Super Bowl Ads: NFL Finalizing Its Creative Efforts For The Game

By Terry Lefton, Editor-At-Large

While most Super Bowl advertisers spend the week leading up to the game bragging about their forthcoming creative efforts in marketing's biggest showcase, the NFL itself is finalizing ads. With nearly two minutes of ad inventory on CBS' Super Bowl telecast (one 30-, one 60- and two 10-second promos), by the most conservative of estimates the NFL has more than $6M worth of institutional inventory in what is annually America's highest rated TV show. The league also has a 30-second spot in the last of the CBS pregame shows. The NFL will use that valuable marketing inventory to push its biggest cause and community relations programs; to tout its NFL.com and NFL Network media extensions; and for a 60-second institutional effort that will celebrate the skills of the league's top athletes and the dedication of its fans. The league's ad showcase starts with a 30-second spot in the pregame show before kickoff. That promo will spotlight the NFL's longtime support of the United Way and include footage from the recent community work around the Pro Bowl. The Play 60 youth fitness initiative will also be touted. During halftime, the league's media properties get a plug as the year-round repository for all things NFL, especially offseason events like the combine and the Draft. "The Super Bowl has many more casual fans than our other games, and we want them to know we're the place for 365, 24/7 coverage, especially during the offseason," said NFL CMO Mark Waller. Using the same super-slow 1,000-frames-a-second Phantom HD digital video camera from Vision Research that was the hallmark of this season's NFL brand campaign, the NFL Media promo will show the same kinds of images of Titans RB Chris Johnson and the two QBs who competed in the NFC Championship game -- Saints QB Drew Brees and Vikings QB Brett Favre.

SHOWCASE SHOWDOWN: A 60-second brand spot is slated for the last commercial pod of the third quarter. The idea is to wrap the season with more super-slow action featuring Saints RB Reggie Bush along with shots depicting a range of fans celebrating the NFL in their own regional styles. "We're showcasing the skill of our athletes with our fans dedication," said Waller, adding that more of a fan-centric approach is an avenue being explored for next season's campaign. "Particularly in the current (economic) environment, our fans have shown extraordinary support (watching the games in near-record numbers), especially in the Playoffs, so we're recognizing that." The two 10-second promos, the placement of which is still undecided, will push the NFL Draft, which will make its first primetime appearance on April 22. As such, expect a more slick production, including a red carpet reception area. Since it will be the 75th NFL Draft, a retro theme is also likely. Grey, N.Y. -- named last June as the NFL's creative agency -- did the creative work along with NFL Films. Waller praised their initial year of work, noting the slow-mo camera provided new insights and perspective on the game's athleticism.