We’re expecting a good show this year, partly because of all the buzz-building teasers. Other factors: agencies depended less on UGC than in Super Bowl ’07, :30 spots cost more on average, and points of interaction for audience members (mobile voting/ranking, secret online spots).
Oh, and expect more woman-oriented ads than usual because of Feb 3’s proximity to Valentine’s Day.
Breakdown of Expectations (Feeling geeky? Keep track of the ads with our handy Adrants Pre-Game Commercial Chart and Notes which we will continuously update):
Lots of teasers this year. Notably, Budweiser leaked five teasers out of 10 total Super Bowl spots. Others — like this one for Sobe or that GoDaddy thing — are more like prologues for the real thing. Some brands were so lazy they didn’t even bother to tease; they just tossed the ads out there or — yikes! — repurposed old ads.
We blame the deluge of teasers on the Nielsen/K-Fed effect. Because Nationwide released its K-Fed ad early last year, and because Nielsen is using it as a yardstick to quantify the success of all Super Bowl spots ever in the fabric of time, everybody’s trying to cash in on hype juice.
Expect somber joy-slicing. The Partnership for a Drug-Free America’s got a spot that will make you check your medicine cabinet. Bridgestone’s ads are meant to scare you into retiring your balding tires — for Richard Simmons’ sake. Seriously.
Celebrities and athletes abound! Not that they haven’t always, but expect some pop culture overdrive. Men and women get an eyeful of Adriana Lima for Victoria’s Secret, Under Armour’s ad will feature no less than 27 athletes, and Sunsilk is using a triage of electric icons: Madonna, Shakira and Marilyn Monroe. Vitamin Water’s got Shaq, Icebreakers scored Carmen Electra, Bridgestone’s got Alice Cooper and Richard Simmons … the list goes on.
Notable noobs: Coke embarks on Pepsi turf with an aggressive three ads (so we hear), Bridgestone has two ads on deck and is sponsoring the halftime show; and Under Armour — like we said — is planning to come on 27 athletes strong.
We remember feeling disappointed at all the UGC action going down last year, flanked by weak online integration. Most Super Bowl 2007 spots seemed to end with a lame promotional URL.
In 2008 brands are savvier about user participation. Budweiser will kick ass with BudBowl.com, where registered users can rate ads via mobile as they appear on TV. Voters get a secret 11th spot at the end of the game.
GoDaddy’s “Exposure” will be discussed in its ad but not aired. A full version will appear online on game day. It may also air “White Light.” A “director’s cut” is available online only.
Finally, the NFL put together an ad composed of football players’ homemade videos, which fans can also vote on.
Oh yeah. And the Patriots are going to win.
