Stung by the recession, some of the United States' biggest companies are slashing their advertising budgets. But television viewers won't know it from watching the commercials during this year's Super Bowl.
Fans tuning in for the championship game Sunday will see 2 1/2 straight minutes of commercials they can watch in 3-D with special glasses. They'll also see ads featuring comedian Conan O'Brien and cellist Yo-Yo Ma; a reprise of the "Mean" Joe Greene Coca-Cola ad from 1979, this time with Pittsburgh Steelers player Troy Polamalu; and even commercials for commercials, telling viewers to stay tuned for the 3-D spots just before halftime.
Advertisers are defying the downturn by shelling out millions to create the ads, then paying NBC as much as $3 million for 30 seconds of airtime during the game between the Steelers and Arizona Cardinals. That's 11% more than the $2.7 million that Fox charged for the top slots during last year's game, when the New York Giants upset the New England Patriots.
A few companies, such as FedEx Corp. and General Motors Corp., decided not to advertise during this year's Super Bowl. And some viewers have tuned out from the National Football League playoffs; 13% fewer homes watched this year's AFC Championship game compared with 2008, and 23% fewer homes watched the NFC Championship game.
But first-time Super Bowl advertisers have taken the plunge this year, including dog food maker Pedigree and restaurant chain Denny's.
Companies say they're still spending big on Super Bowl ads because no other event captures the interest of an estimated 100 million TV watchers who may actually pay attention to the commercials.
"I would have anticipated that more would have dropped out," said Walter F. Guarino, advertising professor at Seton Hall University in South Orange, N.J. "But this thing is going to be a sellout of major proportions."
DreamWorks Animation is running a 90-second commercial for its movie "Monsters vs. Aliens," one of only a handful of spots of that length ever to run during the Super Bowl.
What's more, it's in 3-D. The movie studio partnered with Intel Corp. and PepsiCo Inc. to make and distribute in supermarkets more than 125 million pairs of glasses that will allow viewers to see the enhanced image. The "Monsters vs. Aliens" ad will be immediately followed by a one-minute, 3-D commercial for PepsiCo's SoBe beverage that features football players Justin Tuck, Ray Lewis and Matt Light.
