CBS is "closing in on selling out its advertising inventory" for this month's broadcast of Super Bowl XXXV, as the net has "fewer than 10 30-second units to sell," according to several ad execs cited by AD AGE. While CBS has said that it is "inking deals at an average" of $2.5M for a 30-second spot, some media execs "believe the network's prices are somewhat lower, given the weakening advertising market" (AD AGE, 12/31).
WHO'S BUYING AND WHY: TheStandard.com's Terry Lefton reported that so far, "only three Internet marketers," E-Trade, Monster.com and Hotjobs.com, have paid for spots during CBS' broadcast. Meanwhile, seven of the 17 dot-com Super Bowl advertisers from last year are "out of business, while others learned that more site visits couldn't mask unsound business fundamentals." Autotrader.com, which advertised during last year's game, is "passing" this year, "preferring instead to widen its advertising game plan to include a variety of sporting events." Autotrader VP/Marketing Clark Wood: "The Super Bowl tripled our site traffic and really gave what was a brand associated with a print product a big boost, but to spend money on the Super Bowl this year would be a huge waste of money" (TheStandard.com, 12/29). The SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL's Andy Bernstein reports on the strategy for returning Super Bowl halftime sponsor E-Trade, which will receive "130 million pairs of American eyeballs" for its Super Bowl tie. E-Trade "negotiated to have its logo appear" on TV screens during the entire halftime show, which is "something the NFL and networks have never offered before." Meanwhile, E-Trade will bring 50 guests to Tampa for the Super Bowl — "not major advertisers or business partners, but high-volume retail customers who sit on a new advisory board." The customers will have their "first meeting ever" during Super Bowl week (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 1/1). USA TODAY's Michael McCarthy reported Accenture bought four 30-second Super Bowl spots. The ads represent the "centerpiece" of a $175M global campaign to launch Accenture as the new name of Andersen Consulting (USA TODAY, 1/2).
EXPERIENCED TEAM: Coca-Cola announced it will present The NFL Experience for the ninth consecutive year (NFL).
