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From Mean Joe Greene’s Coca-Cola spot, to the “Bud Bowl,” to last night’s cameos by Kenny G, Joan Rivers, and Eminem, advertising has long been as big a part of Super Bowl Sunday as the game itself. Most years, we’re treated to ads that one-up what we’ve previously seen and contribute just as much to the Monday morning water cooler conversation as any big play or touchdown celebration.
This year, however, the major evolution didn’t come in the form of ever-racier attention grabbers or production values that would make James Cameron nod with approval. It came in the form of social media tie-ins that advertisers designed to keep consumers engaged long after the Super Bowl hangover fades.
Super Bowl XLV marked not only an end to the NFL season, but also the conclusion of weeks-long advertising efforts aimed at boosting consumers’ online engagement with the brands they are partial to. The budgets and levels of sophistication employed in these campaigns ranged widely, but all had the same goal: to transform singular media impressions into the longer-term customer relationships that all businesses covet.
Papa John’s, for example, sponsored a campaign that promised a free large pizza to anyone registered on its website if game went into overtime. In coordination with its Super Bowl marketing strategy, Mercedes gave away two cars during its “Tweet Race to the Big Game,” a Twitter-inspired race to Dallas.
Others took simpler steps to turn Super Bowl excitement into social media buzz. Volkswagen’s “The Force” commercial and the Motorola Xoom’s Apple-inspired/parodying ad were both teased on YouTube and generated significant attention from bloggers, the mainstream media, and consumers before the game even kicked off.
It is also worth mentioning that some marketers even made social media integration a key selling point for their products and services. Amidst a sea of automobile commercials highlighting traditional features such as luxury, power, and value, Chevrolet plugged the real-time Facebook status update feature of its new Cruze.
For years now, there has been a clear incentive for marketers to utilize social media as a significant element of their advertising efforts. Those incentives are only amplified when considering the massive costs associated with generating an impression during the Super Bowl. The average cost of a 30-second spot for this year’s game was reported to be anywhere from $2.5 to $2.8 million. While this is by no means a record, it is still a substantial sum that underscores the just how important it is for advertisers to access the Super Bowl’s relatively captive audience.
When making such a significant expenditure, companies naturally expect an equally significant return. And today, social media tie-ins are one of the most effective ways to maximize the positive impact of a Super Bowl commercial.
Just as the invention of the forward pass changed football forever, the advent of social media has change the advertising game, and marketers must react accordingly. As such, Super Bowl spots, some of which fade into obscurity the moment the next ad dominates our attention, need to be seen as on-ramps toward continued consumer engagement in the digital space (which is where many consumers spend the time they once devoted to television).
Whether the goal is increased registration on an e-commerce portal, more visits to a corporate YouTube profile, or growing the number of friends and followers on Facebook and Twitter, Super Bowl advertising — and all TV advertising for that matter — is now not just about the product or service itself; it’s also about identifying ways to ensure that the audience remains attentive for the long haul. By using TV as a springboard to consumer engagement via social media, smart marketers are doing just that.
As DVRs, on-demand programming, and a la carte paid options (e.g., iTunes) continue to take hold, consumers are seeing fewer ads on a day-to-day basis. That means destination television — such as the Super Bowl — has become even more important turf for TV advertisers to dominate.
Top dramas in prime time, season finales, and major sporting events — programming that draws people together to watch in real time — represent what are perhaps the last windows of uninterrupted and unavoidable ad viewing. As such, these limited opportunities need to be leveraged to their full potential; not just with witty one-liners and movie-quality CGI, but with the carefully orchestrated social media integration that keeps consumers coming back.
From Mean Joe Greene’s Coca-Cola spot, to the “Bud Bowl,” to last night’s cameos by Kenny G, Joan Rivers, and Eminem, advertising has long been as big a part of Super Bowl Sunday as the game itself. Most years, we’re treated to ads that one-up what we’ve previously seen and contribute just as much to the Monday morning water cooler conversation as any big play or touchdown celebration.
This year, however, the major evolution didn’t come in the form of ever-racier attention grabbers or production values that would make James Cameron nod with approval. It came in the form of social media tie-ins that advertisers designed to keep consumers engaged long after the Super Bowl hangover fades.
The Highlight Reel
Super Bowl XLV marked not only an end to the NFL season, but also the conclusion of weeks-long advertising efforts aimed at boosting consumers’ online engagement with the brands they are partial to. The budgets and levels of sophistication employed in these campaigns ranged widely, but all had the same goal: to transform singular media impressions into the longer-term customer relationships that all businesses covet.
Papa John’s, for example, sponsored a campaign that promised a free large pizza to anyone registered on its website if game went into overtime. In coordination with its Super Bowl marketing strategy, Mercedes gave away two cars during its “Tweet Race to the Big Game,” a Twitter-inspired race to Dallas.
Others took simpler steps to turn Super Bowl excitement into social media buzz. Volkswagen’s “The Force” commercial and the Motorola Xoom’s Apple-inspired/parodying ad were both teased on YouTube and generated significant attention from bloggers, the mainstream media, and consumers before the game even kicked off.
It is also worth mentioning that some marketers even made social media integration a key selling point for their products and services. Amidst a sea of automobile commercials highlighting traditional features such as luxury, power, and value, Chevrolet plugged the real-time Facebook status update feature of its new Cruze.
The Passing Game: Social Media Integration Modernizes Traditional Advertising
For years now, there has been a clear incentive for marketers to utilize social media as a significant element of their advertising efforts. Those incentives are only amplified when considering the massive costs associated with generating an impression during the Super Bowl. The average cost of a 30-second spot for this year’s game was reported to be anywhere from $2.5 to $2.8 million. While this is by no means a record, it is still a substantial sum that underscores the just how important it is for advertisers to access the Super Bowl’s relatively captive audience.
When making such a significant expenditure, companies naturally expect an equally significant return. And today, social media tie-ins are one of the most effective ways to maximize the positive impact of a Super Bowl commercial.
Just as the invention of the forward pass changed football forever, the advent of social media has change the advertising game, and marketers must react accordingly. As such, Super Bowl spots, some of which fade into obscurity the moment the next ad dominates our attention, need to be seen as on-ramps toward continued consumer engagement in the digital space (which is where many consumers spend the time they once devoted to television).
Whether the goal is increased registration on an e-commerce portal, more visits to a corporate YouTube profile, or growing the number of friends and followers on Facebook and Twitter, Super Bowl advertising — and all TV advertising for that matter — is now not just about the product or service itself; it’s also about identifying ways to ensure that the audience remains attentive for the long haul. By using TV as a springboard to consumer engagement via social media, smart marketers are doing just that.
Post-Game Breakdown: What’s Next for Television Advertising
As DVRs, on-demand programming, and a la carte paid options (e.g., iTunes) continue to take hold, consumers are seeing fewer ads on a day-to-day basis. That means destination television — such as the Super Bowl — has become even more important turf for TV advertisers to dominate.
Top dramas in prime time, season finales, and major sporting events — programming that draws people together to watch in real time — represent what are perhaps the last windows of uninterrupted and unavoidable ad viewing. As such, these limited opportunities need to be leveraged to their full potential; not just with witty one-liners and movie-quality CGI, but with the carefully orchestrated social media integration that keeps consumers coming back.
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