The money isn't the only thing people are talking about because the ads themselves always garner enough attention to bring more than 4.5 million dollars back to their companies. The ads are always different than what we see all year round, they're sometimes funnier, more explicit, and with each coming year, even more raunchier even with the NFL being able to ban what ever ads they want (EW Staff 2015). Go Daddy and Bud Light seem to be at the top of the pack with the most banned ads (EW Staff 2015). Even with the power of being able to ban ads, the NFL still allows many commercials to air that could rival the ones that were banned.
Back in 2000, many of the Super Bowl ads had animals instead of half-naked women, which seems to be the new trend for ads in the coming years. Each year, there are even more Even though companies still keep the animals and comedy, we can almost predict who will have the most ads in the Super Bowl. Each year we look forward to seeing the reoccurring themes of the Clydesdales from Budweiser or funny kids eating Doritos. These companies along with other popular ones like GoDaddy.com, Bud Light, Snickers, or Etrade, try to bring in a combination of comedy, raunchiness, or even sadness in order to elicit the most response. Super Bowl commercials are made to make the audience keep talking about them well after the Super Bowl is over (McAllister 1999). This commercialization of American culture makes Super Bowl ads another form of entertainment just like product placements in movies (McAllister 1999).
Other major sporting events have caught on to this trend with the World Cup creating some of the most popular ads of 2014 (Nudd 2014). The sporting events themselves are even making ads that not only make people want to watch the game, but the commercials as well. Movies and television shows use the Super Bowl to premier their trailers or parts of the film that can be seen nowhere else. Moves like these, make the Super Bowl a powerhouse for ads, premiers, and making money because of how many people continue to watch it year after year.
This year things will be changing in terms of the platform that people can watch it on. Normally, the Super Bowl is played on a network channel on television, but this year the Super Bowl is being streamed online, which is definitely different from years before (Castillo 2015). Now NBC is selling ad spots for the online streaming and most companies seem to be buying spots for both online and television (Castillo 2015). So now, not only have the ads changed, the platform has as well making the game more accessible to people who don't have access to televisions, or are at work during the game.
The way ads are presented have changed as well. With the onslaught of social media, companies have started to either "leak" their ads online or post them to their social media page. People can now see the ads that will be in the Super Bowl way before the game even happens (Ferber 2015). Companies now strive to have social media presence with their ads because they know if the audience likes their ad, it may become a trending topic or will get millions of views on Youtube. Social media has allowed the audience to do most of the advertising for companies whereas back in 2000, the only thing people could do was either talk about the ad or hope it gets replayed on regular television. As Scott Ferber said in his article, "Super Bowl Advertising Moves Beyond TV Commercials," it allows companies without a lot of money to air their ads towards their intended audience without having to pay the Super Bowl price tag (2015).
Modernity has definitely brought a change to the way commercials are made and what people do with them. With technology, companies can now use social media and the Internet to further their profits with their specialized ads. Especially since the use of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and just social media in general continues to climb (M. Duggan et alt. 2015). Since the Super Bowl is always the most watched event on television, companies step up their game each year and add to the over-the-top effect the Super Bowl always has.
Even when the Super Bowl was weeks away, people were talking more about the ads (or deflategate) than the game itself, which shows how far media has come since televising sports games became popular. There may be other professional sports leagues in America, but nothing can compare to the Super Bowl. Although companies are now catching on to use major games as a major commercial opportunity, it will take a long time before any other sporting event can get what the Super Bowl has had for many years.
Now take a look at this video with the Top 5 Super Bowl Ads of 2000 and see if you can spot any differences between the ads now and the ads from back then.
Works Cited
Castillo, Michelle. "NBC Has Sold 95% of Super Bowl Ads and Says $4.5 Million Per :30 'Is a Steal'." AdWeek. AdWeek, 7 Jan. 2015. Web.
Duggan, Maeve, Nicole B. Ellison, Cliff Lampe, Amanda Lenhart, and Marry Madden. "Social Media Update 2014." Pew Research Center (2014): 1-18. 9 Jan. 2015. Web. 1 Feb. 2015.
EW Staff. "Super Bowl: The 32 greatest rejected commercials."Entertainment Weekly. Entertainment Weekly Inc, 29 Jan. 2015. Web.
Ferber, Scott. "Super Bowl Advertising Moves Beyond TV Commercials." TechCrunch. Crunch Network, 2 Feb. 2015. Web.
McAllister, Matthew P. "Super Bowl advertising as commercial celebration." The Communication Review. 3:4, 403-428. (1999). Web.
Nudd, Tim. "The 10 Best Ads of 2014." AdWeek. AdWeek, 30 Nov. 2014. Web.
Youtube Clip Courtesy of superbowladman - Superbowl-ads.com Top 5 Ads of 2000.
I agree with most of what you have to say Megan. The influence of Super Bowl ads has grown and grown. People are always waiting anxiously to see the new Budweiser ads with the Clydesdale horses, or the new Go Daddy ad with Danica Patrick. Sometimes it seems that people are more excited for the ads than the game itself (which you mentioned), but I do think that is also determined by what teams are playing. Other advertising mainstays seem to be Dorito’s, Bud Light, Coca Cola, Geico, Dove, Victoria Secret, cell phone service providers, and car companies. It actually surprised me that there were 15 first time Super Bowl advertisers during this year’s big game, according to Michelle Castillo. Then again, I supposed everyone wants to get in on the Super Bowl gold rush.
ReplyDeleteThe main question I would like to bring up when it comes to Super Bowl ads is, what angle do you take with this million dollar project, and also which angle has the biggest impact?
According to Megan and Castillo, each 30 second slot went for 4.5 million dollars this year. That means that one minute on television costs you 9 million dollars. For that type of money you have to make it count, right? That always brings up the question of what theme you want to use. In other words, will your ad be comedic, heartfelt, catchy, sexy, entertaining, or meaningful (those tend to be the winning ideas at least). Either way it’s going to have to be creative, I mean come on it’s the Super Bowl.
When looking at AdWeek’s top ten ads of 2014, I tried to determine what style had the most success. I would say that four or five of the ads had comedic value, but only one or two used comedy as the number one technique. With Super Bowl ads, I feel like most advertisers go straight to comedy (maybe because of drunken fans at Super Bowl parties who are looking for a good laugh, if nothing else). It makes me think of companies like Dorito’s, M&M’s (who were absent from this year’s Super Bowl I believe), and Geico. Surprisingly, only three (or maybe four) of the top ten ads were tear jerkers (or heartfelt). One of those was number two though, which is concerning the war in Syria. The Super Bowl has some of its biggest successes when producing sentimental value. As I mentioned above, the Clydesdale horses and the dog kill it for Budweiser every year. McDonalds went that route this year as well, along with Nissan, Dove, and more. I think the use of a catchy style is dying in advertising. I did not see this method in the top ten of 2014, and the only Super Bowl ad that sort of used it was the Geico (push it real good) ad. Sex appeal has also decreased. No Danica this year, but Carl’s Jr. and Victoria Secret (as always) did take a stab at it. I didn’t really see any in the top ten, unless you consider the first kiss ad sexy, which I didn’t. Some ads well always have an entertaining aspect to them, like the World Cup ad in the top ten or the Bud Light ‘Up for Whatever’ ads, but I think you see this most with the movie trailers that are first released on Super Bowl Sunday. People love movies, so what better stage is there to unveil one. Finally, the meaningful value has increased in popularity. This sort of goes hand in hand with the heartfelt ads, but you see this more definitively when they tell a person’s story (specifically one that displayed perseverance). I saw this with Under Armour and Misty Copeland in the top ten, and Microsoft during the Super Bowl. After all of the research, I think the really well thought heartfelt ads leave the greatest impression, but I would never discredit comedic genius when it shines bright. Overall though, the key is to be creative, without that the intrigue fades.
P.S. My #1 Super Bowl ad this year goes to Avocados from Mexico, with their #FirstDraftEver campaign.
Works Cited:
Castillo, Michelle. "NBC Has Sold 95% of Super Bowl Ads and Says $4.5 Million Per :30 'Is a Steal'" AdWeek. AdWeek, 7 Jan. 2015. Web. 01 Feb. 2015.
Nudd, Tim. "The 10 Best Ads of 2014." AdWeek. 30 Nov. 2014. Web.
When I heard that a 30 second ad was going to be $4.5 million dollars this year, I was expecting every 30-second one to be amazing and blow away the ads from previous years. However, this was not the case for me as I was watching this year's super bowl commercials. It’s not that I did not like any of the ads this year; I was just a little disappointed because of how high my expectations were. I also found my group of friends and myself comparing this year's ads to last year's ads. Now why would we do that if we were completely and 100% satisfied with them? It made me wonder how other people felt, such as adults, other advertisers who could not purchase a super bowl commercial spot, and the true sports fans that were watching to see one of their teams win? So what is it that makes a super bowl ad worth every dollar? According to Nielson and Castillo, a good advertisement is all about pleasing the viewer, and the amount of viewers there are.
DeleteI think Michael brings up a very important point, that is very thought provoking when it comes to why it is that super bowl ads are as expensive as they are. Which genre “sells” the most? Which type of ads do viewers like to see the most? I never thought of the fact why comedic commercials sell the most due the type of audience who is watching: sports fans who are drinking and trying to have a good time while watching an intense and (for some) stressful game. This is why most people are usually excited to see commercials by a fast food restaurant, or Coca-Cola, or a brand of beer. All of these, having to do with something you eat or drink are usually either really funny, or made into a dramatic and relatable story, that are made for people to remember every time they purchase something from that company. For me personally, I like the ads that are educational and comedic. According to Nielson, “focusing on creating an entertaining ad first—and educating the consumer second—is a key way to boost memorability and branding.” I completely agree with this and think advertisers keep this in mind, especially when it comes to the expensive super bowl ads. For example, the three super bowl ads that stood out to me were the dramatic and heartfelt Budweiser commercial with the puppy and the horses, the Viagra commercial that used a FIAT to convey their message, and finally the always commercial for women with the message of gender inequality among boys and girls. Each of these commercials had the same thing in common; they were relatable.
Considering NBC had 114.4 million viewers for this year's super bowl, makes me think that the price of the ads are directly influenced by how many viewers the network will have. Although, this can't be the only reason ads are so expensive, I think the fact that advertisers who bought a commercial for television were also guaranteed to be streamed online. This year, NBC decided to stream the game live online for people who did not have access to a television. According to Castillo, advertisers who wanted this digital component (which who wouldn’t?) also bought the TV component. Therefore everyone who has commercial during the game will also have advertising on NBC's online platforms. I think this is extremely smart thinking because of how common media convergence has become. In addition, interactive and social media users helped those who could not watch live because they could just check their twitter or Facebook news feed to see important updates.
Works CIted
"Advertising & Audiences: State of the Media, May 2014." Nielsen.com. May 2014. Web.
Castillo, Michelle. "NBC Has Sold 95% of Super Bowl Ads and Says $4.5 Million Per: 30 'Is a Steal'" AdWeek. AdWeek, 7 Jan. 2015. Web. 02 Feb. 2015.
Caitlyn Maio
ReplyDeleteEvery year there does seem to be an increase in the amount of viewers who watch the Super Bowl not just because they are a fan of the game, but also because people want to see the commercial ads in between quarters. Not only have the ads changed throughout the years, they are also different from every day commercials. The Super Bowl this year “sold 95 percent of its TV inventory” (Castillo 1). If you compare the commercial ads during the Super Bowl with every day commercials seen on television, there is a big difference in content. The commercial ads during the Super Bowl are funnier, raunchier, and more emotional. During this year’s Super Bowl, the Budweiser commercial hit my emotional spot with their “Lost Dog” commercial. They showed companionship between the dog and the horse perfectly to get viewers to say, “awww.” The Kia commercial even grabbed my attention by having Pierce Brosnan featured in it. I thought it was funny how they used the idea of him thinking like a secret agent in the commercial. Instead of there being snipers and explosions, there would be an owl and moose he would have to overcome within his obstacle.
Furthermore, I also agree that there is a change in the way ads are presented as well. You can view advertisements across multiple platforms and devices now. There has been an increase in people using multiple devices at once, while exploring different platforms. Distribution and discovery have increased and should move hand in hand (Turrill 3). There have also been more choices made with technology. Digital video is increasing more compared to watching regular TV screens (Turrill 6). This is also due to the increase in online streaming and mobile apps (Turrill 7). This helps increase ad viewership as well. People can watch the Super Bowl not only on their television screens, but also watch it online through streaming.
I agree that now we can also view ads online, and most of us have become “connected viewers” through our smartphones (Smith and Boyles 2). Increase use of technological devices has lead to the increase in the use of social media platforms. During the Super Bowl, I was a “connected viewer” myself by looking at people’s comments on Twitter and Facebook while watching the game at the same time. According to Nielson, the Super Bowl is the top sports event talked about on Twitter (2). This is true when I saw a ton of comments about not only the game, but also about the half time show. One tweet that stood out to me was when someone compared Katy Perry’s outfit to a bag of Cheetos, which I thought was pretty funny. Plus, a lot of people thought Missy Elliot did a better job at performing than Katy Perry. The increase usage of multiple social media platforms can help companies increase their viewership of their ads and help with their publicity. Even though Facebook is the most popular form of social media, other platforms have increased throughout the years too (Duggan, Ellison, Lampe, Lenhart, and Madden 3). More people use Twitter and Instagram now with a 5-8% increase from the previous year (Duggan, Ellison, Lampe, Lenhart, and Madden 2). LinkedIn has become popular as well.
ReplyDeleteThere is definitely a change in the way companies present their commercial ads today. They look at their target audience’s interests and focus on what will grab their attention the most, but the increase in technological devices and use of multiple social media platforms has pushed companies to also reach their audience in a more modern way. This not only helps increase viewership, but it also presents a challenge for companies to change the way they must reach audiences today. On game day you can see companies trying to reach viewers in this new modern tactic through social media. The Super Bowl was advertised and talked about everywhere, especially on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Works Cited
Castillo, Michelle. "NBC Has Sold 95% of Super Bowl Ads and Says $4.5 Million Per: 30 'Is a Steal'" AdWeek. AdWeek, 7 Jan. 2015. Web. 02 Feb. 2015.
Duggan, Maeve, Nicole B. Ellison, Cliff Lampe, Amanda Lenhart, and Marry Madden. "Social Media Update 2014." Pew Research Center (2014): 1-18. 9 Jan. 2015. Web. 02 Feb. 2015.
Smith, Aaron and Jan Lauren Boyles. "The Rise of the "Connected Viewer"" (n.d.): n. pag. Pewinternet.org. 17 July 2012. Web. 02 Feb. 2015.
"Tops of 2014: Social TV." Nielson.com. Nielson, 15 Dec. 2014. Web. 02 Feb. 2015.
Turrill, Dounia. "Time for "Total Audience"" The Total Audience Report (2014): 1-26. Nielson.com. Nielson, Dec. 2014. Web. 02 Feb. 2015.
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ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with Megan, the Super Bowl has become less about the competition between the best two teams in the league, and more about the competition between companies and their advertisements. It is no surprise that the Super Bowl has the most viewers each year, and according to Castillo, an advertisement slot for just 30 seconds is $4.5 million, which apparently is a steal. However, when you think about it, the money they spend on the commercial, is probably nothing compared to how much money the company actually makes after the commercial is aired, especially since nowadays, you can watch the commercials more than once thanks to YouTube, and also because of social media.
ReplyDeleteLike Megan mentioned, it used to be, if you wanted to see a Super Bowl ad, you had to actually watch the game, or hope that it airs during regular television. Now, when people like a commercial they usually tweet or post on Facebook about it, and if you haven’t seen it, you can just Google it, which essentially helps the companies make more money. Commercials are even being leaked before the actual day of the Super Bowl.
The content of the commercials seems to be changing too. In the video Megan posted about the top ads of 2000, two of the commercials were for companies that dealt with investments. Today, most of the ads are for Budweiser, Doritos, Coke or Pepsi, or Insurance. I don’t think anyone can forget last year when Esuraces was giving away $1.5 million after the game. It also seems that in recent years, they seem to be making commercials more dramatic or sappy. According to “Advertising & Audiences: State of the Media, May 2014.” the key to a good advertisement is to capture the audience with a good, relatable story line, or a connection through humor or emotion. I think every heart in America melted last night when they saw the Budweiser ad with the lost puppy. I don’t even like beer and I wanted to have one after watching it. Even companies like Always, which makes products such as tampons and pads, have made an emotional, heart touching commercial.
It is important for the companies to grab the attention of the viewers to make the advertisement more memorable. This helps in the consumer buying process, because if the product has a memorable advertisement, consumers are more likely to buy it while shopping because they remembered the commercial. The most memorable advertisement for me was the Fiat commercial. It started off with an older Italian couple and it captured my attention because I wasn’t sure what the commercial was for. Then, as the blue pill made its way across Italy and into the original Fiat, it was clear what the intention of the commercial was for and I must say, I laughed a little too hard.
I also think it was smart for companies to not only buy time slots for broadcast television, but also for the viewers who were streaming the game online. Like Megan said, not only have the advertisements been changing over the years, but the platform in which consumers are viewing them as well.
Works Cited
"Advertising & Audiences: State of the Media, May 2014." Nielsen.com. May 2014. Web.
Castillo, Michelle. "NBC Has Sold 95% of Super Bowl Ads and Says $4.5 Million Per :30 'Is a Steal'" AdWeek. AdWeek, 7 Jan. 2015. Web. 01 Feb. 2015.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the point that the influence of Super Bowl ads has continued to grow.
ReplyDeleteMegan and Castillo stated that each 30 second slot went for 4.5 million dollars this year, the most expensive and most watched event in television. Many advertising companies use different strategies and themes such as funny, heartfelt, catchy, sexy, and entertaining to engage prospective consumers.
When looking at AdWeek’s top ten ads of 2014, comedy was the most prevalent theme. When looking at Super Bowl commercials, it seems that advertisers most often rely on comedy themes to attract the attention of the viewer. It’s also interesting to note that gratuitous sex was also downplayed this year. Typically, GoDaddy is a Super Bowl advertiser that has previously used sexually themed plots to attract viewers. This year, GoDaddy took a different tactic by implementing serious tone to highlight their services. However, Kim Kardashian was featured in a T-Mobile commercial for a “Help Save the Data Campaign.” T-Mobile used the sexually-funny approach to capitalize on the infamous Kardashian reputation, ultimately mocking the shameless attention-seeking habits of this reality show celebrity.
The interesting question is whether $4.5 million is actually worth the cost? In order to answer this, Kantar Media in 2014 released a study on advertising effectiveness regarding Big TV Events. Utilizing advanced audience data derived from actual set-top boxes and second-by-second tuning, Kantar Media discovered the commercials on the Super Bowl experience very little avoidance. In other words, viewers do not turn away or change channels during the Super Bowl as they do with other programs. So despite many multiple channel choices and DVR’s, the commercials on the Super Bowl are the highest watched of any event on television. By comparison, other Big TV Events such as the Oscars experience over a 20% avoidance of commercials.
Overall, the key for these advertising companies is to be creative and grab the attention of viewers with content they have never seen before. This leaves a long, lasting impression for viewers to talk about the day after the Super Bowl and will hopefully promote the brand/company being marketed.
Works Cited:
Castillo, Michelle. "NBC Has Sold 95% of Super Bowl Ads and Says $4.5 Million Per :30 'Is a Steal'" AdWeek. AdWeek, 7 Jan. 2015. Web. 01 Feb. 2015.
Nudd, Tim. "The 10 Best Ads of 2014." AdWeek. 30 Nov. 2014. Web
Danielle Morin
ReplyDeleteAs Megan shared in her blog it is apparent Super Bowl Ads have changed over the years. This evolves with the addition of new companies and trends, and this year there were 15 first time contributors. In class and in the Adweek article it was discussed how this year the ads were worth 4.4 to 4.5 million for only 30 seconds of time (Castillo 1). With this cost being driven up each year the importance for getting your message across is put to the test. Not only do advertisers have to worry about catching the attention of viewers, they also have to worry about the multiple platforms being used in today’s society.
This year the most prominent type of advertisement I noticed was sentimental ads. The sentimental advertisements for 2015 included Always with “Like A Girl”, Toyota and Nissan with advertisements involving Dads, “No More” targeted to end domestic violence, and Nationwide’s controversial “Make Safe Happen” to name a few. They were heartfelt and targeted ads. The Best Ads of 2014 had a couple of tearjerkers too including “World’s Toughest Job” and “Save The Children” to name two (Nudd). Michael stated he was surprised that there weren’t more sentimental ads that made the top ten in 2014, and I would agree. I was not shocked to see even more this year and they too were heartfelt and successful in getting the attention of viewers. While the Budweiser commercial had everyone wanting a new puppy, the Nationwide “Make Safe Happen” left a bitter taste in many people’s mouths. Among the friends who I watched the game with, emotional ads were the most discussed. Although the sensitive commercials seem to hold the most emotional turmoil in viewers the comical commercials also hold an almost sacred space in the Super Bowl and are expected to wow.
As stated in the Advertisements and Audiences article, “Beyond reaching the right consumers, advertisers are tasked with finding creative ways to stand out in this complex media environment” (Nielson 13). Megan also talks about these new media platforms and how in the past all you could do was hope an ad would be talked about. This is exactly my train of thought as now “live tweeting” and using multiple screens has now become a norm for many. And although people may have not liked the Nationwide commercial, it has received much media attention following the game from multiple platforms including Buzzfeed and The Wall Street Journal. Because society is so connected on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter (to name a few) it is easy to share clips of favorites or scrutinize the ones disliked. You are also able to stream content on different devices, and even watch the commercials prior to the game. The ability to view these ads on the Internet make it even more important for companies to purchase additional advertising on NBC’s online platforms (Castillo 1). Because of these new media platforms and the evolution of what is socially acceptable we see that our ads become more risqué, intriguing, surprising, or emotionally taxing every year. And whether good or bad the need to make consumers discuss the commercials on different social platforms keeps driving the creativity upwards.
Works Cited
"Advertising & Audiences: State of the Media, May 2014." Nielsen.com. May 2014. Web.
Castillo, Michelle. "NBC Has Sold 95% of Super Bowl Ads and Says $4.5 Million Per: 30 'Is a Steal'" AdWeek. AdWeek, 7 Jan. 2015. Web. 02 Feb. 2015.
Nudd, Tim. "The 10 Best Ads of 2014." AdWeek. 30 Nov. 2014. Web.
Saleena Glowik
ReplyDeleteI am a huge fan of the Super Bowl ads. I think they’re always pretty clever. I look forward to them (almost as much as I look forward to the game). Studies have shown that 50% of the viewers only watch the Super Bowl to watch the ads, which is pretty believable. According to Castillo, a 30 second commercial is worth 4.5 million dollars (insane!). According to Rob Siltanen, a contributor of Forbes Magazine, regardless if these brands spend 4.5 million dollars on a 30 second commercial, there’s a possibility that they may receive poor reviews and thus not even increase the brand’s sales. It’s kind of a scary thought. The producers and creators of the commercials are taking a large risk and could potentially lose a lot of money. The amount of money spent on these commercials may seem outrageous, but what caused most of the outrage last night were some of the commercials that were aired.
Twitter blew up after Nationwide aired their commercial regarding life insurance. Nationwide's commercial with the young boy describing how he won't ever get to live his life because he has died was one of the darkest commercial I have ever seen. It was sad and disturbing. Nationwide stated that their commercial was not to sell insurance but to raise awareness. It didn’t really raise any awareness for me. It just made me feel disturbed. I thought the commercial was unnecessary and most of the people I was with were also disturbed and just confused by the ad. On twitter there were mostly negative views, some people even making light humor out of the commercial making fun of how much of a buzz kill it was. Super Bowl commercials in the past have not been as bold and upsetting as the Nationwide ad.
Besides Nationwide and give or take a couple of other ads, I must say all of the commercials were rated “PG” for the most part which is different from past years. There always seemed to be half naked girls in some sort of ad promoting alcohol but the only half naked girls I saw on TV were the Victoria Secret models for one commercial. I think they did a great job in recognizing their range of audience and that children too are watching with their families.
It is very fascinating how social media has become such a trend still and is being used to market products. I agree with Megan with the fact that companies are using the Internet and social media platforms to further their profits. According to the Total Audience Series, viewers now have more control over navigating media through different platforms. I think audiences have more control, but also businesses that are looking to reach out to audiences in new ways in order to get their message or product to become popular. This just shows how far technology has come and how it is continuing to aid in the performance of businesses. Social media is not dying out for sure; it’s continuing to grow.
Works Cited
Castillo, Michelle. "NBC Has Sold 95% of Super Bowl Ads and Says $4.5 Million Per :30 'Is a Steal'" AdWeek. AdWeek, 7 Jan. 2015. Web. 01 Feb. 2015.
Siltanen, Rob. "Yes, A Super Bowl Ad Really Is Worth $4 Million." Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 29 Jan. 2014. Web. 3 Feb. 2015.
Turrill, Dounia. "Time for "Total Audience"" The Total Audience Report (2014): 1-26. Nielson.com. Nielson, Dec. 2014. Web. 02 Feb. 2015.
I have to say, I one hundred percent agree that Super Bowl advertising has really changed over the years. Yahoo has recently released breaking news following Sunday night’s game that, Super Bowl XLIX was the most watched American TV broadcast in history. This was not a surprise at all. Michelle Castillo was correct when she mentioned in her article, “NBC Has Sold 95% Of Super Bowl Ads” that this years Super Bowl would be the biggest yet.
ReplyDeleteIn this post, Megan has concluded some very interesting and spot-on points. The most intriguing point made, that captured my attention instantly was how companies were leaking their advertisements before the showing of the actual Super Bowl. For companies and their advertising, this is definitely a great tactic. This is such a good way for businesses to get more viewers but I did not agree with this change. I thought prior to reading, how much the leaking completely ruins the super bowl and what tons of people look forward to each year.
Another aspect that I found interesting was, how every commercial was guaranteed to receive some type of feedback. Whether the commercial is good or bad, the company is going to receive a lot of commentary from different outlets. Most of the advertisements have been trending topics, like Megan had mentioned. Due to the changes in our population such as the younger, more diverse, more tech- savvy consumer base as mentioned in Nielsen’s article “Adverting & Audiences”, it’s not hard to reach viewers anymore. Since many consumers are now on Facebook and other social media platforms, advertisers are geniuses to release their ads. The releasing is such an effective way to reach an audience in addition to showing on TV. Even though I am not a particular fan of this new viewing method, this is definitely going to benefit companies.
I could not believe how much money companies are now paying for a slot to advertise in the Super Bowl. To spend $4.5 million seems absolutely insane to me. I was completely shocked when I read how, Seth Winter, evp of sales and marketing for NBC Sports Group and NBCUniversal News Group declared this amount of money to be a steal. That just blows my mind. I remember when spots were being sold for $1 million and I thought that was a lot. Although, going back to my earlier point, it doesn’t surprise me that companies will in return get their money back. Since companies are receiving tons of commentary on their ads it only makes sense they get their money back.
Companies are lucky that technology keeps changing. It now gives them such a huge opportunity to reach and get reactions from the audience. Thanks to the Internet, there are tons of articles and posts about each and every advertisement that was shown. What benefits each company is how accessible these reviews are. Technology is going to grow and keep on changing. I think it will be very interesting to see how advertisers keep up and change as the years go on.
-Taylor Roberts
Works Cited
"Advertising & Audiences: State of the Media, May 2014." Nielsen.com. May 2014. Web.
Busbee, Jay. "Super Bowl XLIX Was the Most-viewed Television Program in History." Yahoo Sports. 2 Feb. 2015. Web. 3 Feb. 2015. .
Castillo, Michelle. "NBC Has Sold 95% of Super Bowl Ads and Says $4.5 Million Per :30 'Is a Steal'" AdWeek. AdWeek, 7 Jan. 2015. Web. 01 Feb. 2015.
Abigail Sisti
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with what you have said about the Super Bowl ads. I think each year the promotion and the growth of the ads has grown. People actually enjoy and watch the commercials rather then changing the channel. During the Super Bowl, “NBC Has Sold 95% of Super Bowl Ads and Says $4.5 Million Per: 30”( Castillo). The ads have not only changed but the cost of them has also increased. I also agree that there are ads that people look forward to, such as Budweiser’s. People expect the ads to be inventive and creative during the Super Bowl. Companies need to get the attention of the viewer in a major way. By airing new ads of a product it makes the viewer interested. I think by the Super Bowl being streamed online is a very important change this year. I think that since the game was streaming more people had easier excess to the game.
Also, I agree that social media plays an important role in ads. As I was on Facebook I realized that the buzzfeed was consistently updating which commercial was the best and worst ads. “Multi-platform use is on the rise: 52% of online adults now use two or more social media sites” (pew). I agree that social media plays a major role in how ads become leaked. Prior to the Super Bowl E news aired Kim Kardashians ad. I think that by the company leaking that ads it helps them with promoting there product. By company posting on social media it lets the company have a range of viewers.
Works Cited
Castillo, Michelle. "NBC Has Sold 95% of Super Bowl Ads and Says $4.5 Million Per 30 'Is a Steal'" AdWeek, 7 Jan. 2015. Web. 2 Feb. 2015.
Duggan, Maeve, Nicole B. Ellison, Cliff Lampe, Amanda Lenhart, and Marry Madden. "Social Media Update 2014." Pew Research Center (2014): 1-18. Jan. 2015. Web. 2 Feb. 2015.
The Super Bowl ads are always a big deal when it comes around every year, almost as big of a deal as the actually game to some people. They are usually over the top to not only get your attention, but also make you remember it even after the Super Bowl is over. Each year is different and each commercial seems to grow each year to attract more viewers. This year of course was no different, NBC reported that this year there were 114.4 million viewers, and Michelle Castillo mentioned in the article that NBC “sold 95% of Super Bowl Ads” this year as well.
ReplyDeleteNaturally, it wouldn’t be the Super Bowl without overly sexualized ads almost every commercial break. Every company knows “sex sells” and there are many of them that use it to their advantage. We always know we are going to see the Victoria’s Secret commercial with half naked women walking around at some point. While the commercials are changing each year most companies know what is going to work by now and use the same strategy every year.
The one advertisement that seemed to get the most attention from the connected viewers was the Nationwide commercial. It was a young boy telling how he wont be able to live the rest of his life because he died at a young age. Most viewers were upset by this ad and thought that it was to dark for a Super Bowl commercial. Nationwide later said that they made the commercial to spread awareness, however, I think that the Super Bowl wasn’t the proper time to do so.
Of course with all the viewers there were 28.4 million tweets sent from the connected viewers via Twitter (Herbert). Social media has changed the way we watch things like the Super Bowl because we are no longer just watching and talking about it with the people who are in the room with us. In the article, “The Rise of the Connected Viewer,” it states, “38% of cell owners used their phone to keep themselves occupied during commercials or breaks in something they were watching.” However, during the Super Bowl, half of what is being discussed on social media is the commercials. Twitter makes it almost a nation conversation, which of course is beneficial to the amount of viewers for the commercials. If there is an abundance of people discussing the Budweiser commercial on Twitter than there is a better chance of more people talking about it, and then going to look it up if they hadn’t seen it themselves. The companies are almost using Twitter and social media to their advantage as well, the commercials speak for themselves but social media keeps the conversation going.
Schroeder, Stan. "More People Tweeted During This Super Bowl Than Last Year, Probably Out of Boredom." N.p., 3 Feb. 2015. Web. 03 Feb. 2015.
Smith, Aaron. "The Rise of the “Connected Viewer”." Pew Internet (n.d.): n. pag. Print.
I agree that we have become “connected viewers” (Smith and Boyles 2). With new technology and the availability to watch the commercials on line any time with things such as our smartphones. With this increase in technology the and where and how we can use it social media increases due to its use on these portable platforms. I would consider myself a connected viewer because I was watching updates on the game with twitter. I was able to see what other reporters had to say about the game and not just those reporting on tv. The super bowl being the biggest sports event on tv was the most talked about sports event on twitter. I think this happens because of the halftime show. This is a main point that creates this game into a multi media event. The super bowl is more than just a football game because of the halftime show. The half time show is one of the most anticipated live events of the year due to its history of good and bas performances. Katty perry was a huge part of what twitter users tweeted about during the halftime show, which I think allowed for the super bowl to achieve such popularity on twitter.
ReplyDeleteI also think that super bowl advertising has completely changed from what it use to be. But I believe that Megan’s point on the world cup shows how other events are trying to bring in advertising like the super bowl shows how the super bowl is the top of the advertising game. I don’t believe that any sporting event will ever be able to trump the advertising king that is the super bowl.
Works Cited
Castillo, Michelle. "NBC Has Sold 95% of Super Bowl Ads and Says $4.5 Million Per: 30 'Is a Steal'" AdWeek. AdWeek, 7 Jan. 2015. Web. 02 Feb. 2015.
Nudd, Tim. "The 10 Best Ads of 2014." AdWeek. AdWeek, 30 Nov. 2014. Web.
When analyzing and dissecting how the Super Bowl advertisements have changed throughout the year, there are many different factors to take into account. An extremely important point one of my classmates brought up in class was the fact that the Super Bowl is a social event in itself. Many people watch it just to say they were part of the Super Bowl and to have a point of reference in social interactions with other people. So when companies buy for 30 seconds of airtime, they also buy to be part of a major social event that will last longer than 30 seconds.
ReplyDeleteThis year, the commercials advertisements have two common themes. The commercials were more serious than pervious Super Bowl commercials. The commercials this year either dealt with hot topic issues or pulled on the audience’s heartstrings and emotionally moved the audience. Not many commercials were funny or had a goofy feel to it like pervious years.
Another theme was the style the commercials were filmed. The commercials this year were not blatant advertisements with obvious product placements but instead the commercials this year has subtle product placement throughout the majority of the commercial. It is not until the end of the commercial where the audience finally figures out for sure what the commercial was advertising for.
The Super Bowl this year also feature a commercial sponsored by the NFL. The NFL was force to deal with a hot topic issues that many people felt they had poorly dealt with it, that issue being domestic violence. The quality of the commercial was great and it followed the two themes of the other commercials: the seriousness manner and the style the commercial was shot in.
Although the quality of the domestic violence commercial was great, I feel the way the NFL went about dealing with this issue was inappropriate. I do not think it is appropriate for domestic violence to be address within a social, generally happy (depending on how your team is performing) sporting event in between commercials about Doritos and men’s skin care. It is just not an appropriate atmosphere to address such a serious issue because it undermines the seriousness of the issue at hand. I think the massage would be much more appropriate for the atmosphere of the Super Bowl if the NFL went the endorsement route where prominent NFL players took a stand against domestic violence with upbeat/encouraging music in the background.
The social implications of these commercials reflect what is now important to people today. We can imply from these commercials that people now are more focused on serious issues than before. Issues such as gender equality, physical disability and the new definition of masculinity is what the people and society are now interested in. This is a great example of what we learned in the begins of our media studies about how media is an indicator of social importance and reflects what is important to the people of a certain time period.
The seriousness of the commercials may also imply that companies now have to be more conscious of their social obligations and must have morals in order to sell their products to their consumers. We can make the argument that consumers now are more “educated” and are “educated consumers” who care about important human rights issues as oppose to mindless buyers of material objects. Add this social consciousness with 114.4 million viewers and all the different social media platforms; the American companies are creating a change and a movement that will last longer than the increase sells they might see the next day.
Works Cited
EW Staff. "Super Bowl: The 32 greatest rejected commercials."Entertainment Weekly. Entertainment Weekly Inc, 3 Feb. 2015. Web.
McAllister, Matthew P. "Super Bowl advertising as commercial celebration." The Communication Review. 3:4, 403-428. (1999). Web.