Advertisers shelled out a record average of $4 million to advertise during Super Bowl XLVIII on Sunday, but in the weeks leading up to the game, many of them debuted online. Many of them have even gone viral, grabbing headlines for featuring big name celebrities and even stirring controversy.
Back in December, Fox said that the spots had already sold out, reaching a record $4 million average for a 30-second spot.
Is that money worth it? Well, if you want to be able to reach a third of the U.S., then it definitely is. Forbes notes that the 2012 game averaged a record 111.3 million viewers, a number this year’s game is expected to easily pass. It is a rare matchup between the best teams in the league and even features the most popular face in football, Peyton Manning.
As if the hype for the game itself wasn’t enough, advertisers and brands used early releases of commercials this year to draw extra attention.
[new page = Scarlett Johansson]
One of the most-talked about ads has been Scarlett Johansson’s SodaStream spot, which the company’s CEO claims was censored by Fox because it slammed Coke and Pepsi. It has already had 7 million views before the game.
[new page = Movies]
There will also be plenty of movies advertised during the game, including The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Noah and Captain America: The Winter Soldier. To build anticipation for the Captain America and Spider-Man spots, teasers for teasers were released.
[new page = Car commercials]
Of course, plenty of car commercials have surfaced early, as well. Actor Laurence Fishburne played his Matrix character for Kia and that’s already been seen 1.8 million times.
Toyota’s commercial with The Muppets and Terry Crews grabbed 4.2 million views before the game.
[new page = Budweiser]
Budweiser’s commercial also debuted on NBC’s Today Show this week. It’s about how puppies love horses... which apparently makes you want to buy beer.
The Super Bowl airs on Fox, with the Seattle Seahawks going against the Denver Broncos at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium.
image: screenshot