Greek yogurt company Chobani said that it "will air its first Super Bowl ad this February," a move intended to make the brand "more of a household name," according to Candice Choi of the AP. The debut on "advertising's biggest stage comes as Greek yogurt continues to surge in popularity." Chobani "is the market leader, but says only about a third of Americans are familiar with its brand." Chobani CMO Peter McGuinness "declined to provide details on the Super Bowl spot, but said it would be more than 30 seconds and mark the start of a more aggressive marketing strategy" (AP, 12/9). Chobani said that the Super Bowl spot "will mark the debut of a new integrated campaign by Droga5, with support" from PR agency Weber Shandwick. AD WEEK's David Griner writes the brand, not even a decade old, has "shown itself willing to make bold marketing moves, such as becoming an Olympic sponsor in 2012 and rolling out its first-ever national TV spot" during the Opening Ceremony. Chobani is paying upward of $4M for the "chance to go head-to-head with Dannon's Oikos line of Greek yogurt, which is returning as a Super Bowl advertiser for the second consecutive year." Chobani "will likely use the Super Bowl spot to promote its new 100-calorie product line, which is one area where Dannon and Yoplait have enjoyed an early lead" (ADWEEK.com, 12/9).
WEAPON OF CHOICE: In Atlanta, Christopher Seward reported the NFL rejected an ad from Georgia-based gun manufacturer Daniel Defense that the company "wanted to run in select markets, including Atlanta," during Super Bowl XLVIII. The spot features a "veteran walking through his home and lamenting that 'a lot has changed' since he’d returned to civilian life and to his wife and infant child." The ad has the veteran saying, "I’m responsible for their protection, and no one has the right to tell me how to defend them. So I’ve chosen the most effective tool for the job." The commercial "ends with a voice-over and words in big letters: 'Daniel Defense. Defending your nation. Defending your home,'" and right under the words "is the silhouette of a rifle." Daniel Defense Founder Marty Daniel on Friday said that the 30-second spot "would have cost the company $500,000" to run in eight markets. Daniel said that he "ran a local Super Bowl ad two years ago on NBC in the Savannah area" and had been working with an affiliate of Fox "in making sure the ad met NFL rule requirements this time around." But Daniel said that just before Thanksgiving, he "got word from Fox that the ad had been rejected." Among the NFL's prohibited ad categories posted online "are 'firearms, ammunition or other weapons'" (ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION, 12/7).
