Watch the Top Five Super Bowl Commercials from the past fifteen years (yes, Feb. 3 marks the 16th anniversary of our coverage of your favorite Super Bowl Commercials – SuperBowl-ads.com)

Go Daddy Announces Super Bowl Advertising Plan – Yahoo! Finance

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Go Daddy’s commercials for the 2011 Super Bowl are far from being approved, in fact, they haven’t even been filmed yet, but CEO and Founder Bob Parsons declared Go Daddy will advertise in the big game for a seventh consecutive year. Go Daddy has purchased two 30-second spots in the Super Bowl and a single 30-second pregame commercial on FOX – all to be produced by Go Daddy Productions.

Parsons also said, like every other year, the ads will be GoDaddy-esque – meaning edgy, fun and slightly inappropriate – but this year will be different because Go Daddy Girls Danica Patrick and newcomer Jillian Michaels will both be featured.

“Jillian has the power … Danica has the speed! Together, our dynamic duo of Go Daddy Girls add up to sheer Super Bowl magic,” Parsons said. “Hopefully the FOX network won’t keep commercial creativity on such a short leash this time around. For 2011, Go Daddy is going to be as edgy as ever – in fact, our goal is to ‘out Go Daddy’ ourselves!”

Go Daddy, the world’s top Web hosting provider and domain name registrar, has leveraged the Super Bowl to its advantage over the last six years by using edgy 30-second commercials to attract millions of Internet visitors to www.GoDaddy.com. This year, an estimated 100 million people are expected to watch the Super Bowl.

“It doesn’t get much bigger than being in a Super Bowl commercial,” Jillian said with a big smile. “I think shooting a spot with Danica Patrick is going to be a blast. Go Daddy certainly knows how to create buzz around Super Bowl time – I’m looking forward to being a part of this new Go Daddy campaign!”

Danica has been featured in four Go Daddy Super Bowl campaigns to date. She starred in Go Daddy’s “Baseball” commercial, ranked as the Most-Watched Super Bowl Ad in 2009, according to TiVo.

When it comes to Go Daddy’s plan to use both her and Jillian in this year’s Super Bowl commercial, Danica had two words: “Girl Power!”

“Go Daddy takes some heat for their edgy commercials, but if you watch the ads I’m in, they’re actually all about Girl Power,” Danica said. “Adding Jillian to the campaign creates a whole new range of possibilities.”

Go Daddy’s Super Bowl legend began six years ago when FOX yanked Go Daddy’s ad before its second airing during the 2005 Super Bowl. That censorship triggered a postgame controversy which some believe puts Go Daddy under extra scrutiny with television executives each year.

“I agree with Bob,” Danica asserted. “Censors really need to lighten up! Aren’t Super Bowl commercials supposed to be about having a little fun?!”

The Super Bowl broadcast is set for Feb. 6 on FOX, the television network on which Go Daddy’s original controversy ignited.

To see Go Daddy’s Super Bowl commercials and photos, visit www.GoDaddy.com/SuperBowl.

To learn more about establishing your online presence, easily and affordably, visit www.GoDaddy.com.

Follow & Friend Go Daddy on Twitter & Facebook.

About The Go Daddy Group, Inc.

Go Daddy is a leading provider of services that enable individuals and businesses to establish, maintain and evolve an online presence. Go Daddy provides a variety of domain name registration plans and website design and hosting packages, as well as a broad array of on-demand services. These include products such as SSLCertificates, Domains by Proxy private registration, ecommerce website hosting, blog templates and blog software, podcast packages and online photo hosting. The Go Daddy Group has more than 43 million domain names under management. Go Daddy registers, renews or transfers a domain name every second. GoDaddy.com is the world’s largest Web hosting provider and is the world’s No. 1 domain name registrar according to Name Intelligence, Inc. During the first half of 2010, The Go Daddy Group registered more than one-third of all new domain names created in the top six generic top-level domains, or gTLDs, including .com, .net, .org, .info, .biz and .mobi.

- The Go Daddy Group -

Copyright © 2010 GoDaddy.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Contact:
The Go Daddy Group
Elizabeth L. Driscoll/VP Public Relations
480-766-3794
PR@GoDaddy.com

GM Planning Super Bowl Ad

By Jamie Page Deaton

Posted: Aug 09, 2010 10:10 a.m.

Sure, we just had the first pre-season NFL game yesterday, but as any coach will tell you, it’s never too early to start planning a trip to the Super Bowl.  Just ask General Motors.

Joel Ewanick, GM’s vice president of marketing, told Advertising Age that GM “will return to the Super Bowl in 2011; that an ad campaign will break next month for the Chevy Camaro; and that there’s a new tagline coming for Cadillac, ‘The new standard for the world.’”

As the company comes out of its bankruptcy filing with several new products, GM is increasing its marketing budget. Automotive News reports, “GM is increasing its advertisement spending to levels seen prior to its bankruptcy filing.”

“GM hasn’t advertised during the Super Bowl since 2008, but will be making a return appearance as it continues to distance itself from its 2009 bankruptcy filing. Ewanick failed to reveal what specific plans GM has for the big game, but did reveal all advertising would revolve around the Chevrolet brand,” writes Left Lane News.

For consumers, the extra cash GM is spending on marketing will mean more commercials — but then again, that will also mean more exposure to GM products. Still, “Exactly when these new marketing efforts will start popping up on our TV sets is still to be determined,” writes Autoblog.

If you’re in the market for a new car –and don’t need to wait for GM to start marketing to you — check out the U.S. News rankings of this year’s best cars as well as this month’s best car deals.

January 28, 2010 11:08 AM Eastern Time
Papa John’s to Integrate Newest “Papa’s in the House” Deliveries into Super Bowl XLIV Telecast

Pizza company’s first-time NFL sponsorship to include 30-second enhancement during first half of The Big Game

LOUISVILLE, Ky.–Since NFL play began in August, Papa John’s has been “in the house” of football fans nationwide, with millions of pizzas delivered at stadiums and homes across the country. The first-time NFL sponsor will culminate the season by being in the house at The Big Game, with some special deliveries featured in a unique integration in the Super Bowl XLIV telecast on CBS on February 7.

“This year, we are excited to be in the house as the Official Pizza Sponsor of the NFL and Super Bowl XLIV, and to be able to thank the fans and those behind the scenes who make the game great.”

As the Official Pizza Sponsor of the NFL and Super Bowl XLIV, Papa John’s will be featured in the Super Bowl telecast for the first time in company history. Near the two-minute warning of the first half, Papa John’s Founder John Schnatter will be featured in a 30-second broadcast enhancement, customized and themed for Super Bowl XLIV, celebrating the people who make the NFL and Super Bowl XLIV great — the latest installment in the brand’s “Papa’s in the House” ad campaign.

“As the quality leader in the pizza category, for years football fans have invited Papa John’s to be the guest of honor at their homes while watching the Super Bowl,” said Papa John’s Chief Marketing Officer, Andrew Varga. “This year, we are excited to be in the house as the Official Pizza Sponsor of the NFL and Super Bowl XLIV, and to be able to thank the fans and those behind the scenes who make the game great.”

From now through Super Bowl XLIV, Papa John’s will have exclusive offers and deals available at www.papajohns.com, including its Super XL IV Pizza – an extra-large pizza with up to four toppings for only $11.99, and its 1st and 10 Offer – any large pizza for only $10.

Headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, Papa John’s International, Inc. (NASDAQ: PZZA) is the world’s third largest pizza company. For nine of the last 10 years, consumers have rated Papa John’s No. 1 in customer satisfaction among all national pizza chains in the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI). Papa John’s also was honored by Restaurants & Institutions Magazine (R&I) with the 2009 Gold Award for Consumers’ Choice in Chains in the pizza segment, ranked first among pizza companies in the 2008 Brand Keys Customer Loyalty Engagement Index, and was named 2007 Pizza Today Chain of the Year. For more information about the company or to order pizza online, visit Papa John’s at www.papajohns.com.

Contacts
Papa John’s International, Inc.
Tish Muldoon, 502-261-4987
Senior Director, Corporate Communications
tish_muldoon@papajohns.com
or
Fleishman-Hillard
Doug Terfehr, 314-982-9134
doug.terfehr@fleishman.com

Permalink: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20100128006091/en/Papa-John%E2%80%99s-Integrate-Newest-%E2%80%9CPapa%E2%80%99s-House%E2%80%9D-Deliveries

Diamond Foods Makes Super Bowl History Featuring Two Brands in One Advertisement

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan 21, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Diamond Foods, Inc. (NASDAQ:DMND), announced today that it will unveil a new, groundbreaking commercial featuring two of its snack food brands —- Pop Secret(R) Popcorn and Emerald(R) Nuts —- during CBS’s coverage of Super Bowl XLIV in Miami, Florida on February 7, 2010.

The Company has a reputation for creating award-winning, memorable ads with its trademark offbeat humor and has been challenging the status quo with a strong history of energizing categories and building brands. This year is no exception.

Diamond Foods will be making a splash with its ad featuring the World’s Most Flamboyant dolphin trainer standing on top of a volcano in the middle of a marine theme park. The commercial begins with the trainer whipping the crowd into a frenzy screaming “Let’s Get Aquatic!” The ad ends with the phrase “Awesome + Awesome = Awesomer.” How this relates to popcorn and snack nuts will be revealed during the second half of the game.

“We have used Super Bowl advertising very effectively over the years to drive broad awareness and growth of our Emerald brand,” said Diamond President and Chief Executive Officer Michael J. Mendes. “This year, we are leveraging our Super Bowl investment featuring both Pop Secret Popcorn and Emerald Nuts in one ad. This reinforces the fact that Diamond has two contemporary snack food brands in its portfolio well-positioned to serve a similar consumer demographic.”

Diamond is no stranger to making memorable ads that positively impact sales having produced award winning ads that aired during Super Bowls in 2005, 2006 and 2007. In each year, the Company experienced high double digit growth in sales following those games as it built the Emerald snack food brand that it launched in 2004. This year, Diamond is sprinkling its magic on Pop Secret Popcorn, the brand it purchased in 2008 and took full control of in February 2009.

Working with San Francisco based advertising agency Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, Diamond has achieved a first in Super Bowl advertising featuring two distinct brands side by side in one commercial.

“We have raised the bar for ourselves and really pushed the envelope to create a unique commercial,” said Andrew Burke, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for Diamond Foods. “We are excited with the results and believe we have a memorable spot that will connect with our target audience and dramatically increase our off shelf promotional displays.”

Popcorn and snack nuts are a staple at Super Bowl parties. According to a study by The Integer Group, over 6 million pounds of popcorn and snack nuts will be consumed on Super Bowl Sunday.

Diamond will be supporting the television ad with a robust marketing campaign that includes print and online advertising. The Company will run a print advertisement in USA Today and online ads the week before the Super Bowl on the websites of USA Today, The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. After the Super Bowl, the Company will utilize search advertising via Google and YouTube to drive consumers to its branded websites.

Since the middle of December 2009, Diamond has been reinvigorating the Pop Secret brand with its recently launched kernel campaign featuring animated kernel characters that are passionate movie lovers actively watching popular scenes from classic movies. Andy Allcock, Pop Secret Brand Manager added, “We have been receiving very positive responses to the ads. Consumers love them.” The Company has aired over 600 spots during the campaign.

Emerald snack nuts are the fastest growing brand in the snack nut category and have grown sales dollars almost 50% over the previous year.

About Diamond Foods

Diamond Foods (NASDAQ: DMND) is a leading branded food company specializing in producing, marketing and distributing culinary nuts and snack products under the Diamond(R), Emerald(R) and Pop Secret(R) brands.

Corporate Web Site: http://www.diamondfoods.com

Consumer Web Sites: http://www.diamondnuts.com, http://www.emeraldnuts.com, http://www.popsecret.com, http://www.feedyourfingers.com

Goodby, Silverstein & Partners Web Site: http://www.goodbysilverstein.com

SOURCE: Diamond Foods, Inc.

CXO Communication
Richard Simonelli, 650-906-1022 (Media)
Managing Director
rich@cxocommunication.com
or
Diamond Foods, Inc.
Bob Philipps, 415-445-7426 (Investors)
VP, Treasury & Investor Relations
bphilipps@diamondfoods.com

via phx.corporate-ir.net

For the First Time, Consumers Can Use the Shazam® App to Tag a Television Commercial and Receive Enhanced Brand Content

With consumers now inextricably linked to their mobile devices and connected 24/7, the Dockers® brand has created an innovative way to provide consumers with relevant content on their terms. Dockers® and Shazam® have developed an integrated program that allows consumers who watch the new Dockers® “Men Without Pants” TV commercial to use their mobile devices to engage at a deeper level with the brand – a world’s first. Once the ad is “shazamed,” viewers will link directly to a branded-content site. This technology is a major step forward in making TV clickable like digital media.

The new commercial debuts during the Super Bowl XLIV broadcast on February 7 on CBS, the first Dockers commercial to air on the Super Bowl since 2002. Viewers who have Shazam® downloaded on their smartphones can tag the spot and are instantly taken to a branded-content page. On this page, consumers can read about the “Wear the Pants™” campaign, learn about and purchase the “I Wear No Pants” track and more. The ad debut will also include a khaki pant giveaway promotion that can be entered immediately via consumer mobile devices with the Shazam® technology. The commercial continues through 2010 on a variety of shows and networks including NBA on TNT, FX, Comedy Central and the Discovery Channel and will also air online immediately following the Super Bowl debut. The khaki give away runs from February 7 – 15, 2010.

“The Dockers® brand is not only reinventing the khaki, but also how it engages consumers in relevant and meaningful ways,” said Jim Calhoun, Dockers® Brand President. “With the Shazam technology, we are inviting consumers to dig deeper into our brand and our products with the touch of a button.”

“Consumers are increasingly looking to connect with the brands they love on a richer, more emotional level, and our world-first partnership with Dockers® is a clear and unique
example of how that engagement can be achieved,” said Andrew Fisher, CEO of Shazam. “Innovation has always been at the heart of the Shazam proposition, and this partnership represents the first opportunity for Shazamers to experience this new brand journey in 2010.”

The specially created soundtrack for the spot, which is performed by the actors featured in the ad, was inspired by the song “I Wear no Pants” by The Poxy Boggards, a 13-man band who perform original and traditional songs. The original Poxy Boggards song is available for purchase online.

The brand’s new “Wear the Pants™” global ad campaign launched in December 2009 and is fully integrated with broadcast, print, billboard, radio, social media, events and digital marketing. The campaign celebrates the reemergence of the khaki as the go-to versatile pant in a man’s wardrobe. The tongue-in-cheek campaign encourages men to Wear the Pants™ and has stirred up a passionate discussion online about what it means to be a man and the role of gender in today’s society.

The “Wear the Pants™” campaign and television spot were created by the San Francisco office of Draft/FCB. The innovative integration of Shazam® was developed in partnership with Ignition Factory, a creative media specialty unit of Dockers® media buying agency OMD. Dockers® works with the Ignition Factory to develop breakthrough marketing concepts in media, technology and pop-culture and proactively find new ways to reach and engage consumers.

For consumers that don’t have the Shazam® application on their smartphone, it is available on AT&T by texting “pants” to 7299 (messaging and data rates may apply), or by downloading it from the AT&T App Center. The Shazam® application can also be found on BlackBerry App World, App store, Android Market, Windows Phone Marketplace and the Ovi Store by Nokia.

# # #
About the Dockers® Brand
The Dockers® brand has embodied the spirit of khaki for more than 20 years. Since their introduction in 1986, Dockers® has been perfecting khakis—and the essential goods to go with them—for men and women all over the world. No compromises in quality.

Just versatile, essential style. Day to night. Monday to Sunday. Wearing the pants has never looked so good. For information on Dockers® and its products, please call 1-800-DOCKERS or visit www.Dockers.com.

About Shazam®
Shazam® is the world’s leading mobile music discovery application – enabling consumers to experience and share music with others across mobile devices and the Internet. Since its launch as the first mobile-specific service to help users discover new music seven years ago, over 50 million people have used the service. Shazam has created a new way for users to connect to each other through their music tastes and preferences.

Headquartered in London, England, Shazam’s solutions enhance the music strategies of carriers in more than 150 countries, including AT&T, T-Mobile and Vodafone. It has deployed across multiple platforms such as iPhone, BlackBerry, Android, Symbian and Java.

The Shazam Tag Chart, generated by the company’s mobile music recognition service, is constantly referenced by the music industry as a true indicator of market interest in pre-release material and a monitor of the hit potential of a track or artist.

Shazam’s successes have been recognized through numerous awards, including the Mobile Entertainment Award for Best Music Service Provider.

For more information please visit www.shazam.com

The Shazam name and symbol are trademarks of Shazam Entertainment Limited.

About OMD
OMD is the largest and most innovative media communications specialist in the world, with more than 140 offices in 80 countries. Named Most Creative Agency in the World by The Gunn Report for Media for four consecutive years, OMD also has the distinction of being named 2008 Global Media Agency of the Year by Adweek. The agency network is a unit of Omnicom Group, Inc.

via pitchengine.com

finance.yahoo.com

Historical Advertising Data Showcases Super Bowl’s Leading Spenders, Quadrupled Ad Rates and More Cluttered Air Time

http://tinyurl.com/yzne57u

Consider that $3 million you just dropped on a 30-second Super Bowl spot a waste of money — unless you’ve got a smart, calculated search-and-social-media strategy behind it.

Last year, the ads from the big game racked up 99.5 million collective online views, according to Visible Measures, which tallies viral-video data; 98.7 million people watched the game on TV, per Nielsen. It’s further proof that while Super Bowl is still valuable because it’s one of the last high-profile, mass-media TV events, it’s maximized with an ongoing online effort.

“Social media provides a longer shelf life for people’s campaigns,” said Anthony Iaffaldano, senior director-strategy and innovation at Reprise Media. “It’s about who’s got a plan in place to take the equity they’re building through all this activity and activate it after the game. Social media becomes more valuable as you continue to engage.”

About 90% of brands had their Super Bowl ads up on YouTube in 2009, estimates a Google executive, although that’s just the bare minimum. A quarter of the brands in the Bowl tapped social networks to try to drive additional comments, ratings and conversation. And more than two-thirds bought paid-search ads against their brands or products.

This year, those figures will be even higher, setting the stage for what might be the most significant study to date on the interplay between paid and earned media. Marketers such as E-Trade are already planning how they’re going to extend their spots online.

And while the buzz of the game’s commercials will provide a healthy dose of PR value, most of the big winners from past years also relied on paid-media support. Visible Measures said paid promotion more than doubled the reach of a Super Bowl ad on the web. In that regard, brands in the game have come a long way. In 2005, only 21% bothered buying paid search around Super Bowl ads; last year that figure more than tripled to 65%, according to Reprise Media, which creates an annual Super Bowl scorecard rating advertisers’ online efforts.

So it’s no surprise the online-video-sharing sites are building major programs around the Super Bowl, hoping to capitalize off the dollars marketers will be putting against the game. YouTube is again promoting its Ad Blitz, and Break.com has created an entire editorial channel around the event, complete with its own custom content it can sell.

“One thing marketers are struggling with is ‘Do we put [the ad] up on our site and try to drive people there?’ or ‘Do we put the content on other sites?’” said Andrew Budkofsky, senior VP-sales and partnerships at Break.com. “It depends on the marketer and its goals — if you’re running a specific promotion you might send people to your site and that’s why we do the custom content — so we can speak to a promotion and do editorial plugs. We can create custom content in a video.”

Here are lessons from Super Bowl’s past to make sure you make the most of the big game.

CAPITALIZE ON PREGAME BUZZ

According to Google, searches for “Super Bowl commercials” start rising about a week before the game at a rate of 10% to 20% a day leading up to the game. (They peaked the day after the Bowl.) Meanwhile, Visible Measures reports pre- and post-game buzz can account for more than 50% of a campaign’s reach.

E-Trade is the poster child for a smart pre-game strategy; last year it released outtakes from its talking toddler campaign several days ahead of time. It took over the YouTube home page the Thursday before the game to promote the spots.

E-Trade also bought search terms on YouTube as well as on the main engines and set up a Facebook and Twitter account. Today, the E-Trade baby is still yammering away to its 3,000-plus Twitter followers. (A recent gem: “Can someone give me the 411 for the tooth fairy? Are milk teeth a commodity? If not, mine are staying in my mouth.”) No surprise, it’s back in the game again this year and already working on its online push.

BUILD VIRALITY INTO YOUR CREATIVE

Doritos has epitomized this for the past two years, running contests to see who could create the big game spot. The strategy capitalizes on the fact that friends and families of the finalists spread the word around the web since votes help determine the winner.

GoDaddy falls into this category as well. While its ads appeal to the lowest common denominator, the narrative it’s built around them generates interest. Several weeks before the 2008 game, CEO Bob Parsons started moaning that early versions of the ad were too racy for network TV — but not too racy for GoDaddy.com. In 2009 the ads were approved in advance, but viewers got to vote on which ones they wanted to see in the game. Visible Measures also advises leaving room for social interpretation — will the ad be spoofed? Is there something for viewers to discuss?

BUY SMART SEARCH TERMS

Cars.com recognized competition for search terms such as “Super Bowl ads” would be stiff, so it also bought terms related to its incredibly detailed ad about a genius named David Abernathy. Among its more obscure paid-search terms were “Gompers,” the name of Abernathy’s pet rabbit, and “Aristotle,” his guinea pig.

Smart search is also about recognizing what people are likely not searching for the day after your ad airs. “People searching for Super Bowl ads may not be directly interested in peripheral marketing campaigns,” said Jerry Canning, finance industry director at Google.

THINK REAL-TIME

Gone are the days when a CMO can enjoy an uninterrupted game in the network’s luxury box. Today smart marketers will be talking on Twitter, tweaking search campaigns and leaving no rock unturned in their quest to drive impressions. Like E-Trade’s baby, the star of H&R Block’s spot, Tax Guy Murray, turned up on Twitter and actively reached out to people talking about the ad or taxes — during the game. “My prediction is this year you’ll have armies of marketers fanning the flames of their ads on Twitter,” said Pete Blackshaw, exec VP, Nielsen Digital Strategic Services. “‘Did you like it? Check out this link. Thanks so much for the high five.’ Marketers are getting smarter about taking the earliest signals, even from early PR events, and parlaying those into something that would increase odds.”

Real-time thinking also applies to media buying. Search is a near-immediate channel and marketers can monitor the conversation and help that inform their buying. You might also consider holding money back so you can make short-notice buys on the sites where the campaign is getting the most traction.

DON’T FORGET THE CALL TO ACTION

Denny’s had one of the most-talked-about promotions — a free Grand Slam breakfast — but forgot to offer up a URL or other direction where people could get more information. According to Reprise Media’s Scorecard, the marketer’s website crashed right after the ad aired and was down for the rest of the game.

And if you’re going to do some sort of call to action — or buy paid media or search — make sure the landing page fits. In other words, don’t do what Pixar did last year. According to Reprise, it had a call to action and a URL with previews — something the other films in the game lacked. But, it wrote “in spite of this, the actual site was not integrated at all with the Super Bowl ad and there were no paid search ads to help direct confused searchers to the ‘right’ page.”

http://tinyurl.com/yzk4xgy.

Increased digital word-of-mouth marketing — using social media and other platforms — could shift marketers’ media plan dynamics for next February’s Super Bowl.

Pete Blackshaw, executive vice president of digital strategic services, and Randall Beard, executive vice president and general manager of Nielsen IAG, write that “earned media” — material from social-networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook — “will be a huge test, as the new reality of consumer expression” for next year’s big football game.

For instance, Tweets embedded in Facebook feeds, blog entries and Google search results can have long-term value. They say these efforts, in conjunction with Super Bowl ads, can have a “latency” effect and provide brands with an almost endless annuity of “earned media.”

Nielsen cites the example of Nationwide Insurance, which three years ago ran a Super Bowl commercial featuring ex-Britney Spears husband Kevin Federline that grabbed over $20 million dollars in “earned media.”

Marketers are upping their use of social media to adjust their marketing in “real-time” — depending on the data available. For example, marketers in 2009 have been using Twitter to interact immediately with brand loyalists, looking to mend fences over consumer frustrations when it comes to products or services.

Such efforts create a bigger halo effect for the Super Bowl when it comes to paying some $2.5 million to $2.7 million for a traditional 30-second commercial.

Nielsen notes that the Super Bowl is still an effective TV platform, scoring strong research numbers — Super Bowl spots get 31% higher break-through scores and 93% higher likability numbers than a typical television ad.

Digging deeper, however, Nielsen says that marketers still need to act strategically to get the most out of their buys. For example, first- and second-quarter commercials get higher recall scores than third- and fourth-quarter spots. (The recall of fourth-quarter ads is about the same as an average TV commercial.)

But when it comes to “branded-integration” efforts, the opposite is true. “Recall and brand opinion are lowest pre-game, moderate during the game, and big gainers post-game,” say Nielsen. “For marketers, the mix is clear: Focus on ads early and branded-integration efforts late.”

http://tinyurl.com/ykrezln

In the advertising world, building buzz is the pregame game. Coca-Cola is readying an update to the Mean Joe Greene commercial featuring Troy Polamalu and his bountiful hair. (Coca-Cola did not return calls seeking confirmation.) “Everybody’s been waiting for the next Mean Joe spot,” says Bob Horowitz, the executive producer of Super Bowls’ Greatest Commercials, adding that Mr. Polamalu is known for his charisma and not his crankiness.

http://tinyurl.com/d7vgvd

WASHINGTON (CNN) — The case of Janet Jackson’s "wardrobe malfunction" on national television — and subsequent fines against CBS — will be re-examined at the order of the Supreme Court.

The justices Monday sent the case back to a federal appeals court in Philadelphia that had thrown out a $550,000 government fine against the broadcast network and its affiliates for airing the incident during halftime of the 2004 Super Bowl. The pop singer’s breast was briefly exposed during a performance with singer Justin Timberlake. After viewer complaints and national media attention, the Federal Communications Commission said the Jackson incident was obscene. In addition to CBS Inc., 20 of its affiliates also were fined.

Congress quickly reacted at the time to the visual shocker by increasing the limit on indecency fines tenfold, up to $325,000 per violation per network. And it said each local affiliate that aired such incidents also could be punished by the same amount.

http://tinyurl.com/y87k4h3

Bruce Springsteen shed light on why after years of turning the NFL’s Super Bowl requests down flat, he broke tradition and performed with the E Street Band during the halftime spectacle.

He explained to The Los Angeles Times, "I’ve said no for about 10 years or however long they’ve been asking, but, I tell you, we played on the last tour and there were some empty seats here and there and, well, there shouldn’t be any empty seats at an E Street Band show. I hold pride that we remain one of the great wonders of the world… so sometimes you got to remind people a little bit."

http://tinyurl.com/bjjv8c

USA TODAY’s Ad Meter tracks the second-by-second responses of a panel of viewers to ads during the Super Bowl and Ranks them from best to worst.

‘Two nobodies from nowhere’ craft winning Super Bowl ad

Updated 2/4/2009 7:51 PM
HOW ADS FOR RECESSIONARY TIMES MATCHED UP

Bud Light:
Corporate bean counter proposes no Bud Light at meetings to cut budget.
30
1st
7.49

CareerBuilder.com:
When you know it’s time to get a new job.

60
3rd
7.37

E-Trade:
Babies discuss “brutal” economy and E-Trade.
30
2nd
7.27

Monster.com:
Old job gets the wrong end of the moose.
30
3rd
6.95

Denny’s:
Tweaks rival’s fancy pancakes, offers everyone free Grand Slam breakfast.
30
3rd
6.62

Cash4Gold:
Ed McMahon and MC Hammer trade gold mementoes for needed cash.
30
4th
5.58

Hyundai:
Assurance program lets buyers return car without credit penalty if they lose job.
30
4th
4.68

By Bruce Horovitz, USA TODAY
It wasn’t just the Arizona Cardinals who met their match in the Super Bowl — so did Madison Avenue.
And it could be a game-changer. For the first time, it wasn’t an ad agency that created the best-liked Super Bowl commercial. It was two unemployed brothers from Batesville, Ind., whose ad for Doritos — created for an online contest for amateurs — won them $1 million from Doritos maker Frito-Lay, and leaves ad pros with a lot of ‘splaining to do.

CHART: How all this year’s ads ranked
AD METER QUIZ: How well do you remember the ads?
MARKETING TOUCHDOWN: Winning ad cost less than $2,000
PHOTOS: Previous Ad Meter winners since 1989
What the duo did was beat 51 big-budget advertisers and won USA TODAY’S 21st annual exclusive Super Bowl Ad Meter real-time consumer testing of how much they liked the ads as they aired. (USA TODAY had no connection with Doritos and no connection to the online contest.)

The off-the-wall commercial, “Free Doritos,” features a guy who shatters a vending machine with his crystal ball after predicting free Doritos for everyone in the office.

Just as impressive, the two and backer Doritos displaced Anheuser-Busch and broke its Ad Meter streak. The brewing giant had won 10 in a row.

Although A-B did well, with two ads ranking among Ad Meter’s top five, it couldn’t match Doritos, which also aired a second ad from the contest — and it finished No. 5 out of the 52 ads in the games.

WHAT TICKLED YOUR FUNNY BONE? Tell us what you thought of this year’s ads
REPORTERS NOTEBOOK: USA TODAY’s Laura Petrecca took reader’s ad questions during the game
“Two nobodies from nowhere,” just walked off with one of the ad world’s top honors, says 32-year-old Dave Herbert, who made the winning ad with his 33-year-old brother, Joe.

We “beat the king of commercials,” says Herbert.

The two brothers now have fame, fortune and a decent shot at changing the way Super Bowl commercials — and maybe lots of others — are made in the future.

As if the $280 billion U.S. advertising industry doesn’t have enough problems in the struggling economy, now it’s got an even bigger problem: Amateurs are beating it at its own game.

“Regular people have great ideas. They took something simple and made it funny,” says Charles Boast, a 59-year old engineer from Alexandria, Va., an Ad Meter participant.

“Given the type of times we’re in, funny is in,” he says.

Anheuser-Busch executives were good sports, even though A-B was out A-B-ed this Super Bowl by two guys who stole from its playbook of low-brow slapstick ads. (Yes, the crystal ball in the Doritos ad also is heaved at a man’s crotch, albeit accidentally.)

“Tell them to do a recount,” said a jesting Bob Lachky, chief creative officer at Anheuser-Busch, upon learning A-B had been bested. But Lachky conceded that the winning Doritos ad was pretty funny.

“Congratulations to Doritos,” he said.

Folks who sat down to watch Sunday’s Super Bowl had an entirely different emotional frame of mind than just one year ago.

Since 2008′s Big Game, the economy has fallen near all-time lows, and a historic election and inauguration has taken place.

Even in a downtrodden economy, what delights Super Bowl viewers hasn’t changed at all. Folks simply want to laugh.

“People should laugh in times like these,” says George Banks, a Portland, Ore., resident.

Consumers participating in Ad Meter also laughed loud at the Bridgestone ad, which featured Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head.

But they laughed hardest at the Doritos ad. And Doritos is thrilled.

“We were hoping for this. This is going to be the best million dollars we’ve spent at Frito-Lay,” says Ann Mukherjee, group vice president at Frito-Lay.

It will have an “ongoing relationship” with the brothers, she says. “They’re now part of the family.”

She says Frito-Lay hasn’t decided how it will present the check.

The contest had 1,900 entries, and five finalists were posted online — with the two top vote-getters airing during the game.

The budget-conscious brothers behind the winning ad had just five takes to get the ad right — since they had invested in only five panes of glass for the used vending machine they had bought.

They got the shot they wanted on the first take.

The brothers worked hard for Sunday night’s surprise win.

They met once a week for the last four to five years to talk about filmmaking and how they could make a break “in this tough business,” says Joe Herbert.

Two years ago, an ad they created made it to the top five finalists but didn’t air. “But we wanted to come back again,” says Dave Herbert.

They now plan to focus on filmmaking and on a board game, Triviathon, they invented that is coming out in July.

Even in a hobbled economy, about 28 advertisers bought a record $206 million dollars’ worth of commercial time. Even more astounding, they paid a record $3 million per 30-second slot — or $100,000 a second — for their moment of Super Bowl glory.

Nearly 100 million viewers nationally watched at least some part of the game and its 52 commercials.

The much-promoted pair of 3-D ads for SoBe and DreamWorks did not air during the game. They aired at halftime and, thus, were not counted in Ad Meter, which only rates ads between the opening and closing whistles of each half.

TELL US WHAT YOU THINK

Did you like the 3-D ads — or were they too much of a gimmick? How about the ‘amateur’ Doritos ads and Budweiser’s Clydesdale commercials — what’s your opinion of those ads? USA Today’s Ad Team wants to get your take on those TV spots, as well as other commercials that aired during Sunday’s Super Bowl. Post your comments below.

http://tinyurl.com/abnxvp

How TV’s most expensive commercials scored with USA TODAY’s Ad Meter focus groups:

10 most popular

Advertiser
Description
Sec.
Qtr.
Score

Doritos
Crystal ball sees free Doritos.
30
1st
8.46

Budweiser
Clydesdale’s romance with circus horse.
60
2nd
8.42

Budweiser
A Clydesdale can fetch.
30
2nd
8.26

Bridgestone
Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head take a drive.
30
2nd
7.83

Doritos
Superpowers of Doritos’ crunch.
30
2nd
7.79

Cars.com
Cocky overachiever needs help buying a car.
60
2nd
7.78

Pedigree
Dog is better pet than an ostrich or rhino.
30
2nd
7.71

Pepsi-Cola
Mix of Forever Young with old and new images of Bob Dylan and Will.i.am.
60
1st
7.65

Castrol
Grease monkeys and Castrol Edge keep car running smoothly.
30
2nd
7.56

Bud Light
Corporate bean counter proposes no Bud Light at meetings to cut budget.
30
1st
7.49

The rest

Coca-Cola
Bugs make off with a guy’s Coke.
60
3rd
7.48

Audi
Transporter actor Jason Statham in time travel chase in progressively better cars.
60
1st
7.44

CareerBuilder.com
When you know it’s time to get a new job.
60
3rd
7.37

Cheetos
Pigeons attack gabber on cell phone.
30
2nd
7.35

Budweiser
Tale of Clydesdale emigration from ancestral home in Scotland.
60
3rd
7.32

E-Trade
Babies discuss “brutal” economy and E-Trade.
30
2nd
7.27

Bridgestone
Space travelers visit Saturn.
30
3rd
7.27

Coke Zero
Steelers safety Troy Polamalu parodies classic Mean Joe Greene ad.
30
4th
7.27

Bud Light
Conan O’Brien agrees to do Bud Light ad thinking it will air only in Sweden.
30
1st
7.25

Pepsi Max
“I’m good,” say battered guys.
30
2nd
7.12

Monster.com
See wrong end of moose in old job.
30
3rd
6.95

GE
Clean wind energy.
30
4th
6.87

Sony
Movie: The Year One.
30
1st
6.79

Universal Studios
Movie: Land of the Lost.
30
2nd
6.78

Walt Disney Studios
Movie: Up (3-D film from Pixar).
30
2nd
6.74

Denny’s
Tweaks rival’s fancy pancakes, offers everyone free Grand Slam breakfast.
30
3rd
6.62

NFL
Saints’ Usama Young and dad talk about teen job as snow-cone vendor.
60
4th
6.60

GE
Scarecrow sings about smart electrical distribution grids.
30
4th
6.46

Walt Disney Studios
Movie: Race to Witch Mountain.
30
3rd
6.38

Taco Bell
Young guy is overeager for Taco Bell date.
30
4th
6.34

Hulu
Alec Baldwin: TV makes brain mush.
60
4th
6.29

Teleflora
Boxed flowers can insult your Valentine.
30
2nd
6.25

Bud Light
Two skiers compare smooth beer to smooth and not-so-smooth skiers.
30
2nd
6.20

Sony
Movie: Angels & Demons.
30
1st
6.14

Paramount
Movie: Star Trek.
30
2nd
6.14

Bud Light Lime
This beer creates summer in all seasons.
30
4th
6.09

Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes
Run-down field becomes lush playground. Tony the Tiger does cameo.
30
3rd
6.08

Paramount
Movie: Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.
30
3rd
5.93

Coca-Cola
Coke transforms monster avatar into a pretty girl.
30
3rd
5.71

H&R Block
Grim Reaper unhappy with accountant.
30
2nd
5.69

Universal Studios
Movie: Fast & Furious.
30
2nd
5.66

GoDaddy.com
Guys fantasize about shower scene.
30
2nd
5.62

Cash4Gold.com
Ed McMahon and MC Hammer trade gold mementoes for needed cash.
30
4th
5.58

Gatorade
Tiger Woods and others talk about G.
30
2nd
5.51

Pepsi-Cola
Saturday Night Live’s MacGruber changes name to PepSuber.

4th
5.48

GoDaddy.com
Danica Patrick says she “enhanced.”
30
4th
5.11

5 least popular

United Way/NFL
Promotes youth fitness program.
10
2nd
5.10

Hyundai
Rivals unhappy Genesis sedan named Car of the Year.
30
2nd
4.98

Toyota
Diversity of new Venza’s appeal.
30
1st
4.89

Hyundai
Assurance program lets buyers return car without credit penalty if they lose job.
30
4th
4.68

Vizio
Flat-panel TVs.
30
4th
3.77