A look into why companies do Super Bowl ads, some standout historical ones, and the digital marketing that surrounds the pre-, during-, and post-game ads of the present.

1. SUPER BOWL
ADVERTISING
…and the Games Within the Game
Photo by Paul Keleher from Mass, US / CC BY 2.0

2. Contents
• Cost & Benefits
• Notable Super Bowl Ads
• The GamesWithin the Game
– Digital
– Politics
– Gambling

3. Cost
All-in cost of an
ad is more than
$10mm (incl.
production &
future media
commitments)

4. Benefits
Viewership rose
steadily until a
decline began in
2015…
Source: Nielsen, Statista

5. …due in part to
cord cutters with
no access to the
game.

6. So Why Do Advertisers Do It?

7. SUPER BOWL IS THE ONE MASS AUDIENCE
REMAINING
0 20 40 60 80 100 120
Game of Thrones
NCIS
Big Bang Theory
NFL Sunday Night Football
NFL Super Bowl
Top 5TV Shows’ #Viewers (mm)
Viewers (mm)

8. The Global Context

9. Football vs.
Football
Soccer draws >3x
more global viewers
than the Super
Bowl.

10. Global TV
Viewership
1. Rio, London Olympics (2016, 2012) 3.6 B
2. FIFA World Cup (2018) 3.5
3. CricketWorld Cup (2019) 2.6
4. Muhammad Ali vs. Holmes 2.0
4. 9/11 (2001) 2.0
4. Funeral of Princess Diana (1997) 2.0
7. Presidential Inauguration (2009) 1.0
8. First Man on the Moon (1969) 0.6
... Super Bowl 0.2

11. Contents
• Cost & Benefits
• Notable Super Bowl Ads
• The GamesWithin the Game
– Digital
– Politics
– Gambling

12. Apple
Macintosh
“1984”

14. Tobasco
“Mosquito”
1998

16. EVERYONE’S
A CRITIC
Bud Light
“Romantic Evening”
2002

18. Reebok
“Terry Tate, Office Linebacker”
2011

20. USA TODAY ADMETER
“PLAYOFF” WINNER
BUDWEISER
“PUPPY LOVE”
2014
20

21. 21

22. Contents
• Cost & Benefits
• Notable Super Bowl Ads
• The Games Within the Game
– Digital
– Politics
– Gambling

23. Pre-Game
Many of this year’s ads
have been released,
press-released, and
social media’d.

24. Pre-Game
Many of this year’s ads
have been released,
press-released, and
social media’d.

25. In-Game
Huffington Post
proclaimed that “one of
the most buzz-worthy ads
of the Super Bowl on
Sunday wasn’t even a
commercial – it was a
mere tweet from Oreo
during the blackout.”
Source: TheDrum.com, 2013
25

26. Post-Game
Old Spice’s ”The Man
Your Man Could Smell
Like” ad has 50
million YouTube views.
50% of them have
been since its 2011
airing.
26

27. The Final
Analysis
iSpot.tv measures digital
“buzz” from pre-game
through post-.
Sources: iSpot.tv, AdAge
27

28. Politics
2020 is the first time we’ll
see nationally televised
Super Bowl ads from
Presidential candidates.
63% of Americans call it
an inappropriate platform
for political ads.*
Do you agree?
Sources: WSJ, Morning Consult, CMO Today

29. Gambling
Sports betting is on its
way to legalization in
almost all of the 50
states.

30. You can bet on
nearly anything...
…but that doesn’t
mean you should.
Bet
Betting
Odds
Probability of
Occurrence
ExpectedValue
of a $100 Bet
CoinToss 1.04-to-1 50% $98
Safety
(2-pt Play)
6-to-1 7% $49
Overtime 8-to-1 5% $40

31. 31
Enjoy the Game!
and the Digital Game Within the Game
(Within the Game)
Enjoy the game… … and the games
within the game!