Commercials for the commercials? Arnold Schwarzenegger in tennis gear? A Full House reunion? Must be Super Bowl time.
"It's interesting to see the experience of the Super Bowl ads lasting eight to 13 weeks on average today compared to one day of viewing the ads years ago,” says Carol Johanek, adjunct professor of marketing at Washington University in St. Louis’ Olin Business School.
“For the first time, YouTube is actually dedicating a channel for viewers to see the full commercials prior to the game.”
For advertisers, more ads mean more views and hopefully more engagement with potential customers.
It’s a social event
“The increased exposure of both the teasers and the full commercials continues to impact the number of average views to the brands' web sites, allowing the brands to converse with their consumers,” Johanek says. “The ads continue to spearhead social media strategies primarily looking to engage the brand's segment, adding Instagram to the mix of tools being used.”
Instagram and Twitter hashtags continue to be utilized by brands to engage in conversation about the ads and to measure the level of communication taking place, she says.
The celebrity factor
Celebrities will once again be a strong presence in the spots, Johanek says, with Arnold Schwarzenegger (Bud Light), John Stamos (Oikos) and Scarlett Johansson (Dolce and Gabbana) being some of the new ones this year. A Dannon commercial will bank on the nostalgia factor by reuniting some of the cast from from the 90s hit television show Full House.
“Viewers can also expect to see lots of animals and young kids due to their continued success in evoking emotions and raising overall attention of the brand to the consumer,” Johanek says.