Super Bowl advertisers are "latching onto celebrities this year like star-struck teens," as more than "one-third of the game's 50-some spots will feature a familiar celeb or two -- or three," according to Bruce Horovitz of USA TODAY. Some companies are "trying to latch onto the stars' social-media following," while others are "seeking instant credibility." Several companies believe using celebs is the "only way to stand out from the pack of Super Bowl marketers." However, AceMetrix reports that ads with celebrities "are 3% less effective than ads without them," and those airing during the Super Bowl "tend to do far worse." AceMetrix CEO Peter Daboll: "Dogs do better than celebrities." Horovitz notes unless an ad "really bombs, it's a big win for any celebrity." Octagon First Call Managing Dir David Schwab said that Super Bowl spots also "allow a celebrity to be extra cool via a kind of self-deprecation they don't typically get to show otherwise." Horovitz notes that is one reason why comedians Jerry Seinfeld and Jay Leno "show up together in a spot in which the two real-life car collectors lust after the same Acura sports car." It is also why Matthew Broderick "show up as a middle-aged version of his teen character" from "Ferris Bueller's Day Off." Other celebs that will appear during the Super Bowl include Donald Trump, actors John Stamos and Will Arnett, TV personality Regis Philbin, model Adriana Lima and athletes Apolo Ohno, Deion Sanders and Chuck Liddell. Pepsi said that its use of celebrities in Super Bowl ads "continues to evolve because social media has put a twist on consumer relationships with stars." Pepsi VP/Marketing Angelique Krembs: "If we put Lady Gaga in a Super Bowl spot just for the sake of having a big name, I don't think we'd connect with consumers (USA TODAY, 2/3). The WALL STREET JOURNAL's Suzanne Vranica cites sources as saying that reports Chrysler plans to air a two-minute ad Sunday which depicts Clint Eastwood "giving the country a pep talk" (WSJ.com, 2/2).

CAMPAIGN LAUNCH: MetLife will run a 30-second spot titled "Everyone" during the Super Bowl that will feature the Peanuts characters, as well as many other celebrities. The company is using the game as a platform to launch new national advertising, with the tagline "MetLife: I Can Do This" (MetLife). In N.Y., Stuart Elliott notes MetLife is "turning to social media to drum up discussion of its coming commercial." Recent visitors to the MetLife fan page on Facebook may have "noticed that the almost 153,000 people who 'like' MetLife include, in addition to Snoopy, characters like Scooby-Doo and Voltron." Those characters are "teasing fans on Facebook with cryptic comments; for instance, Scooby-Doo declares, in his unique patois, 'Rook out for me and Shaggy on TV Feb. 5th!'" (N.Y. TIMES, 2/3).

CANADIAN PERSPECTIVE: The GLOBE & MAIL's Susan Krashinsky reports U.S. advertisers "shell out on huge production budgets to make eye-catching ads and pay millions more to air them" during the Super Bowl, but because of TV rights issues, the Canadian Super Bowl broadcast is "full of the same ads you might see any night of the week." NBC is charging US$3.5M to run a 30-second ad, but sources said that a 30-second spot on CTV is closer to C$130,000. But some advertisers this year are "bucking the trend." Samsung for the first time will be "airing the same commercial in Canada that it does in the United States." Not all advertisers in Canada "agree that the Super Bowl is the place to make that kind of investment." The prevailing notion is that the game "just does not have the cultural resonance here that it does in the United States." Krashinsky notes Labatt is "attempting to make the best of this." It is one of the "few companies creating a spot just for the Super Bowl in Canada -- and it is using hockey to make an impact." Budweiser Canada spokesperson Briar Wells said, "We wanted to do something that really resonated with Canadians. … Hockey is where it’s at -- even though it’s during the Super Bowl, hockey is first -- so it was an opportunity to combine the two" (GLOBE & MAIL, 2/3). The CTV broadcast counts Labatt, Chevrolet and Nissan "among its major returning sponsors, and is adding McDonald's as a sponsor this year." The net said that Dairy Queen, Entertainment One, FedEx, Ford, Kraft, PepsiCo, Samsung, Toyota and Universal Pictures have "also bought commercial time" (GLOBE & MAIL, 2/3).

Many companies are "trying to reach fans on all the 'second screens' they have," during Super Bowl XLVI , according to Mae Anderson of the AP. Chevrolet "rolled out the first Super Bowl smartphone app that allows Big Game watchers to enter a contest to win prizes." Kia is the "first company to show its Super Bowl ad ahead of the game in movie theaters," while Coca-Cola "set up a Facebook page and website so viewers can see its animated polar bears ... reacting to the game in real time." Coca-Cola North America Senior VP/Integrated Marketing Platforms & Content Pio Schunker: "The world is changing. We needed to come to the party with something new and different." Anderson noted to create buzz, it is "no longer enough for marketers to simply get people talking at the water cooler the morning after the game." 360i VP/Emerging Media David Berkowitz said that they also "want to engage the people who like reacting to big events like the Super Bowl by posting on Twitter or Facebook or texting their friends" (AP, 2/1). USA TODAY's Roger Yu notes "roughly 60% of Super Bowl viewers will use their phones during the game." An E*Trade survey indicated that "31% of viewers expect to use Facebook, and 6% will be on Twitter." Velti CMO Krishna Subramanian said, "This is the first year where you'll see fans using the cellphone more often than the remote" (USA TODAY, 2/3). Boston Univ. advertising professor Geoff Klapisch said for advertisers, interactive ads "extend their brand message." He added, "This is the only program on television that people are watching for the commercials. It’s very easy to grab your smartphone and pop in a hashtag and see where it takes you. So pay attention!" (BOSTON GLOBE, 2/3).

NAME THAT SONG: In N.Y., Stuart Elliott noted some top advertisers -- including A-B, Best Buy, Cars.com, Walt Disney Co., Pepsico, Relativity Media and Teleflora -- "have made deals with Shazam Entertainment to offer viewers of commercials additional content through smartphones and tablets." Shazam execs said that "almost half the commercials in the Super Bowl on NBC will be Shazam-enabled, compared with only one in Super Bowl XLV last February." Shazam Entertainment has "signed up FedEx as a sponsor of the Shazam-centric elements of the Super Bowl." The sponsorship is "noteable because FedEx, once a Super Bowl ad stalwart, has not bought a commercial during the game since 2008" (NYTIMES.com, 2/2).

PREPARING FOR BATTLE: Fandango makes its Super Bowl debut Sunday as part of Universal Pictures' trailer for the upcoming move "Battleship." The end of the spot will feature a tag directing viewers to Fandango's mobile apps." Additionally, Fandango will run a 15-second "Battleship"-themed spot during pre-game that will alert viewers a "battle is coming" (Fandango).

Patriots coach Bill Belichick is “one of sports’ most fascinating figures because in an era of conformity, access and image, he refuses to play along,” according to Dan Wetzel of YAHOO SPORTS. The “Madden NFL 12” video game has 31 teams with their "head coach listed by name,” and but “one is missing: Bill Belichick.” The Patriots “have just the generic ‘NE Coach.’” EA Sports said that it “has a licensing contract with the NFL Coaches Association.” According to the NFLCA, Belichick “refuses to join” and is the “only active head coach who isn’t a member.” Meanwhile, Wetzel noted Belichick reportedly "wasn’t pleased when the NFL signed a clothing deal with Reebok that required coaches to wear approved clothing during games.” This brought about "the birth of his signature hoodie." There was “no way to opt out of that deal so Belichick considered the fashion options laid out in front of him, and selected the most unstylish outfit, a grey hooded sweatshirt.” He began wearing it each week but not “before having the sleeves cut off to make it even less attractive.” The irony is the "'BB hooded sweatshirt' became a hot seller” (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 2/2).

SLINGING THE ROCK: FORBES' Tom Van Riper reported the Super Bowl XLVI matchup has sports business experts “contemplating which QB carries more potential commercial upside after the game." Both Giants QB Eli Manning and Patriots QB Tom Brady could stand to win, but in "different ways.” Manning’s endorsement portfolio, which includes Toyota and Citizen Watch, “is modest by the standards you might expect from a New York quarterback with a championship under his belt.” But Ketchum Sports & Entertainment VP Shawn McBride noted a second Super Bowl ring “would likely gain him some serious separation from the pack.” Meanwhile, for Brady, a three-time Super Bowl champ “and Hall of Fame lock, there’s only so much value in adding one more league title.” A “careful endorser to begin with ... Super Bowl accolades are becoming old hat.” That does not mean the game “isn’t an important cog in Brady’s legacy building, and, by extension, his future earnings” (FORBES.com, 1/31). Manning ranks seventh on THE DAILY's list of the most marketable NFL players, while Brady ranks second.

DANCE DANCE REVOLUTION: USA TODAY's Jarett Bell notes Giants WR Victor Cruz' signature salsa dance following touchdowns has a "life of its own," and following a breakout season, the dance "has inspired Giants fans from many backgrounds." Hundreds showed up in N.Y. last week to see Cruz "teach the dance at a sporting goods store, which sells a T-shirt with easy-to-follow instructions printed on the back." Cruz "turned down an invitation to participate on 'Dancing with the Stars,' but the offer undoubtedly underscores the marketing potential that exists." Giants RB Ahmad Bradshaw: "I can see him doing it for the next six or seven years, making money on and off the field" (USA TODAY, 2/3).

IT DOES A BODY GOOD: Patriots WR Wes Welker and Giants WR Hakeem Nicks Friday appeared in a full-page ad in USA Today promoting the "got milk?" campaign. Welker also appeared in the annual ad prior to Super Bowl XLII in '08 (THE DAILY).

EA Sports Thursday night announced it is reviving its fan cover vote for the upcoming release of "Madden NFL 13," expanding the program that generated 12.7 million votes last year and yielded Browns RB Peyton Hillis as the current cover athlete. The second iteration of the "Madden" cover vote will feature a "play-in" round featuring two players from each NFL team, lasting from March 7-21. After that initial round, a 32-player bracket will again be used, with one player representing each team. As was the case last year, EA Sports will run the "Madden" cover vote in partnership with ESPN and its "SportsNation" program, with heavy promotion also occurring on the video game publisher's Facebook page.

STRONG SALES FOR NBA GAME: Take-Two Interactive Inc., the parent company of 2K Sports, said late Thursday in its fiscal Q3 earnings report it has sold nearly 4 million units of "NBA 2K12" to date. The total is roughly equal to the sales total for last year's version of the NBA simulation video game title at this point in the calendar, and again ranks among the best-selling titles in company history. During the NBA's labor acrimony of this past summer and fall, there had been significant concern among Take-Two execs regarding a potential dropoff in sales for "NBA 2K12." Such a sales slowdown did occur immediately after the game's Oct. 4 release date, hurting company earnings during the quarter, said Take-Two Chair & CEO Strauss Zelnick. Sales of the game began to recover after the NBA reached its labor deal in late November. Overall, Take-Two reported $14.1M in net income, down 66% from $40.9M in the same quarter a year ago. Revenue fell 29% to $236.3M.

In New York, Ron Levanduski reported snack brand Heluva Good, the title sponsor for the NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Watkins Glen Int'l the past three years, has “yet to renew its deal” with race officials. WGI President Michael Printup said Wednesday that they “are optimistic a deal will be finalized within 30-45 days.” Heluva Good “signed a two-year pact that expired” at the end of ’11 after an initial one-year deal in ‘09 for Watkins Glen. Printup said that they “are working on ways to increase the condiment maker's marketing exposure” (Elmira STAR-GAZETTE, 2/2).

MAKING A DEAL: In K.C., Randy Covitz reports the NHRA Full Throttle Series “has a new title sponsor” for the Summernationals event May 18-20 at Heartland Park Topeka. Dollar General will take over as title sponsor for the event, which had been sponsored by O’Reilly Auto Parts “until it withdrew" last year (K.C. STAR, 2/3).

HOW DO YOU WANT THAT COOKED? Bubba Burger will be the primary sponsor for the No. 47 Toyota Camry driven by Bobby Labonte for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Pocono 400 at Pocono Raceway on June 10 and the Geico 400 at Chicagoland Speedway on Sept. 16. The company will be an associate sponsor for the car for the remaining Sprint Cup races this season (Bubba Burger).

TIMING IS EVERYTHING: Red Bull Racing announced a two-year extension to its existing deal with Casio for the team’s F1 cars. The Japanese watch manufacturer will now become the team’s official timing partner. The RB8 will feature the Casio logo on its nose as part of the new agreement, along with increased overall visibility as the Casio logo will appear on the '12 team uniform and in all partner listing areas (Red Bull Racing).

In N.Y., Benjamin Hoffman notes Indianapolis "appears to be wrapped in Super Bowl vinyl," and nearly all of it is provided by Indianapolis-based Sport Graphics. The company's efforts include the "32-story image of the Vince Lombardi Trophy on the side of the JW Marriott to the signs on the sides of the moving walkways at the airport." Sports Graphics Owner & CEO Frank Hancock has “become the NFL’s go-to vendor for building decorations for the last two Super Bowls, and his team of 25 designers has transformed downtown Indianapolis.” The wraps, “made of a vinyl adhesive, can be placed almost anywhere” but many are “used for the practical purpose of covering the signs of competing advertisers” (N.Y. TIMES, 2/3).

REPRESENTING HOME: Golfer Yani Tseng has “reached a sponsorship deal with Taiwan Mobile Co.” The company said that Tseng will receive “a total of around US$1.5 million over two years” and will be “required to wear a cap with the company’s logo during competitions.” Tseng last May signed “a two-year endorsement agreement with Taishin Financial Holding Co., reportedly valued at US$1 million, and reached a US$2 million deal with PC vendor Acer Inc. earlier this month” (CNA, 2/1).

NOT A FAN: In Toronto, Kevin McGran wrote former NHLer Georges Laraque wrote a letter to Maple Leafs President & GM Brian Burke asking him “to reverse an organizational decision that saw the team endorse a limited-edition jacket, made by Canada Goose, trimmed with real coyote fur.” Laraque’s letter was sponsored by PETA. However, Burke said that the Leafs “won’t change their mind.” Real Sports Apparel at Air Canada Centre is “still advertising the jacket online, but an employee at the store said Thursday the jackets had sold out and there were no plans to order more” (TORONTO STAR, 2/2).

CONSISTENCY AT LAST: The Univ. of South Dakota has signed a deal with adidas for the company to become the school's official shoe and apparel provider. This will allow USD to achieve brand consistency and provide other growth opportunities. The deal marks the first time all USD athletic programs have been included in an all-encompassing apparel agreement (Univ. of South Dakota).