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MUMBAI:
US media research company Nielsen has released its annual
Guide to the Super Bowl, which showcases a full range of consumer
and media information about the most anticipated marketing
event in the US. This year’s matchup between the Arizona
Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Steelers is scheduled for 1 February
in Tampa, FLorida.
Last
year’s tilt between the Patriots and the Giants was viewed
by a record 97.5 million people nationwide. As expected, the
Super Bowl was the most-watched TV broadcast in 2008.
In
2008, an average of 97.5 million Americans tuned in to FOX
to watch the New York Giants beat the New England Patriots,
making it the most-watched Super Bowl ever. The event averaged
a 43.1 per cent household rating, up from the 2007 game between
the Indianapolis Colts and the Chicago Bears, which was watched
by 93.1 million viewers and an average of 42.6 per cent of
US Homes.
The
highest local market rating in 2008 – at nearly 56% --
was in Boston, home of the New England Patriots. The second-largest
local TV audience, with an average of 54.1% was Indianapolis.
As
expected, men watched the 2008 Super Bowl the most ( 45.8
million viewers). But a significant amount of women tuned
in to the game as well. Approximately 37.7 million women over
the age of 18 watched Super Bowl XLII for a 32.9 per cent
average rating. Overall female viewership of the Super Bowl
has climbed each of the last five years.
If
the Super Bowl is the biggest TV event of the year, it’s even better in high
definition. In 2008, even with HD penetrating only about 15 per cent of TV households,
41 per cent of Super Bowl viewers watched the game in HD, according to the Strategic
Media Research Super Bowl Survey. Networks
broadcasting the Super Bowl often use the game as a lead-in for one of their regular
shows. This year, NBC will broadcast a one-hour episode of The Office.
Last year, 29.1 million viewers stuck around after the game to watch an episode
of House on Fox. The
cost of a 30-second spot in last year’s Super Bowl was $2.7 million. Total
spending for the game reached over $195 million. Anheuser-Busch bought the most
commercial time (four minutes total). The highest-rated commercial minute was
the Victoria’s Secret spot at 9:44pm, seen by 103.7 million viewers. The
most-liked ad was produced by the NFL. The most-recalled ad was produced by FedEx.
Super
Bowl advertisers saw a 24 per cent jump in Web traffic the day after last year’s
Super Bowl. The Pepsi commercial featuring Justin Timberlake gathered the most
Internet buzz. In
the week following Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ halftime performance
last year, sales of their Greatest Hits album jumped 196 per cent. Box
office sales on the weekend of Super Bowl Sunday show notable decline. The NFL
Super Bowl XLII DVD was the number one selling sports DVD in 2008.
Consumer Trends: There’s a softer side to football fans. People identifying
themselves as avid NFL fans outpaced total U.S. spending in skin care by 74% from
2005 to 2007. NFL fans are also more likely to own hi-tech electronic items than
the average adult.
Demographics: About 138 million adults – or more than 60 per cent
of the adult population in the U.S. – are NFL fans. The league is slightly
more likely to attract fans from higher education and income brackets. Fans are
also generally more physically active than the average American. The
2008 Super Bowl aired 50 minutes and 50 seconds of commercial time. 52 brands
aired commercials that competed for viewers’ attention for a total of 84
advertisements. The highest-rated commercial minute was the Victoria’s Secret
commercial at 9:44pm., which was seen by 103.7 million people. The
cost for a 30-second spot during the 2008 game was $2.7 million, up from $2.4
million in 2007. Total spending for the game reached over $195.7 million. The
categories that advertised the most in 2008 included Automotive, Motion Pictures,
and Beer. In the top slot, Automotive aired 5½ minutes of commercial time,
adding one minute to its total from 2007. Motion Pictures followed, airing 4 minutes
and 15 seconds of ads, significantly increasing from under 2 minutes in the 2007
game. Finally, the Beer category, which has traditionally led the Super Bowl,
dropped to the third largest category with 4 minutes of air time, compared to
5 minutes in the prior year. For
the eighth year in a row Anheuser-Busch was the leading advertiser. The beer category
included advertising for Bud Light and Budweiser. As the brand did in 2006, Bud
Light aired three minutes of ads (six 30-second spots). Budweiser ran one 60-second
commercial. Among
automotive brands, Hyundai Genesis ran 2 ads at 30-seconds each; Audi R8 ran one
minute-long commercial; Toyota Corolla and CarMax Auto Dealership each ran a 30-second
commercial; GMC Yukon Hybrid Trucks ran one 60-second spot; and Acura MDX, Jeep
Grand Cherokee, and Toyota Sequoia each ran one 30-second commercial to promote
their truck brands. Effectiveness
: Due to
a combination of uniquely strong ad attention and higher quality creatives, Super
Bowl commercials have achieved effectiveness levels that are well above-average.
Super Bowl ads in the last three years generated an average of 31% higher break-through
and 93% higher likeability, compared to the typical ad on television. Last
year’s best-liked Super Bowl ad was produced by the NFL itself, hitting 172
on the likeability index. FedEx aired the most-recalled ad, with a recall index
of 150. Anheuser-Bush aired three of the top-10 best-liked ads and four of the
top-10 most-recalled ads of Super Bowl XLII.
Sponsorships
: Super Bowl advertising isn’t just limited to standard commercial breaks.
On-field and in-programme sponsorships account for a significant exposure to viewers.
Cadillac was the top in-programme sponsor in terms of time on screen and gross
impressions during last year’s Super Bowl. The automaker sponsored the game’s
MVP award given to New York Giants QB Eli Manning, and used on-screen graphics
for a total of 23 minutes and 11 seconds during the 4th quarter and immediately
following the game. Other
top sponsors included Gatorade (sideline cups, coolers, and towels), Motorola
(Coach’s headset), SoBe Life Water (on-screen graphics), and halftime sponsor
Bridgestone (on-screen graphics). | 
