Most Super Bowl Ads Not Sacked by Economy

Commercials are normally the most hated part of watching TV. But those nasty sentiments are put on hold for one program—the Super Bowl. Heck, some people watch the big game just to check out the ads.

More people watch the Super Bowl than just about any program. In fact, according to Nielsen Media Research, of the 45 highest-rated broadcasts in the history of United States primetime television, 20 of them are Super Bowls. Last year’s Super Bowl was the highest rated game ever, with an estimated 148.3 million viewers watching.

Those huge numbers of potential customers make Super Bowl advertising a very attractive draw for businesses, but it comes at quite the price. It has increased through the millions every year, and according to the USA Today, has gone up to $3 million for a 30-second spot this time around.

Despite the tough economy, these ads have been bought with few reservations. The USA Today reported last week that only 10% of the ads remained for sale, which is about 6 ads.

So what can you expect out of this year’s Super Bowl commercials? Well, the traditional advertisers will be back as always, such as Anheuser-Busch, Coca-Cola, Pepsi-Cola, and Frito-Lay, with their humorous spots, according to the USA Today.

“We know times are tough,” said Steve Wehrenburg, CEO of the Campbell Mithun ad agency. “…But we still want to laugh.”

But some of the powerhouse advertisers are being forced to hold out of the party this year due to the economy, including General Motors and FedEx, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Despite the economic woes, the game and the ads will go on. So make sure during the game, if you have to visit the restroom, try to wait until the halftime show (which, by the way, is Bruce Springsteen), or at least a boring part of the game so you don’t miss a minute of the action.