Super Bowl Spots

LR-broderick1 — Matthew Broderick reprises his role as Ferris Bueller in Matthew's Day Off.

For the commercial production industry, Super Bowl Sunday is the main event of the year. With an estimated audience of 111 million people, and a 30-second spot going for $3.5 million, Super Bowl advertising demands the highest production values, and top-notch talent.

In years past, everything about the Super Bowl spots was a closely guarded secret right up until game day, but this year, advertisers seemed eager to get a jumpstart on their campaigns, releasing viral ads and teasers in the run up to the game. Many have even released “extended versions” of the spots on YouTube.

One of the mainstays of Super Bowl advertising, Anheuser-Busch, will debut six new spots during the game totaling four-and-a-half minutes. This is the company’s 24th consecutive season as the exclusive “malt beverage” advertiser for the game.

The company will have two ads each for Bud Light and Budweiser, but it will also launch a new brand during the game – Bud Light Platinum, debuting with two 30-second ads.

“This is the largest television event of the year, every year,” said Paul Chibe, vice president, marketing, Anheuser-Busch. “The Super Bowl draws a large, diverse viewership, which makes it a great venue for brands with the widespread popularity of Budweiser and Bud Light. The large audience of the Super Bowl makes it the perfect opportunity to introduce Bud Light Platinum to a large number of adult beer drinkers interested in trying new things.”

Last week, Honda debuted an ad for its Honda CR-V that sees Matthew Broderick reprise his role as Ferris Bueller. “Matthew’s Day Off,” directed by Todd Phillips (The Hangover, Due Date, Old School), stars Broderick playing himself while drawing on his well-known coming-of-age character.

Hidden in the commercial are dozens of “Easter eggs” reflective of the original film. Fans are encouraged to watch the spot closely to see how many references they can find. For example, an iconic vest that was worn in the original movie is visible in a department store window that appears briefly.

“As with our other CR-V commercials that began airing this month, this fun commercial reminds viewers to go out and embrace life – do the things you want to do, not just the things you have to do,” said Joe Baratelli, EVP, ECD at RPA, Honda’s longstanding agency of record.

Acura will be running its first Super Bowl commercial this year – a 60-second spot featuring Jerry Seinfeld and Jay Leno, which will air during the third quarter.

In the run up to the game, the company released a 1:50 extended version of the spot. “Transactions,” depicts the antics of two actual top car collectors – Seinfeld and Leno – in an unrelenting bid to be the first in line to take delivery on the first Acura NSX.

Meanwhile, Volkswagon will be sticking with a Star Wars theme this year, after last year’s wildly popular spot “The Force.” Released Jan. 18, the teaser for “The Bark Side” has gone viral with over 11 million hits on YouTube.

Below we’ve compiled some of the Super Bowl spots and teasers you can expect to see this weekend.

Official 2012 Honda CR-V Game Day Commercial – “Matthew’s Day Off” Extended Version