Fox is running a social media contest "centered on an offer to give away a commercial" during the net's Super Bowl XLVIII pregame show, according to Stuart Elliott of the N.Y. TIMES. This "may be the first time" the net broadcasting the Super Bowl "is planning an ad contest of its own." The contest would offer a 30-second ad to be broadcast during the pregame show around 5:00pm ET, a prize "valued at about $850,000." The contest is tentatively called the Social Bowl, "although there is already a Web site by that name that tracks the effectiveness of Super Bowl advertising in building value for brands." Marketers will be "able to participate in the contest by submitting proposed commercials to the Fox Sports Media Group and paying an entry fee of $150,000." Football fans, "ad fans and anyone with access to social media will then vote on which potential spot they believe is Super Bowl Sunday-worthy after watching the entries on online platforms." Fox Sports Media Group "plans to promote the voting with an extensive campaign in social media outlets that is scheduled to begin on the first weekend in January." A contest winner "will be named close to or on game day." Fox Sports Media Group Exec VP/Sales Neil Mulcahy credited Fox Sports Senior VP/Digital Pete Vlastelica "with coming up with the idea for the contest." Vlastelica said that he "envisioned the contest as a way to 'open to a much larger group of brands the opportunity to advertise on Super Bowl Sunday,' particularly the kinds of 'independent, smaller brands that don’t think of participating in the run-up to the Super Bowl because it is beyond their reach.'" Vlastelica said, "It will be interesting to see who wins, a major brand or a brand you’ve never heard of." The submitted ads "must meet broadcast acceptability standards" for advertising during NFL games (N.Y. TIMES, 9/21).
