A Very Strange Super Bowl
Introduction
David Erickson: So we have a break this week. I don’t have any football to watch. I don’t have a team to root for necessarily in this year’s Super Bowl. But I do have someone to root for. And I–probably doesn’t need a rooting because Amanda Gorman, the young poet who read that amazing The Hill We Climb poem for the inauguration is going to read a poem at the Super Bowl during the Super Bowl!.
BL Ochman: Isn’t that amazing?
Super Bowl Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman
David Erickson: That is insane. So this is from BuzzFeed’s Salvador Hernandez, who reports, you know, Amanda Gorman…she’s gonna be basically the first Super Bowl Poet Laureate. Hopefully, there will be many more.
But she is going to recite a new poem before the official coin toss to recognize an educator, a nurse, and a veteran for helping their communities during the pandemic. The poem will be broadcast nationally on CBS.
New Poem Honors Pandemic Heros
David Erickson: The new poem will honor Trimaine Davis, who is an educator who worked to secure electronic equipment for students; Suzie Dorner, who’s an ICU nurse in Tampa; and James Martin who is a marine veteran who work to support fellow vets and high school athletes.
It’s just stunning to me that a poet would be reading a poem during the Super Bowl, before the Super Bowl. The NFL…I mean, half of their fans or probably more than half their fans are–
BL Ochman: Never heard a poem.
David Erickson: Well, now, I mean, come on, be fair. Poetry is not their first choice of reading, I would argue. It’s not most people’s first choice of reading. So there’s that. But of all the sports, it’s probably the most conservative. And so choosing Amanda Gorman who spoke at Biden’s inauguration, I think is a fairly courageous choice by the NFL. Again, who’s going to criticize–I’m sure people will–a poem devoted…honoring, you know, these people. So that’s kind of safe. But, oh my God, I’d never would have seen the day when I’m when a poet would be reading a poem at the Super Bowl.
BL Ochman: I can’t wait. I mean, she’s so spectacular. And, you know, apparently she signed with a modeling agency. She has two books that are already bestsellers; one’s a children’s book, one’s for adults. I mean, she’s not just a poet. She’s a performer. And, you know, it doesn’t hurt that she’s beautiful. She’s a Harvard graduate. I mean, she’s got it all this one. And, you know, her poem at the inauguration was mind-blowing. I mean, she’s–
David Erickson: Yep. I would say–
BL Ochman: She’s a hero–
David Erickson: The only thing I would flip around in what you said is she’s not just a performer. She’s a poet. There’s a higher level of talent for poetry than there is for being–
BL Ochman: I agree. But she’s a wonderful presenter, let’s put it that way.
David Erickson: I agree.
Budweiser Donates Super Bowl Ad Budget
BL Ochman: Yeah. Okay, so talking about the Super Bowl. We’re not gonna see Clydesdales at the Super Bowl this year. For the first time in 37 years, Budweiser is not advertising on the Super Bowl. Instead, they are donating a million dollars and their airtime to the Ad Council and COVID Collaborative’s COVID-19 Vaccine Education Initiative.
So Monica Rustgi, who is Vice President of Marketing at Budweiser said “like everyone else, we’re eager to get people back together, reopen restaurants and bars and be able to gather to cheer with friends and family. And to do this and to bring consumers back into the neighborhood bars and restaurants that were hit exceptionally hard by the pandemic, we’re stepping up to support critical awareness of the COVID-19 vaccine.” And that’s why Budweiser is joined together with their partner, the Ad Council.
So they tweeted that “the Clydesdales may not be in our commercial, but they’ll be making an appearance in a new way. Stay tuned on our social channels on Super Bowl Sunday.” So Clydesdales are going to show up on social media.
Coca-Cola Bows Out Too
BL Ochman: And Coca-Cola and Avocados of Mexico also announced that they won’t advertise and other brands are expected to change their messages to focus on COVID vaccine awareness and social issues. Very unusual for brands this year, because they don’t know whether people want to laugh or they want to be serious. It’s really hard. It’s a hard call for any brand to know how to play this. And I think that what Budweiser is doing is pretty admirable.
A Strange Super Bowl
David Erickson: Yeah, it’s gonna be a different Super Bowl. I mean everything is obviously different due to COVID and the reaction to 2020. And advertisers are often–that’s part of their considerations for advertising at the Super Bowl. So it will be interesting. I think more than many years past, I will be interested to watch the commercials to just see how you know how they approach it.
Super Bowl LV Ad Spending
Super Bowl ad prices are expected to rise 7.7% for Super Bowl 55, with the average expected price for a 30-second spot reaching $5.6 million, per the latest research from Kantar. This is up from the record-breaking $5.2 million per 30-second ad seen last year for Super Bowl 54.
Looking back to last year’s Super Bowl, total ad time was about 46 minutes. That’s 5 minutes more advertising time than in 2019, but 1 minute less than Super Bowl 51 in 2017. Read the rest at Marketing Charts.
ROI Of Super Bowl LV Commercials
With an average thirty-second spot costing $5.6 million dollars this year, the ROI of that spend is down significantly from last year.
This year’s matchup between Tampa Bay and Kansas City is expected to draw 186.6 million US adults compared to 193.8 million last year.
- 2021 Super Bowl Commercial ROI: $300,107 per person reached
- 2020 Super Bowl Commercial ROI: $268,317 per person reached
Super Bowl LV Consumer Spending Down
The National Retail Federation survey of 7,882 adults finds that the average per person spending for Super Bowl LV is $74.55, down from an all-time high of $88.65 last year.
That’s likely because Super Bowl parties appear not to be a thing during pandemics. The NRF survey reveals that 72% of respondents will not host nor attend a Super Bowl party this year while 13% plan to throw a party this year and 12% plan to attend one.
Women are more likely than men to sit this year out and the younger you are, the more likely you will be to host or attend a Super Bowl party or watch the game from a bar or restaurant.
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