The price tag on 30 second commercial time slots during the Super Bowl has been growing consistently over the years. This year, Fox has reportedly sold at least ten advertisement slots for $8 million. This pushes the average cost of Super Bowl ads to be approximately $7.5 million. Is spending money this way a smart business decision?
Entrepreneurship and business essential teacher Neil Barbaloto said, “It depends on the size of the company. If they’re super small, they could be putting all their eggs in one basket by using their whole marketing budget. Sometimes that could set them back.”
The price of the commercial slot doesn’t even begin to cover the cost of production, celebrity features, crew, equipment and more. According to numerous interviewees, it’s widely agreed that the quality of Super Bowl commercials is going down as more AI and special effects are being utilized.
Not too long ago, Coca-Cola aired an AI Christmas promotional video that received extreme backlash from viewers who called the ad “soulless” and “devoid of any actual creativity.” It’s clear that audiences value the hard work and details that usually go into commercials. Some people argue that technological advancements are just becoming a part of life in this age while others reminisce over fan favorite Super Bowl ads like Apple’s “1984” (1984), GoDaddy’s “The Website that Sizzles” (2005), Mountain Dew’s “Puppy Monkey Baby” (2016) and Volkswagen’s “The Force” (2011).
Spanish teacher Sarah Menafra said, “[The advertisement quality is] definitely decreasing. They’re not as captivating as they used to be. I could’ve gone to the bathroom during these ads, but in the old days it was like I was there to watch the ads.”
Super Bowl commercials could be a great way to get a small business’ name talked about, but it’s a major gamble since capturing an audience’s attention can be a difficult task. It’s also hard to satisfy everyone; onlookers will always have criticism.
The charm of Super Bowl commercials is undeniable, but with declining quality and high expenses, there may be better marketing strategies for companies that don’t break the bank.
