Super Bowl Commercials – How Brands Optimize Eye Balls In 2015

When did all this Super Bowl Commercial stuff begin? Some will say the corporate branding started with Coca-Cola’s Mean Joe Green commercial in the 1979 Super Bowl; others might point to Apples 1984 commercial in the 1984 Super Bowl. Regardless of when it happened, brands and advertising agency’s have brought a whole new demographic and debate to the Super Bowl.

On Monday there is as much, if not more talk, at the water cooler about the commercials than the 3rd and 10 calls with 10 minutes to go in the game.

Coca Cola Superbowl Ad Corporate Branding Classic

With the increase in audience and engagement around the water cooler has also increased the price of a :30 spot in the big game to astonishing 4.5 million dollars! That’s not counting the cost of the production of the spot. With over 100 million eyeballs on today’s game, it’s still hard for an agency or a brand to justify spending that kind of cash on a :30 spot. So what do you do? The brands have begun to release the ads early. Create debate before the game for those that want to see the commercials in advance of the game on-line.

GoDaddy Superbowl Ad 2015

How ‘bout what GoDaddy did? Release a spot that they say they are pulling due to complaints from pet groups. What did that do? That sparked huge interest in watching the spot online. They also just happened to have another spot that they can plug into the game? Was this their strategy all along? If so, a tip of the cap to their corporate branding strategy and the execution.

I’ve tried to stay away from clicking on and watching the spots. To me watching the spots before the game is like unwrapping a present that you already know what’s inside. One spot did peak my interest enough to watch before the game, the BMW, starring Katie Couric and Bryant Gumbel.

BMW Superbowl Ad 2015

Several years ago many organizations began to rank the Super Bowl commercials after the game. This not only enhanced but also became better marketing than the game itself, as it had people talking and writing about your brand or product.

The price tags continue to go up in the game, and brands and agencies will have to continue to find ways to try to recoup the substantial investment made into the game, and releasing spots online before the game for better or worse is just a way to do that. The Super Bowl isn’t for all brands. We’ve seen brands that invest in the Super Bowl come and go. Some one and done, some that are no longer in business and some that are there more years than not.

How many spots did you choose to watch on-line before the game?

If yes, did it change or affect how you viewed them or what you thought of them during the game good or bad?

Give us your top three corporate branding spots during the game.