Coca-Cola is "getting back into the Super Bowl ad game" in February after not running a spot during last year's game, according to Brian Steinberg of VARIETY. Last year, the company opted to "run a single, animated commercial just before kickoff" of CBS' broadcast of the event, "putting an end to 11 consecutive years of Super Bowl appearances." The company's return to the game "provides further evidence of the newfound attraction Madison Avenue has to the glitzy gridiron classic, which in recent years has been less of a must-buy." A company spokesperson said that it has "purchased a 60-second commercial slated to run in Fox's broadcast of Super Bowl LIV" in February. The creative execution and concept for the ad "have yet to be determined" (VARIETY.com, 12/3). AD AGE's E.J. Schultz wrote the company's buy for Super Bowl LIV "comes as it prepares several major brand launches, including an energy drink called Coke Energy," which debuts in January. Wieden + Kennedy, Portland, will handle advertising for the brand. Meanwhile, another brand that is "likely under consideration" for a spot is Aha, a "new sparkling water brand that will hit shelves in March" (ADAGE.com, 12/3).
