Italian Charms: Some Super Bowl Stalwarts Looking To Torino

Poor Reviews Of McDonald’s “Lincoln Fry” Lead To Super Bowl Departure?

Visa is “believed to be one client forgoing the Super Bowl in favor of” the ’06 Torino Games, and McDonald’s, “an on-again-off-again Super Bowl advertiser that had one spot last year, is also taking a pass in 2006,” according to McLellan & Consoli of MEDIAWEEK. Sources said that the Torino Games are “partly behind the decision of both Visa and McDonald’s [both TOP sponsors] to bow out of the game” because “their dollars will buy more exposure over the two-week Olympic run than 30 seconds during the game.” A 30-second spot in the Olympics “sells for about $700,000, roughly one-third the price of the upcoming Super Bowl.” One media buyer who works with both Visa and McDonald’s said marketers can run several Olympic ads “to make up for the audience you would get in one Super Bowl spot, and there is no scrutiny about the creative level of commercials during the Olympics.” Sources said that McDonald’s “was particularly miffed last year when its ‘Lincoln Fry’ spot got spectacularly poor reviews,” and the company decided that if the spot “didn’t make the top 10 in the USA Today poll, it would not be back in the ’06 game.” McDonald’s would not comment.

BACK FOR MORE: McLellan & Consoli note Procter & Gamble confirmed it will not advertise its brands during the Super Bowl for the second-straight year, “with the possible exception of recently acquired Gillette.” Sources said that Pepsi “is reducing its spot load by one or two.” Anheuser-Busch will air its traditional ten spots, but A-B VP/Global Media & Sports Marketing Tony Ponturo said that the company “will be reevaluating the strategy going forward.” Ponturo: “We’ve had benefits doing long-term (Super Bowl) deals, but we’ll be more cautious to some degree because you may tie up dollars that you want flexibility on going out years two and three [in a contract].” Ameriquest, CareerBuilder.com, FedEx and Paramount have all confirmed they are returning for the ’06 Super Bowl (MEDIAWEEK, 12/12 issue).