Upheaval created by Fox selling out of ad spots for Super Bowl LIV so early has "put a spotlight on the delicate art" of ad placement in the game, in which "buyers and brands try to determine the best in-game slot to run their ads," according to Jason Lynch of ADWEEK. Because Super Bowl ads are "sold by position, unlike other sports events -- negotiated alongside unit price and matching spends or other investments -- marketers must determine up front exactly where in the game they do, and don't want their spots to appear." There is "no consensus about which quarter in the game is the best, and worst, to run ads in." However, ad buyers and TV execs would "all agree that A positions are by far the most valuable, no matter which quarter they appear in." NBC Sports Group Exec VP/Advertising Sales Dan Lovinger said, "Everybody would rather be first in the pod than in the middle of the pod." Lynch noted despite this, brands are "fixated on different quarters throughout the game, with no consistent pattern by holding company or category." Fox Exec VP/Sports Sales Seth Winter said that this year, the third quarter "sold out the most quickly," which is a "change from a decade ago." Lynch noted every year, the "first opportunity to appear in the game goes to the incumbents." Given the "reduction of pods this year," Fox tried "as best as possible to accommodate those clients who wanted to return" (ADWEEK.com, 1/27).
MUST'VE SLYPPED OUT: AD AGE's Garett Sloane noted Facebook got its "first taste of the high-wire act that is Super Bowl advertising" when Sylvester Stallone "leaked information about the secret spot" in December. Stallone was "sharing to Instagram from behind the scenes at the commercial shoot in Philadelphia." Facebook CMO Antonio Lucio said the leak was "not a stunt meant to generate buzz." Instead, Stallone's Instagram video was "picked up by the evening news, and Facebook's Super Bowl cover was blown." Lucio: "As simple as that, man. I wish it was a much smarter PR angle. It wasn't." Sloane noted Facebook is "holding back the full version" of its 60-second Super Bowl spot until it "runs in the fourth quarter" (ADAGE.com, 1/27).
GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY: ADWEEK's Ann-Marie Alcantara noted A-B InBev's "first USDA-certified organic beer," Michelob Ultra Pure Gold, will run a 60-second ad in Super Bowl LIV. For the spot, Michelob Ultra Pure Gold is "ditching the traditional celebrity-based approach and instead highlighting a new program, the 6-For-6 Pack, to help farmers transition 6 square feet of farmland into an organic pasture." With each six-pack of the beer sold, the company "promises to donate a portion of the proceeds 'directly' to farmers looking to make the switch to organic farming" (ADWEEK.com, 1/27). AD AGE's E.J. Schultz noted Michelob Ultra's second Super Bowl spot, which "has not yet been released, will plug the core variety of the beer" (ADAGE.com, 1/27).
STRONG SPOTS: SI.com's Jenna West noted USWNT F Carli Lloyd has "teamed up with Secret Deodorant to kick inequality in its Super Bowl ad." The spot begins with a "kicker taking to the line of scrimmage with three seconds remaining on the clock." After the game-winner "sails through the uprights, the crowd roars just as Lloyd, the kicker," and USWNT D Crystal Dunn, the holder, "take off their helmets to reveal their identities." The fans are "shocked to see the players are women but quickly cheer for them in their historic moment" (SI.com, 1/27). Meanwhile, AD AGE's Adrianne Pasquarelli noted actor Jason Momoa is "fronting Quicken Loans' new marketing campaign beginning with a 60-second Super Bowl spot." The campaign, called "Comfortable," will appear during the first half, and shows Momoa in "various situations at home" (ADAGE.com, 1/27).
