Super Bowl Commercials as a Cultural Phenomenon
– Super Bowl commercials are high-profile television commercials featured during the U.S. television broadcast of the Super Bowl.
– They have become a cultural phenomenon of their own, with many viewers watching the game specifically for the commercials.
– Super Bowl ads are known for their cinematographic quality, unpredictability, surreal humor, and special effects.
– Celebrity cameos are commonly used in these commercials.
– Some Super Bowl ads have attracted controversy due to their content.
Benefits of Advertising during the Super Bowl
– Super Bowl games have high viewership, with Super Bowl XLIX in 2015 having an average viewership of 114.4 million in the U.S.
– Airing a commercial during the Super Bowl allows advertisers to reach a wide and diverse audience.
– Commercials aired during the Super Bowl receive additional exposure outside of the game, such as during newscasts and morning shows.
– Many viewers watch the Super Bowl primarily for the commercials.
– Super Bowl ads have the potential to become viral videos, reaching a larger audience.
Prominence and Cost of Super Bowl Commercials
– Airing a commercial during the Super Bowl has a high price, with the cost of a 30-second slot reaching up to $7 million for Super Bowl LVI in 2022.
– Major brands like Budweiser, Coca-Cola, Doritos, GoDaddy, Master Lock, and Tide are known for making repeated appearances during the Super Bowl.
– The average cost of a 30-second commercial during the Super Bowl increased from $37,500 at Super Bowl I to $4.5 million at Super Bowl XLIX.
– The cost of advertising during the Super Bowl has continued to rise over the years.
– Super Bowl commercials are largely limited to the United States broadcast of the game.
Impact of Super Bowl Commercials on Viewers
– Nielsen reported that 51% of Super Bowl viewers enjoy the commercials more than the game itself.
– A study found that 42% of surveyed individuals tune in for the advertisements rather than the game, and 50% made a purchase based on a Super Bowl ad.
– The popularity of video sharing websites like YouTube has allowed Super Bowl ads to become viral videos.
– Advertisers have started posting previews or the full-length commercials online prior to the game to take advantage of the buzz.
– Dish Network allowed users to view a recording of the Super Bowl that skipped over the game itself and only included the commercials.
Advertising Regulations and Challenges
– In Canada, simsub regulations require pay television providers to replace U.S. broadcast stations’ feeds with domestic feeds during the Super Bowl.
– The CRTC enacted a policy from 2017 to 2019 to forbid simsub during the Super Bowl, but it was later overturned by the Supreme Court of Canada.
– The NFL’s Canadian rightsholder Bell Media challenged the policy, arguing that it violated the Broadcasting Act.
– Official online streams of the Super Bowl did not include all the commercials until Super Bowl 50 when CBS mandated that each advertiser’s purchase cover both the television and digital broadcasts.
– The network broadcasting the Super Bowl can charge a premium on advertising time due to the large potential audience.Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advertising_in_the_Super_Bowl
