Super Bowl XLII getting ramped up

Only two weeks and two days until Super Bowl XLII comes at us and we have some updates on the advertisers you can expect to see, whom on average shelled out $2.7 million for a 30-second spot. As of last Friday, FOX was reporting one spot was unsold out of 63 30-second slots slated to run during the game.

Tide has thrown their cap into the ring for their first ever Super Bowl ad. Their 30-second spot by Saatchi & Saatchi, New York is scheduled to air during the second quarter.

“The Super Bowl is the one time you watch a show and don’t want to miss the commercial breaks,” said Suzanne Watson, Tide brand manager for North America at Procter in Cincinnati.

“Given the wide appeal for Tide to Go and the broad audience for the Super Bowl,” she added, “it’s a perfect fit.” Tide to Go, which was introduced in 2005, is particularly fitting for a Super Bowl berth, Ms. Watson said, because of its properties as a quick stain remover.

“There are thousands of parties that night,” making Super Bowl Sunday “the biggest stain-based occasion of the year,” she added. “With Tide to Go right there, you don’t have to get up to clean your shirt or pants.” The Tide to Go commercial will be supported by a wide-ranging marketing campaign, Ms. Watson said, that will include the Internet, public relations and promotions. Such nontraditional elements “can really connect with consumers outside the laundry room,” she added, “and in their daily lives.”

“We haven’t been focused on how this TV spot will measure relative to others,” Ms. Watson said. “We just want to do the best in communicating with our consumers.”

You can expect to see Audi's first SB ad since 1991 during the first quarter and according to Adweek, it's got a "Godfather" theme. Created by Venables Bell & Partners, San Francisco, the spot plays on the attitudes of the characters in the movie, and "is not extremely verbose," Keogh said. "We are not literal in the spot; it is open to interpretation." The spot will drive people to a Web site for the featured product, the R8. The ad will be posted on the site, along with outtakes from the production shoot.

Victoria's Secret is another advertiser that's returning after a 9 year hiatus. Their in-house-created spot will focus on Valentine's Day messaging.

“Valentine’s Day is an important holiday for the brand, and with this year’s Super Bowl being positioned so close to Feb. 14, we had a unique opportunity to use one of the year’s highest rated television programs as a vehicle to launch our efforts surrounding Valentine’s Day,” CMO Jill Beraud said in a statement.

The in-house spot stars model Adriana Lima, and will continue to run after the Super Bowl telecast on the Victoria’s Secret Web site, through March 11.

Last October, Hyundai had announced it was planning on airing two 30-second spots during the game. Now they don't seem so sure.

"We are reviewing whether or not we want to advertise on the Super Bowl," Mr. Hosford told Automotive News. "A lot of economic indicators clearly show the economy is slowing. Is this the best thing to do with our advertising funds in the first quarter?"

You can look for Derek Jeter of the New York Yankees during the game in an ad to support the launch of G2, a new low-calorie "lifestyle" beverage from Gatorade, which will also be supported by the largest integrated marketing campaign since the launch of the company's Propel Fit Water in 2002. Campaign support will include television and print advertising, digital, retail, sampling, and cause-marketing efforts that will raise funds for United Way.The G2 commercials created by Element 79 Partners, Chicago, will reveal a baseball version featuring Jeter and a basketball version with Miami Heat's Dwyane Wade. The concepts use a visual transformation of the urban environment into a sports landscape as well, to communicate that athletes often think about the game even when they're off the field of play. "These ads nail what most athletes know -- that being an athlete is a way of life," said Derek Jeter, eight-time All Star short stop and current captain of the New York Yankees. "I often think about how the decisions I make off the field will affect my performance during a game. So you'll see Gatorade in my hand in the dug out and a G2 in my hand when I'm out and about."

Related Story: Super Bowl Ad News: 12/19/07