Making The Super Bowl Investment

Super Bowl commercials are among the most costly investments advertising firms make throughout the year. According to a report from Nielsen, the lofty price point of ads can be a worthwhile expense for the return in visibility.

The Nielsen report says brand awareness for ads aired during last year’s Super Bowl XLVI were 275% higher than awareness for the same products during regular programming.

In a report from sales data firm Kantar Media, over the past 10 years, the Super Bowl has generated network advertising sales of $1.7 billion from more than 125 marketers, and Super Bowl XLVI on Feb. 5 is expected to increase costs to record-breaking highs, upwards of $3.5 million for slots.

The top Super Bowl advertisers for 2002-2011 include Anheuser-Busch with $239.1 million spent, trailed by PepsiCo Inc. with $174 million, GM at $82.8 million and Walt Disney and Coca-Cola at $73.9 and $66.8 million, respectively.

Advertising from nine different automotive brands boosted the sector nearly double from the 2011 Super Bowl compared to 2010, and nearly four times over 2009. The change was apparently well-received, with an four auto spots making Nielsen’s annual 2011 Most-Liked list.

From 2008-2011, at least one of the top five highest grossing motion pictures had an ad slot in the Super Bowl line up, and Tortilla Chips have emerged as a popular spending category. Last year, three fan-made Doritos ads made Nielsen’s Most Liked and Most Remembered list.