16 LONGISLANDPRESS.COM • FEBRUARY 2022
THE SUPER BOWL LVI
WHO’S IN, WHO’S OUT
BY GREG DEMETRIOU
CEO OF LORRAINE GREGORY
COMMUNICATIONS
The annual meeting of the National
Football League’s two top teams crosses
the boundary between sports championship
and pop culture event. Advertisers
hoping to capture the attention of the
114.4 million anticipated U.S. viewers
are ponying up $6.5 million for a 30-second
spot. Even at that lofty ducat, the
space was virtually sold out prior to the
season’s start.
Knowing the audience reach and scope,
you would expect to see the same advertisers
give or take a couple. Not so. The
annual lineup shifts like the sand.
New entry Wallbox is a manufacturer
of residential electric vehicle charging
stations. “We are at the Super Bowl
because our consumers are at the Super
Bowl,” said Chief Marketing Offi -
cer Barbara Calixto. “Anyone considering
buying an EV electric vehicle
in the U.S. is a potential customer of
our brand.” The company is betting on
name recognition and future business
potential.
Lay’s Potato Chips, a PepsiCo company,
is back after a 17-year hiatus. Taco Bell
will have a 30-second “celebrate a modern
expression of Live Mas” spot. And,
while Hyundai, Jaguar, and Lexus will
be on the sideline this year, GM is in.
Another big name, Meta, formerly Facebook,
confi rmed their commercial early
on, though one can only speculate on
the content: Meta corporate or advertisement
for one of their social platforms?
We will see.
Advertisers opting out have diff ering
reasons, though the general rationale is
watching budgets and redirecting to other
venues and campaigns. However, advertisers
who’ve opted in are calling on
agencies such as VaynerMedia, Anomaly,
and Wieden+Kennedy to break out the
most creative, memorable commercials.
Each would love to achieve a “Best of All
Time” status.
Speaking of memorable, let’s not forget
the Pepsi halftime show. Though the
sponsorship ends this year — if they
don’t renew — they are going out with
a bang, with Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Dr.
Dre, Mary J. Blige, and Kendrick Lamar.
A pop culture extravaganza for sure.
What does all this really mean? Advertisers,
no matter how big, will make
pocketbook decisions; those with deep
pockets can tolerate spending millions.
A survey by InsightExpress, a Stamford,
Conn.-based market research company,
indicates that half of the viewers are
more interested in the commercials than
in the game itself, and that 97 percent of
media planners see Super Bowl spots as
“eff ective in raising consumer awareness.”
Final thought: The Monday after the
Super Bowl should be a National Day of
Recovery.
POINT OF VIEW
“Advertisers, no
matter how big, will
make pocketbook
decisions.”
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