ALEX HAAS '21
The Impact of Super Bowl Commercials
Super Bowl LIII is fast approaching, and while many football fans are eager to watch the game, you might find others tuning in solely to watch the commercials.
Last year, it was estimated that the Super Bowl had 103.4 million viewers, the smallest audience for a Super Bowl since 2009. The Super Bowl attracts the largest television audience in the U.S. every year. Needless to say, the Super Bowl has power; it has the power to attract both a wide and diverse audience, entertain them, and sell products.
Although showcasing products during the Super Bowl to millions of viewers can be beneficial for companies, it does not come without a price. At Super Bowl I, in 1967, the average cost for a 30-second advertisement was $37,500. However, that same TV time cost $2.2 million in 2000. According to an NBC Sports ad executive, a 30-second spot during the Super Bowl will average more than $5 million this year.
The key to a successful Super Bowl ad is the entertainment value.The best ads are the ones everybody is talking about the next day, whether it is the Wendy’s “Where’s the Beef” little old lady from 1984 or the “It’s a Tide Ad” guy from 2018. They were funny and original. People tune in to see something they haven’t seen before. So what will be the surprise ad of 2019?
Tune in on Sunday, February 3, at 6:30 p.m. ET to find out!