Cutline Speaks

Super Ad Sunday

posted by The Cutline Team on February 1, 2008

On Sunday, when the undefeated New England Patriots take on the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII, not everyone will be focused on the action on the field. Sure, many people share an enthusiasm for the game’s tradition and athletic competition, but many past Super Bowls have failed to live up to the hype. Even calling it the "Super Bowl" screams hyperbole, so if the game happens to be boring, feelings of anticlimax can be even stronger.

Still, people who have no stake in the game’s outcome or know very little about football watch the Super Bowl for its entertainment value. The 2007 Super Bowl drew 94 million viewers, the year's largest national audience for a single televised event. It is the grand stage not just for football, but also for advertising. Very often, the game’s super-pricey television spots generate more conversation than the game’s biggest plays, so it's no wonder why Super Bowl ads have found a home online. Many companies have planned cross-platform ad campaigns on the web, including perennial advertisers Pepsi Cola, Frito Lay, Paramount Pictures, and of course GoDaddy.com. Ratings monitor Nielsen is also using social networking to gauge viewers’ reactions to the ads and measure consumers' ad preferences. The high-profile spots have even spawned fan sites and blogs for those looking to relive the ads or discuss their favorites.

Good luck to the Patriots and the Giants! Hopefully the game will be Sunday’s most entertaining performance, and if you're not into football, you can always catch the ads on YouTube on Monday.

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