Super Bowl top scores with $2 billion

MUMBAI: The escalating chatter surrounding Super Bowl XLIV in the US is not just about the teams competing for the 2010 championship.

The TV commercials that will appear during the game are also the subject of discussion and speculation. And participating advertisers will once again be confronted with the difficult question of whether the Super Bowl is a smart marketing investment or a wasted use of the budget.

TNS Media Intelligence has again combed through its database to report on the past 20 years of Super Bowl advertising. From 1990 through 2009, the Super Bowl game has generated $2.17 billion of network sales from a total of 210 different advertisers and more than 1,400 commercial messages.
 
TNS Media Intelligence president Mark Nesbitt says, “The Super Bowl remains a singular event for engaging the broadest number of consumers at one time. Because it is viewed live and experienced by a majority of the country at the same time, a commercial presence on the broadcast has great significance and impact for a brand, making each not so much a brand message as a brand event. It is why a presence on the broadcast lends itself so effectively to an integrated marketing effort.”

TNS Media Intelligence senior VP research Jon Swallen says, “As an advertising event, the Super Bowl has evolved beyond a vehicle for presenting expensive, stand-alone commercial spots that seek to entertain viewers and generate awareness.

“Increasingly, in-game spots are being supplemented by elaborate integrated communications programs that attempt to drive traffic online or in-store, generate positive social media discussion, incorporate public relations effort and ultimately achieve a strong ROI.”

Top Five Super Bowl Advertisers : The top five Super Bowl advertisers of the past 20 years have spent $783 million on advertising during the game, accounting for 36 per cent of total advertising revenue. Anheuser-Busch and PepsiCo, which have appeared in every game during this period, lead the pack, followed by General Motors, Walt Disney and Time Warner.