Super Bowl Advertising Hacks
Everyone knows that the biggest day of the year for most advertisers is the Super Bowl; it represents an anomaly for how people consider ads. During this event, there is a captive audience not only for the game, but the advertising itself.
In 2018, more than 111 million Americans were watching this event and companies shelled out more than $5 million for a 30-second ad spot. But is it worth it? Is this event even still relevant for advertisers, or are there more lucrative opportunities elsewhere?
Source: Business Insider
Ultimately, there is a strong argument for the continued relevance of the event in terms of mass and scale. There are few opportunities to reach such a broad audience that is actively engaged in viewing the advertising.
But perhaps there are better and more cost-effective ways to leverage this event and reach your desired audience.
Approaching the Super Bowl in a Different Way
One of the most successful strategies for leveraging the Super Bowl is by taking an ad off of the official, televised platform and moving it to social media. If there is high-quality content that can engage a critical mass, going viral is an option. This means that an ad can reach an audience that may rival what is achieved through purchasing an ad spot during the televised Super Bowl.
Consider the following two examples.
In 2013, during a massive power outage during the Super Bowl, Oreo tweeted a simple photo of a luminated Oreo cookie and the phrase “You can still dunk in the dark.” It was heavily retweeted and garnered many headlines declaring that Oreo won the Super Bowl.
Volvo stole the country’s attention during the 2015 Super Bowl by announcing a contest in which those who tweeted #VolvoContest along with an individual’s name who they wanted to give a car to, could win a Volvo. It definitely succeeded in getting everyone to talk about Volvo instead of any other car commercial.
Marketers can also leverage the hype of the Big Game by sponsoring trips to see the Super Bowl in person or by hosting a local viewing party.
For those companies who truly want their ad to be seen during the Super Bowl, but can’t or won’t pay the $5 million, they may want to consider purchasing a spot in a single market or region. This can be much more cost-effective than a national placement and it can still grab national attention.
Pabst purchased an ad spot for Old Milwaukee beer in one market, Nebraska, for the price of $1500, but they got a celebrity (Will Ferrell) to star in the commercial, which made it go viral on YouTube.
Brands also now have the option to just but the digital stream in a single market for less than $100k and a CPM of $50.
On broadcast, a single-market Super Bowl campaign can come in at under $1MM and not just be one spot, but include market specific bonus across cable which will extend the life and value of your asset.
In the #4 US Television Market, Philadelphia, a Super Bowl + Cable Bundle package across 12 weeks can cost as little as $600k for a full campaign — a far cry from the millions of a national placement single ad.
Similarly, someone looking to target Amazon headquarters in Seattle during the big game could get that market for under $300k.
The cost of a Super Bowl ad spot is incredibly high, and rightfully so given the size of its captive audience. But that doesn’t mean you have to be priced out of participating if you can’t pony up the $5 million. With a little creative thinking, you can leverage the hype surrounding this event and create content that will deliver a strong ROI.
For more information see links below for a Super Bowl ad podcast with industry professionals including WiT's VP of Media, Jessica Ragusa.