Super Bowl Commercials – Why Wait?

By: Angela Raleigh, Senior Account Executive, Leonard & Finco Public Relations, Inc.

The Super Bowl is one of the biggest days of the year for advertising as millions of viewers tune in to watch the big game and TV’s most expensive commercials. But one thing will be missing this year…the element of surprise.

That’s because many of the ads slated to run this coming Sunday have already turned up online as a “sneak peek,” “teaser” or, in some cases, the full commercial is available to watch.

The increase in pre-released commercials over the years is another indication of how marketing has changed because of social media. Companies are trying to build the excitement by allowing viewers to see, share and discuss the ads prior to the big game. Having conversations start sooner provides advertisers more exposure than their thirty-second spot the day of the game, which creates more bang for their buck. It’s more about the number of views the ad can generate. The downside, the surprise factor may not be as important as it once was as millions waited anxiously for the commercial breaks during the game.

Having commercials appear online prior to the air date reflects a trend in advertising. We’ve all seen it before…content is constantly shared with consumers ahead of time. Whether it’s a news story that is released early to draw more readers to the newsstand or opportunities to watch teasers of TV shows online before the full episode airs, the goal is to share enough content ahead of time to hook consumers and bring them back for more.

When we sit down to watch the big game Sunday night, many of the “must see” commercials will already have been seen. I’d like to know what you think…do you like seeing Super Bowl commercials ahead of time or would you rather be surprised?