It is just ONE WEEK until the most exciting day of the advertising calendar – SUPER BOWL! And we are expecting this year to be ESPECIALLY INTERESTING!

Ok, so let’s get the facts of the game out of the way, so we can talk more about the advertising. This year is the 55th Super Bowl and the big game will be between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. For those who like their sport, the Chiefs are currently the slight favourites.

But now to the more important part – the advertising! When we watch the game, we have the sound on mute, and we turn up the volume when the ads come on – is that wrong? According to survey data, over half of all Super Bowl viewers tune in just to watch the ads – so we are not alone.

But this year is different. This is the first time there has ever been a Super Bowl during a pandemic. What does this mean for the demand for the spots, the tone of the ads and even what brands can show?

Firstly, it was really interesting to read that Viacom CBS has sold out the advertising spots for the broadcast – although it did take a little longer to fill all the spots than last year. Even during a time of reduced demand and advertising spending due to COVID-19, big brands are willing to stump up the $5.5 million for the 30s ad to show us their best work.

Also, the health and economic situation related to the pandemic will obviously create big challenges for advertisers this year. We have heard that several big brands (like Coke, Budweiser and Pepsi) which are usually massive supporters of the game have chosen to sit out this year – the situation is tricky and they ensure they are “investing in the right resources”.

In previous studies conducted by Luma, we have seen that only around a third of brands return year-on-year to advertise. And equally only around two-fifths of the ads are effective. With such high stakes this year, it is not surprising that many brands have decided to pass on the opportunity for Super Bowl 55.

So, what will we see in the ads next week? There have been fewer teasers than in previous years, so it is hard to know. We’ll have to wait another week and we can hardly wait!  

The Game airs on 7th February – we have our Game Pass ready and will be running our annual study on the ads. If you would like to see the results, please send us an email or sign up to our mailing list on our website.

Luma will also be hosting a free Webinar showcasing our Super Bowl insights.

Stay tuned to our Linkedin for more details.