As February 3rd approaches and the world converges in on New Orleans, Louisiana for Super Bowl XLVII, the excitement is building for not only the game, but also the highly anticipated commercials. Over the last two decades, the Super Bowl commercial phenomenon has garnered as much, if not more accolades, then the game itself. The Budweiser frogs had their run in the spotlight, then came Doritos and Betty White and now GoDaddy.com is pushing the limits on sexuality and censorship. But have we forgotten that their is a game being played to crown a league champion?
The idea of using the Super Bowl as an advertising outlet started back in 1973, when Noxzema used New York Jets quarterback Joe Namath as their official spokesman. By the early 1990’s, the content during the commercial break was as competitive as the game being played on the field. Today, the Super Bowl is by far the most lucrative advertising platform in the United States. In 2012, Super Bowl XLVI was the most watched television program in U.S. history, with a whopping 111.3 million viewers. For posterity sake, the Super Bowl now holds four of the top five spots on the list of most watched U.S. television programs of all time. So most can see why CBS is charging $4 million for 58 spots during this years game.
For most die-hard sports fans, the Super Bowl is about the game itself. Two highly skilled teams battling it out for the right to raise the Vince Lombardi trophy and return home to a ticker tape parade and the keys to their city. Most parties are comprised of two groups: The football fans that eat and relive themselves during the commercials and the commercial fans that eat and relieve themselves during the game. Either way you look at the Super Bowl, it’s a winning combination for nearly everyone. Well, everyone except the one team that loses the game!