30 Seconds or 30 Days?

$7 million.

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That’s a lot of money.

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You can do a lot with $7 million.

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A handful of brands are soon going to take $7 million and put it towards running a :30 Super Bowl commercial spot.? The cost of a Super Bowl spot has risen steadily over the past several years, with it coming in at $4 million just ten years ago.? It’s easy to understand why brands go ahead and commit such a hefty spend for thirty seconds in one singular game.? The Super Bowl is the premier sporting moment of the year.? Built up over the course of two weeks, it’s not just a sporting event, it’s a lifestyle event.? If done right, a Super Bowl commercial can become a brand defining moment.? The Farmer’s Dog – “Forever”, The E Trade Baby, McDonalds – “The Showdown” are just a few memorable spots clearly worth every penny spent.

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115.1 million viewers tuned into Super Bowl 57.? That’s the most watched Super Bowl of all time, however an interesting side note is that A18-49 viewership has steadily declined over the between 2011-2021 only spiking slight the past two years.? There’s no sugarcoating it – The Super Bowl still remains the most watched event of the year, but you have to wonder if there’s simply less interest from the casual/non-sports fan.? If you’re spending $7 million odds are there’s going to be a lot of thought, preparation, planning and maybe a celebrity or two for the brand shelling out that dough.? It’s thirty seconds to make a serious impression.? Sure, you may be that brand that lands in the “Top 10 Super Bowl commercials of the year” article, but if your spot isn’t memorable – or doesn’t land with the audience, was it a poor investment?

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Brands that think differently tend to find success.? Imagine a brand that was considering spending $7 million on a Super Bowl spot investing that budget in a bit differently.? The goal still remains the same.? That brand still wants to make a major statement, reach a ton of people, create a memorable moment….but maybe do it for longer than thirty seconds.? Imagine if that brand took $7 million and spent it on Out-of-Home Advertising?? Honestly, I’d bet that $7 million spent in OOH would drive greater ROI for said brand. No doubt in my mind.? What Newcastle did with Anna Kendrick & The Super Bowl back in 2014 (i.e. “almost making a Super Bowl commercial”) was sheer genius.?

What if a brand that was planning on spending for a Super Bowl spot took that budget and built out a vast & dominant OOH campaign instead, playing off the fact that there’s screen fatigue and people are excited to be returning to some kind of normalcy?? Billboards, walls, The Sphere, bus shelters, taxi tops with creative reading “This was our Super Bowl budget.”? I haven’t won any Cannes Lions, but you get the idea.

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OOH is projected to be the sole traditional media format experiencing growth (+7.2%) in 2024, showcasing its relevance in an evolving advertising landscape.? Brands running a Super Bowl spot are looking for awareness, and there’s no better awareness driver than outdoor advertising.? Aside from that, the channel has evolved immensely allowing for measurement, incorporating digitization (leading to more dynamic creative content), and of course living a second life thanks to social amplification.? According to Nielsen - ?1 in 4 U.S. adults surveyed have posted a photo on Instagram after seeing an outdoor advertisement.? You just don’t get that with any other channel.? OOH offers up so many different creative canvas’ that truly gives brands the opportunity to create memorable moments, and connect with their audience in an authentic way.

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If you take the $7M that goes into a Super Bowl spot, and invest it in OOH, there are a few ways you can make a major statement –

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1.)?? Traditional Market Domination – You can effectively “own” multiple major markets and still come in slightly under the $7M you’d spend on the Big Game.? Think New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami and Dallas.? You’d be everywhere.? Branded subways across NYC, building wraps on the 405 in LA, eye-popping wallscapes across River North in Chicago, a fleet of wrapped double deckers in Miami and digital spectaculars across Downtown Dallas.? You’d be getting over one billion impressions at a CPM below $6.? It wouldn’t be a global audience, but it would be a strategic one.? Core neighborhoods blanketed, with the ability to create strong Instagrammable moments.? Multiple opportunities and ways to tell your brand’s story. Seems like a pretty good investment if you ask me.

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2.)?? Programmatic – If you’re a brand truly focused on a data driven approach, while honing in on your core demo, imagine meeting that demo throughout their daily journey. From digital billboards on their morning drive, to screens at the gas pump, to digital spectaculars at the mall, and lastly screens inside the bar.? You can craft a highly-targeted campaign by leveraging consumer insights and audience movement to ensure your brand message is reaching your audience in the real world.? With aggregated measurement, you can understand app downloads, in-store visits, awareness and sales uplift.? Creative flexibility, real time optimization, measurement all while being ensured you’re reaching who you want to reach? A tremendous way to invest $7M.

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3.)?? The Big Moment – Brands have taken over every screen in Times Square, but has a brand ever taken over every screen in New York City?? Wrapped buses are fun, but what about wrapped blimps?? A brand name on a billboard is exciting, but what about a brand name as a new stop on the Philadelphia SEPTA system?? Of course we know what we can do on The Sphere!? The creative limits you can push in OOH are endless, and sometimes brands simply don’t know that.? What about those people attending the Super Bowl?? They miss out on all the fun commercials.? What if a brand aired the first-ever “Super Bowl Only” commercial live from a see-through double decker bus parked on the Vegas Strip which livestreams to all screens in Allegiant Stadium, and is only visible to those attending the Super Bowl?? ?Lean on your creative teams, brand leads, and think about the most incredible, immersive brand building idea you can imagine.? You can make it come true with that $7M.?

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I’m not going to sit here and tell a brand that investing in a Super Bowl spot is a bad idea, because honestly it’s not.? It’s a brand defining moment – which if done right – won’t be forgotten.? It can elevate a brand above it’s competitors, and create a whole new audience on the spot.? What I will do is challenge brands to think differently.? If you’re considering spending on a Super Bowl spot, but you are on the fence, pivoting to OOH isn’t the worst idea.? You can make a bigger splash, do it in a number of ways, craft a true brand story, and even measure the impact.? 30 seconds is so nice, but doesn’t 30 days sound better?? How about 60 days? There are so many ways to reach your audience via a much more hyper-targeted approach, and still create that memorable opportunity, OOH will help you do that.? Ultimately, OOH can reach ten times the audience for the cost of a Super Bowl ad (as per the OAAA). So many brands take a stab at a Super Bowl spot with the audience left asking “where’s the beef?” – so why not be one of the brands that’s a bit more “up for whatever” and thinks outside the box.? Not the worst idea.