A handful of Super Bowl XLIX advertisers over the past week have unveiled plans for the game, which is notable because, until now, many brands -- "in contrast to the trend in recent years" -- had kept their plans "unusually mum," according to Bruce Horovitz of USA TODAY. At least a half dozen new advertisers this year "have yet to even publicly announce they're in the game." Some longtime advertisers say that they "won't reveal their Super Bowl ads at all until they air in the game." Unilever's Dove Men+Care yesterday released an extended version of its 30-second Super Bowl spot, which "attempts to answer the question: 'What makes a man strong?'" By "even posing the question, Dove might seem to be reacting" to NFL "problems last year." But the company said that there "is no connection." Men+Care Dir of Marketing Jennifer Bremner said that the ad "is based on a video Dove posted last Father's Day that went viral." The timing of the ad, "intentional or not, could help it resonate." Meanwhile, food-delivery service Eat24, which works with over 30,000 restaurants across the U.S., "has started to tease on social media" its regional spot for the Super Bowl "featuring rapper Snoop Dogg and comedian Gilbert Gottfried" (
USA TODAY, 1/21). Snickers today unveiled details of its 30-second Super Bowl spot, with the ad via BBDO, N.Y., set to air in the first quarter. The most recent entry in Snickers' "You're Not You When You're Hungry" campaign sees actor Danny Trejo appear as a gruff version of Marcia from "The Brady Bunch" show (
Snickers). In Chicago, Robert Channick reports WeatherTech, which yesterday unveiled its 30-second Super Bowl ad, "is sticking with its made-in-America theme, but its automotive floor mats will take center stage for the company's return to the Super Bowl." The spot, scheduled to run during the first half, "offers a fast-paced look at its southwest suburban factory" (
CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 1/21).
CAR TALK: AUTOMOTIVE NEWS' Vince Bond Jr. noted so far, six brands -- BMW, Kia, Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan and Toyota -- "are expected to run spots." In '14, 11 auto brands "aired commercials during the game" (AUTOMOTIVENEWS.com, 1/19). Audi announced that for the first time since entering the game in '08, it "will not appear" during the Super Bowl. Audi of America GM of Communications Andrew Lipman in an e-mail wrote that the automaker's Super Bowl spots "have increased awareness and showroom traffic post-game, but declined to provide further insight on why it chose not to air a commercial in this year's game." AD AGE's Jeannine Poggi noted Audi "joins sibling brand Volkswagen, as well as General Motors, Lincoln, Ford, Jaguar, Honda and Acura, who have also decided to hit the brakes on Super Bowl advertising" (ADAGE.com, 1/20).
ON THE VERGE: The Verge, a technology website owned by the online media company Vox, yesterday announced that it would be "airing a Super Bowl advertisement, before revealing that it would in fact be spending just $700 on a regional spot in Helena, Mont." The Verge "initially described the advertisement as a regional buy without specifying its tiny scale" (NYTIMES.com, 1/20).
