle-Gro and Dolly Parton in one place for the website builder Squarespace. Comedians Dana Carvey and Mike Myers, from the famous “Wayne’s World”, met for Uber Eats.
Robinhood, the stock trading app that sparked a kind of revolution on Wall Street also bought an ad. Competitor E-Trade is also back after a few years off.
