SUPERBOWL
More marketers
going long with
Super Bowl spots
This year, viewers can expect to see fewer short
jokes and more epic ads in the mold of Chrysler
■ BY BRIAN STEINBERG bsteinberg@adage.com
REMEMBER MASTER LOCK’S one-second, blink-and-you’ll-miss-it Super
Bowl ad of 1998? In 2012, you’ll be
able to leave the couch, grab a beer
from the fridge and make it back in
time to catch the end of several of the
game’s spots. (Not that you would, of
course.)
After years of grinding out TV commercials that are increasingly brutish
and short, advertisers seem to be going
long. That trend is most evident in the
Super Bowl broadcast to air Feb. 5 on
NBC, where sports ad-sales chief Seth
Winter expects more ads that are
longer than 30 seconds.
“You’re going to see the art form of
storytelling take on a greater role in the
Super Bowl,” Mr. Winter said.
Volkswagen and Audi are among
the advertisers ponying up for 60-sec-
ond spots.
PepsiCo is considering a 45-second
ad for its PepsiMax beverage, according
to Joe Pytka, the veteran Super Bowl
advertising director who is working on
the spot. A Pepsi spokeswoman said the
company has not finalized its Super
Bowl plans.
Scott Keough, Audi of America’s
chief marketing officer, believes a
longer ad gives consumers room for
discussion beyond just product and
price, and offers them better reasons to
buy in an uncertain economic climate.
See GOING LONG on Page 20
FROM APPLE TO XEROX: 12 SPOTS
Love ’em or hate ’em, these ads pushed the envelope
■ BY BRIAN STEINBERG
bsteinberg@adage.com
Save your complaints.
We’re not choosing the
best or worst ads in
Super Bowl history,
just the ones that
advanced the niche
practice of Super Bowl
marketing.Whether
they pushed the pop-culture envelope,
captured consumer
attitudes for a moment
or forced changes in
how the big game’s ads
are run, the following
represent the
commercials we think
spurred the most
movement. For the
reasons why, turn to
page 20.
See GAME CHANGERS on Page 20
APPLECAS
XEROX
MON
BUD BOWLCHR
WILL MARKETERS FLOCK
TO A BOWL IN INDY?
SEXYORSTRAIGHTLACED?
Indy’s compactness may be a benefit, but it’s not
exactly known for its nightlife.
The city of Indianapolis, a sports-centric town
that is no stranger to hosting big events, is
getting ready for the biggest one of all. But
when it comes to the Super Bowl, some
marketers aren’t ready for Indy.
“It’s been hit-and-miss, and for the Super
Bowl it’s never really like that,” said Fred
Rodgers, VP-corporate division at Premiere
Global Sports, a New York-based agency that
helps companies arrange junkets to and
parties at sports and entertainment events.
“A lot of our companies had a great time at
the Super Bowl in Dallas last year, and next
year the game is back in New Orleans. So
they’ve taken a look at Indy and said, ‘We’re
taking a pass this year.’”
Though Mr. Rodgers would not name the
marketers that have decided not to go to the
Feb. 5 game, he said one client had booked
Premiere’s largest hospitality deal ever.
The National Football League has done a
yeoman’s job of awarding Super Bowls to
smaller markets and cities that aren’t
necessarily tourist destinations. But those
places have often received so-so reviews.
Jacksonville, Fla., for instance, didn’t have
enough hotel rooms, so the NFL had to bring
in and dock five cruise ships to house 7,600
guests for the 2005 Super Bowl. Detroit, host
of the 2006 Super Bowl, also had a problem
with too few hotel rooms. Some media
members were forced to stay in Livonia, 19
miles from Ford Field downtown, while some
fans booked rooms in Ann Arbor, 40 miles
from the stadium.
Even last year’s party in Dallas had issues,
with lead-up events spread throughout the
city, an unusual batch of ice storms and
dozens of attendees being removed from
their seats after the fire marshal failed to sign
off on that section of the brand-new stadium.
