More and more of the Super Bowl ads are having a longer life than just the game.  Beyond buying the expensive air time the spots are also expensive to produce.  Most companies want more than one or two spins of the commercial.  That's why they appear on line prior to the game and often scheduled in some regular programming weeks after.

Bell Media has announced record sales for the match this year.  It says they are almost sold out.  Not sure if they mean the whole broadcast or just the game itself.  Some of the US ads will appear on CTV/TSN but Bell says there is also new creative for their broadcast on their three networks.  They also will have a crew broadcasting from Las Vegas 

More from the Lede..https://www.bellmedia.ca/the-lede/press/bell-media-confirms-record-sales-for-super-bowl-lviii-airing-sunday-feb-11-on-tsn-ctv-and-rds/

It's easy to forget with all the hype that in the 80s, the Super Bowl did not have expensive and elaborate commercials. Turns out, just one spot changed everything, running on Super Bowl XVIII in 1984 - exactly 40 years ago. It started the expensive ad craziness that has been part of the game ever since, with companies spending millions of dollars on ever more elaborate campaigns. 

But as this article in the New York Times outlines, it almost didn't run, when test audiences hated it - and executives were unsure it would even make sense to anyone. Today, it's considered a classic of its genre. And it only ever actually ever aired that one time that one year. 

But no one who saw it will ever forget it. 

40 Years Ago, This Ad Changed the Super Bowl Forever

Here's a Super Bowl ad that's not a Super Bowl ad. It will air instead on Stephen Colbert's special Sunday night show (although probably more like early Monday) that follows the game, the new show Tracker and the local news. 

It's a satire designed to take on all the ridiculous other ads you've just spent the last four hours watching. 

Walter wrote:

Ironically, in 2024 our society resembles 1984 more closely than it did in 1984.  Computers and the internet has had a lot to do with it.

If you build it they will come. And totally eff up many things. Fake news. Vegan meat. Situational ethics. Paywalls. Entertainment streaming companies that end up showing commercials during programs just like cable TV companies.

Last edited by betaylored (February 10, 2024 5:42 am)