By Ryan Parsons | Image property of Paramount, Variety
Star Trek Character Banner
Before last year's Super Bowl we received disappointing news announcing that not many studios would be campaigning their films during the event with TV spots thanks most in part to how much it costs to run an advertisement during the game. With a down economy this year, one would think the studios would be pulling out even more and releasing even less spots. Not the case!
Since Hollywood has remained close to recession proof, it looks like just about every studio will be throwing their stake into the game.
Super Bowl TV Spots a Plenty
With close to 100 million viewers, it looks like the Super Bowl is just too good a marketing tool to pass up... This year. Variety has confirmed some films that will be promoted during the commercial breaks.
Confirmed for this year’s roster are high-profile titles like Paramount’s "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen," "Star Trek" and "G.I. Joe"; Sony’s "Angels and Demons"; DreamWorks Animation’s "Monsters vs. Aliens"; and Universal’s "Land of the Lost" and its fourth installment in "The Fast and the Furious" franchise. Disney is also planning to use the game to raise the profile for Pixar’s next toon, "Up," while a "Wolverine" spot is likely from Fox.
So why the increase in promotion? Has NBC lowered the price per 30-second spot? Not so. The network has actually raised the price from last year's $2.7 million to a round $3 million. While the number deterred the usual marketers such as FedEx and General Motors, it looks like Hollywood did find a way to negotiate a discount.
It's a win-win really. The more ad spots NBC can fill, the less they have to air free promotions for their own shows.
There is still some inventory left, and it is assumed that the studios will hold out until close to game time for better deals.
The same goes for Warner Bros, but they see a problem with all the spots playing during the Super Bowl. With all the films being marketed during a three-hour frame, it might be hard for some to stand out and leave an impression. While we can assume some last-minute discounts could convince WB to throw a spot or two at the game, they claim to be looking elsewhere to promote their films.