MEDIA POST's Tanya Gazdik reported Kia is "returning to the Super Bowl for its tenth consecutive year," though Kia Motors America COO Michael Cole "declined to reveal creative details of the spot or which vehicle would be featured." Kia is "known for its over-the-top and sometimes quirky Super Bowl ads from David&Goliath, which in the past have featured" Aerosmith's Steven Tyler and actors Christopher Walken and Melissa McCarthy (MEDIAPOST.com, 11/28).
WHAT GIVES? BROADCASTING & CABLE's Jon Lafayette noted TV networks are "bringing in less ad revenue during NFL games in the first two months of the football season" despite "rebounding ratings." Data from Standard Media Index shows for September and October, NFL revenue "fell 19%." Some of that was "because they sold 6% fewer 30-second commercials in those 51 games." But it also "reflects two seasons of falling ratings for NFL games, which affected how much advertisers would pay for spots." SMI CEO James Fennessy said, “As the market reports improving viewership, we will see how these trends change over the remaining months of the season" (BROADCASTINGCABLE.com, 11/28).
HEAVY ROTATION: NASCAR named Mobil 1 as its ’18 marketing achievement award winner after a season of heavy activation from the ExxonMobil motor oil brand. Mobil 1 once again utilized driver Kevin Harvick in a national ad that was in rotation for its Annual Protection motor oil, and it also added an experiential element to that campaign with a road trip to several tracks and grocery stores. ExxonMobil Automotive Marketing Manager Michele Biamonte said the NASCAR partnership "allows us to engage with the excitement and devotion of Mobil 1 fans. We couldn’t have done the Annual Protection product without this NASCAR relationship” (Adam Stern, THE DAILY).
