Dr Pepper Advertising During Super Bowl Broadcast For First Time

Gene Simmons To Appear In Dr Pepper's Super Bowl Ad

Dr Pepper will advertise for the first time during the Super Bowl during CBS' February 7 Super Bowl XLIV telecast. The 30-second ad, via Deutsch, L.A., will run during the second quarter of the game and will continue the brand's "Trust Me, I'm a Dr" campaign. Gene Simmons and the rest of the KISS band will appear in the spot, which will tout Dr Pepper Cherry (Dr Pepper). Dr Pepper Exec VP/Marketing Jim Trebilcock said that the company "began talking in late November with CBS." In Dallas, Karen Robinson-Jacobs notes Trebilcock "declined to reveal the cost of the ad but said it was in the 'range'" of $2.5-3M, and "ranks as the most expensive airtime he has purchased." The spot "will use up a bit of the airtime abandoned by PepsiCo," though Trebilcock said that PepsiCo not advertising their beverages during the game "figured 'not a whole lot' in the decision to move forward with a Super Bowl ad." Trebilcock: "It's a good time from a momentum perspective to continue to invest behind brand Dr Pepper. The fact that there will be less soft drink clutter in the Super Bowl is a benefit. It's not something we planned on when we bought the spot" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 1/5). Dr Pepper will "go head-to-head with beverage giant Coca-Cola Co., which has bought several ads during the game" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 1/5).

RATIONALE QUESTIONED: AD AGE's Ken Wheaton writes while PepsiCo claims its decision not to advertise its beverages is a "natural outgrowth of taking brand Pepsi in a more socially responsible direction," that "leaves any number of nagging doubts and suspicions." Wheaton: "This had nothing to do with saving money after a few tough years? Or with the perception that Coca-Cola's Super Bowl creative has been trouncing Pepsi's? And what about the other beverage brands, such as Sobe and Gatorade? If they're not part of brand Pepsi's social responsibility crusade, why were they yanked?" PepsiCo's Doritos brand will advertise during the game, and Wheaton wonders, "Why leave Doritos on the field?" (AD AGE, 1/4 issue).

JOINING THE FRAY: Boost Mobile spokesperson Tatum Hawkins confirmed that the brand will "run its first Super Bowl ad this year." Hawkins "declined to say what the Super Bowl ad will look like, although it will keep up with the 'Unwronged' theme launched" last February (BRANDWEEK.com, 1/4).