Anheuser-Busch is "aiming for a superkill" on ABC's
broadcast of Super Bowl XXXIV "by running 10 commercials for
Bud and Bud Light -- at about $2.2 million a pop," according
to Paul Tharp of the N.Y. POST. A-B has been the game's
exclusive beer advertiser for 12 years and has "also has
signed similar exclusive deals" for the 2001 Super Bowl on
CBS and the 2002 title game on Fox. A-B plans to launch its
"Bud Bowl" promo January 3 (N.Y. POST, 12/14). AD AGE
reported that "using the average of" $2M per 30-second spot,
A-B's Super Bowl buy means a $20M investment. A-B ran nine
spots on last year's broadcast on Fox (AD AGE, 12/13).
GAME WITHIN THE GAME: BRANDWEEK's Gerry Khermouch
reports that A-B is "tying in with ESPN" for its Bud Bowl
promo and "glomming onto" the net's "more-potent" Web site.
With a "Millennium promo carrying over well past the usual
December start of Bud Bowl activity, A-B will piggyback the
popularity" of ESPN by offering the winner of a sweeps a
visit to ESPN's CT studio. A-B is also "shifting Web
activity" to ESPN.com, "with the culminating Bud-Bud Light
battle" hosted by ESPN's Stuart Scott. A-B Sales Promotion
Dir Dan McHugh noted that while BudBowl.com drew 2.1 million
visits from December 23, 1998-January 30, 1999, ESPN "draws
12 million visitors monthly" (BRANDWEEK, 12/13 issue).
