3 Hidden Themes Of This Year's Super Bowl Ads

Spoiler alert: A few Super Bowl commercials have launched on social media well before Sunday's big game. Ad industry watchers say the multi-million-dollar spots are meant to be entertaining, but a few of the ads are already controversial.» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

Spoiler alert: A few Super Bowl commercials have launched on social media well before Sunday's big game. Ad industry watchers say the multi-million-dollar spots are meant to be entertaining, but a few of the ads are already controversial.» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

(Carbon Arc)

The cost of advertising in the Super Bowl is rising, running an average of $4 million for a 30-second spot—up from $3.5 million last year and just $42,000 back in 1967. To justify the expense, advertisers aim to present fans with something more than just another entertaining but ultimately forgettable commercial. How do they plan on doing it? Here are a few of the ways: Longer Commercials The most talked-about ad from last year’s Super Bowl was Chrysler‘s “It’s Halftime in America” featuring Clint Eastwood.

The cost of advertising in the Super Bowl is rising, running an average of $4 million for a 30-second spot—up from $3.5 million last year and just $42,000 back in 1967. To justify the expense, advertisers aim to present fans with something more than just another entertaining but ultimately forgettable commercial. How do they plan on doing it? Here are a few of the ways: Longer Commercials The most talked-about ad from last year’s Super Bowl was Chrysler‘s “It’s Halftime in America” featuring Clint Eastwood.

Some people watch the Super Bowl for the ads. And this year, a lot of them have been online for days before the game. Eric Deggans of the Tampa Bay Times talks to Audie Cornish about the ads and how many of them are taking advantage of people watching TV with phones or tablets in their hands.» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

In honor of the upcoming Super Bowl XLVII (the 49ers against the Ravens, in case you hadn't heard), to be played in New Orleans, the theme of Thoughts On the Business of Life this time is football. One of the highlights of this season has been the emergence of numerous young quarterbacks, such as the 49ers' Colin Kaepernick and the wounded Robert Griffin III of the Redskins, to complement veteran stars like Joe Flacco,  Tom Brady, the Manning brothers and Aaron Rodgers. It seems like there have never been so many great quarterbacks in the league at the same time.

This weekend, more than 100 million people will gather around their televisions to watch the New Orleans Saints take on the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLIV. But that's only part of the entertainment: The commercials often draw more Monday morning quarterbacking than the game itself. Linda Wertheimer talks with author and former ad man James Othmer about what will play between the plays Sunday.