Businesses Are Releasing Super Bowl Ads Early…Why?
If you’ve been paying attention to the ads on the internet and tv this week, you might think that the Super Bowl had already happened. The country’s most watched television event is still on February 5th, so don’t worry – but many companies have decided to reveal previews of their ads or to release entire ads early this year. Budweiser, Pepsi, Honda, and Toyota are just a few of the brands that have released teasers already while Hyundai yesterday released all 5 of its Super Bowl ads in their entirety. This seemingly new marketing strategy begs the questions: what the heck are they going for this year and will there be anything new to see during the Super Bowl!?
It’s not quite clear what exactly these big businesses’ goals are unless it’s to REALLY entice people to pay attention to their product. But if you’re Coca-Cola, another big business that released a teaser ad on their website, it kind of makes sense. What they’ve done is created an interactive Super Bowl ad campaign and included some really neat ways to stay involved via social media and they’ve also stayed consistent by using their classic polar bears.
What’s cool about this concept is that Coca-Cola has given their classy polar bears real-time social media capabilities. Here’s the idea: two polar bears will be watching the big game live and rooting for opposing teams, wearing different scarves to signify their team allegiance. Via Twitter and www.CokePolarBowl.com, the pair will react to touchdowns, fumbles, the halftime show and even Super Bowl ads. For example, if a racy ad appears onscreen, a polar bear covers the eyes of her little cub. Fans and followers will also be able to communicate with the bears online and they will respond. “Superstition” will run in the first quarter and features a superstitious polar bear that’s crossing his fingers, arms, legs and toes, making it hard for him to drink a Coke (and apparently he really needs one). His buddy occasionally helps out by placing a straw in the Coke bottle, allowing the superstitious bear to panic AND drink simultaneously.
So while many companies will probably still practice One-Shot Advertising this Super Bowl, several are taking it to the next level, trying to get you involved early. How do you feel about this year’s Super Bowl marketing strategy? Do you like the fact that many businesses have released their campaigns early this year?
