The turmoil on Madison Avenue has crept into television's biggest showcase for advertising: the Super Bowl.
Far from being recession-proof, the big game is contending with sluggish ad sales, automotive woes and the loss of game mainstays FedEx and General Motors. Even ad stalwarts Pepsi and Anheuser-Busch are going through significant shake-ups that could affect their usual buzz-getting fare.
For one thing, there will almost certainly be fewer car commercials on Super Sunday. Big-spending auto companies clocked a total of 5-½ minutes of commercial time during the 2008 Super Bowl, making them the biggest ad category, according to Nielsen.
GM, which has warned it could run out of cash by the end of the year, took a pass after 16 straight Super Bowl appearances. Neither Chrysler nor Ford, which are also begging for government aid, is in a position to replace it.
Toyota, whose sales have slumped along with most of the industry, was a player last year, but has not yet decided whether to return in 2009, a spokeswoman said.
The beleaguered auto business might explain why NBC, which has the broadcast rights to air the Feb. 1 game in Tampa, Fla., is suddenly having a tough time unloading its remaining commercial time after bragging earlier this year about the brisk pace of sales.
In September, the Peacock crowed that it had sold 85 percent of its 30-second slots for around $3 million each. Since then, however, NBC has made little progress selling the final eight spots, out of a total of 67. As game day approaches - 62 days and counting - the network will face more pressure to cut prices.
"When you see big brands retrench, you have to think about how you bundle and sell time," said Dean Crutchfield, a marketing-and-branding expert. "It's a buyer's market out there."
For years, viewers could always count on Super Bowl ads featuring Budweiser, celebrities and animals. This year, though, could mark a change in that approach.
Of course, Anheuser-Busch, the biggest Super Bowl advertiser, will be back with ads for Budweiser, but this time under a new owner. Belgian brewer InBev NA is better known for import brands such as Stella Artois and ruthless cost-cutting. It remains to be seen whether the Bud parent will cut its budget or shift its strategy.
Meanwhile, Pepsi, eager to inject some fizz back in its marketing, fired longtime agency BBDO after nearly 50 years. That agency was behind a number of celebrity-driven Super Bowl spots for Pepsi featuring Britney Spears, Cindy Crawford and Sean Combs, among others.
"I don't think Pepsi will follow the same strategy," said Crutchfied. "I'm sure they're trying to get the brand back on track."
(Source: New York Post)
