Subway today will announce that it is "back in the Super Bowl after years away,” according to Bruce Horovitz of USA TODAY. The QSR's TV ad “will highlight an anniversary of some significance" in Jared Fogle's 15th year as Subway spokesman. In the spot, 14 Subway athletes -- including Redskins QB Robert Griffin III -- will “congratulate Jared for keeping off the weight he lost eating low-cal offerings at Subway.” Subway CMO Tony Pace said companies advertising during CBS’ broadcast of Super Bowl XLVII "can't get 110 million people" anywhere else. Pace: "That's an audience we can't ignore." Horovitz writes Subway's ad “could be a way to deflect consumer attention from recent reports about some of its foot-long subs only measuring 11 inches in some stores.” The campaign will continue throughout the year with "other Subway celebrities, including Michael Phelps, offering high-fives to Jared” (USA TODAY, 1/30).
IN GOOD HANDS? AD AGE’s E.J. Schultz reported Allstate has “purchased the first ad slot after the gun sounds and before the trophy ceremony.” The 30-second spot “costs less than an in-game spot," and the insurance company believes that it is “getting good value, considering the unique storylines that it predicts will increase post-game viewership.” Allstate Senior VP/Marketing Lisa Cochrane said of the ad, "We take a trip through time -- and see Mayhem in action from the Garden of Eden through some of the most significant, 'mayhemic' events ever." Schultz noted the ad is by "longtime Allstate agency Leo Burnett.” Unless there is a "last-minute surprise, no major car-insurance company will run an ad during the game.” The last time a “big car-insurance marketer bought a Super Bowl ad" was in '07, with a buy from Nationwide. Allstate declined to say what it is paying for the position, but some media buyers said that post-game “in general goes for about $800,000 a 30-second spot." The pod immediately after the game is "likely to be priced higher than that” (ADAGE.com, 1/29).
ROCK & ROLL, COLA WARS: SodaStream President Yonah Lloyd discussed the company's Super Bowl spot that was rejected, and he said was because it "took potshots at Coke and Pepsi," which also are advertising in the game. Lloyd said, "If you take a look at it, it’s really a play on prior ads that Coke and Pepsi have done with the delivery guys that play off each other. So we were pretty surprised that happened.” CNBC's Melissa Lee wondered if the rejection was "the best thing you could have asked for, because there’s so much more chatter about SodaStream now.” Lloyd: “It’s good to have buzz out there, but it wasn’t what we wanted to do.” The company plans to stay in the game, airing an older ad during the fourth quarter (“Fast Money,” CNBC, 1/29). Meanwhile, AD AGE’s Natalie Zmuda noted Pepsi will use its 30-second Super Bowl ad for Pepsi Next to promote "a massive product giveaway.” TBWA/Chiat/Day is “handling the ad,” which includes the tagline, "Drink It to Believe It." The brand will give away “one million two-liter bottles of Pepsi Next to the first million consumers that sign up at PepsiNext.com once the ad airs during the first half of the game.” The ad shows "a wild house party where Pepsi Next is the beverage of choice that gets interrupted by a young man's parents” (ADAGE.com, 1/29).
NINER LEGENDS: Skechers announced that Pro Football HOFers Joe Montana and Ronnie Lott will be featured in the company’s second Super Bowl ad, set to run in the second quarter of the game. The shoe company also will debut a spot during the second quarter of the game for its new performance running shoes, Skechers GOrun 2 (Skechers).
NORTH OF THE BORDER: The HOLLYWOOD REPORTER’s Etan Vlessing reported CTV is “near to selling out commercial time for its all-day Super Bowl XLVII broadcast.” A CTV spokesperson said the network is on track "to meet all of its advertising objectives.” The net plans to run “seven hours of pre-game programming” in addition to the game Sunday (HOLLYWOODREPORTER.com, 1/29). Meanwhile, the GLOBE & MAIL's Susan Krashinsky reports one of Go Daddy’s Super Bowl ads “has been held up because of a half-empty glass of champagne.” Go Daddy said that the Television Bureau of Canada (TVB) “has rejected the commercial in its current version,” because TVB guidelines stipulate that ads cannot show people drinking alcohol, or imply consumption with a part-empty wine glass or beer bottle. Go Daddy is "working to make changes so that the ad will be able to run on Sunday” (GLOBE & MAIL, 1/30).
