There is a 108 percent increase in the retail sales of chili seasoning mix in the week before a Super Bowl, says reliable A.C. Nielsen research. As a predictor of this weekend’s gastrointestinal challenges, that figure may be instructive.
What we can expect on the screen during ABC’s telecast of the Pittsburgh-Seattle matchup may be equally savory:
Fewer tech ads. Lots of car ads because the game is beaming from Detroit. Clean humor. And the first bilingual commercial.
Those are the expectations for what 90 million viewers will see during the Super Bowl, some of us more focused on the commercial content than the on-field action. Spots are $2.5 million per 30 seconds this year, up from $2.4 million last year.
Burger King has a Busby Berkeley-style musical number in which 92 Whopperettes sing and dance, dressed as ingredients. Sprint cellphone users can download the ad for repeat viewing. Pizza Hut also promises a musical production number, starring Jessica Simpson and the Muppets.
Cadillac Escalade will offer a high-styled fashion show in a 60-second spot replete with 125 extras. The $5 million extravaganza for the gas guzzler employs Hall of Fame running back Marcus Allen and supermodel Rachel Hunter.
A running back may be intriguing for a fraction of the audience, but those of us who watch for the commercials rather than the football will be more intrigued by the nonplayers in the advertising. Namely, Fabio.
The macho model will pitch for Nationwide Insurance in a sly mini-story line: What at first appears to be a shampoo ad takes a turn to depict a suddenly aged Fabio, illustrating the need for insurance.
Driving into new commercial turf, Toyota will showcase its hybrid by comparing it to the country’s bilingual Latinos. The conceit is considered smart for the company since the Super Bowl audience will include many young Latinos and the hybrid Camry is a top seller with Spanish-speaking consumers.
Sunday’s biggest spenders are longtime Super Bowl customers Anheuser-Busch and Pepsi.
One ad has spurred controversy even before its airing. A spot for Coke’s Full Throttle energy drink shows an 18-wheeler tailgating a smaller truck and blasting its air horn. The smaller truck, representing rival Red Bull, is forced off the road as the Full Throttle driver bellows “Yahoo!” The American Trucking Association has protested, Advertising Age reported.
The only possibility for suspense, beyond the game itself, is the GoDaddy.com spot, which will try to sneak by the censors with “edgy” material. ABC, owned by Walt Disney Co., is known to employ tough censors. Given the hoopla over alleged indecencies in recent years, this year’s ads are expected to be “family-friendly.”
Another trend achieving prominence this year is the spreading of ads from TV to cellphones. Sprint, as a sponsor of the telecast, is the key facilitator of that move. The theory is, if you like the ads Sunday, you’ll want to be able to replay them Monday.
As a weary nation knows, halftime is no longer just for bathroom breaks. It’s touted as a cultural deconstruction, a window on America’ soul and everything wrong with same.
In 2005, afer Janet Jackson’s “wardrobe malfunction,” Paul McCartney was the featured halftime entertainment. No stripping or innuendo from Sir Paul. This year, the Rolling Stones are on for halftime, in what could be a return to riskier fare. At least it won’t just fill the world with silly love songs.
TV critic Joanne Ostrow can be reached at 303-820-1830 or jostrow@denverpost.com.
