The XLVIII (48^th) annual Super Bowl will be held at MetLife Stadium, New Jersey on Sunday, February 2, 6:30pm.  The Super Bowl is an American cultural phenomenon featuring the best two professional football teams in America.  This year,  the Seattle Seahawks will play the Denver Broncos for the coveted Vince Lombardi Trophy. 

 

Over time, this sporting event has also emerged into a social event, a sort of “Unofficial National Holiday”, where family and friends gather to enjoy food, drink, share their camaraderie, and view the advertisements and finally the game.  For some strange reason, we all seem connected as participants in this event.  Many people find US football rules confusing, difficult to understand and violent. However, this game also brings us together to party.  Remember, going outside in the middle of winter is rather difficult, so there has to be a compelling reason to venture out into the arctic air. This Super Bowl event is so special that the National Football League (NFL) assigned Roman numerals rather than Arabic numbers to make it more prestigious.

 

The first Super Bowl was played on January 15, 1967 but it did not have all the pageantry and glamour as it does today. In the early 70’s, New York ad agency executives decided to utilize the Super Bowl to promote and sell their products.  Thus, the competition began between ad companies to see who could produce the most creative advertisement.  Last year, over one hundred million people around the world tuned into the XLVII Super Bowl.  We not only watched the game but we paid particular attention to the commercials.  Many of these commercials were witty, clever and funny.  The day after the Super Bowl, many people will focus their conversations on the commercials rather than the game (if the game is boring or a blowout).  A Harris Interactive  study done last year found an estimated 66 percent of women and 45% of men watched the game as much as the commercials.

 

This year’s 30 second commercial spot will cost a record $4 million dollars. Yes, $4,000,000 just for 30 seconds to attract your undivided attention to buy their product.   As one executive put it, everyone wants to be “blown away” by the Super Bowl ads. This year a record number of companies 30 to 40, will be featuring 60 second commercial messages.

 

Here are some of the ads for this year’s Super Bowl:

 

1. Chobani Yogurt’s ad “Ransacked” features a bear roaming a supermarket looking for something natural to eat.
2. Wonderful Pistachios ad “Get Crackin, America” features Steven Colbert, night time TV host.
3. Toyota ad will feature the Muppets – Kermit, Rowlf and the Highlander vehicle.
4. Anheuser-Busch (the biggest buyer of Super Bowl ad time) ad theme “The Perfect Beer for whatever happens” and another ad features a Llama and Bud light.
5. CarMax ad   “Slow Clap” has the neighborhood clapping for the man as he drives away.
6. Heinz Ketchup ad “The belief that when someone picks up a bottle of Heinz Ketchup they are triggering all the happy memories they have experienced over the years when Heinz Ketchup was present.
7. SodaStream ad “Better Bubbles made by you” features Scarlett Johansson.
8. M&M candy ad will present the “The Year of the Peanut” campaign with the yellow MM color taking the lead role.

During the last decade, advertisers spent $2 billion dollars on Super Bowl ads.

 

If you are invited to a Super Bowl party, please go and experience this event. You will have fun watching the game (even if you don’t understand it) and the commercials will definitely keep your attention.

 

After all, it is not only about the game.

 

Bob Chudy

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Chudy

Program Director

International Student & Scholar Services (ISSS)

Office of Global Affairs

University of Connecticut

2011 Hillside Rd U-1083

Storrs, CT 06269

phone: 860-486-3855

email: [log in to unmask]

web: www.isss.uconn.edu