The “Big Game” is coming up, and it always produces a lot of buzz in the ad world. Today’s Wall Street Journal takes a look at the new companies that are putting up $2.5 to $2.9 million for 30 seconds of time to jumpstart awareness of their products and services. Among the newcomers are mobile television provider Flo TV, information provider KGB and vacation rental firm HomeAway.com.
HomeAway will unveil an ad featuring the Griswold family from the National Lampoon “Vacation” series, and Flo TV’s spot will star NFL commentators James Brown and Jim Nantz.
The key to a successful Big Game campaign is the before- and after-game content and promotions. Home Away, for example, will encourage viewers to seek out a 15-minute video featuring the Griswolds. It’s a risky call for any company to drop that much on a single spot and the corresponding buzz-generating content, but it can pay off handsomely if it’s done correctly. (Standouts include last year’s campaigns for Hulu.com and Monster.com).
Stay tuned for more pre- and post-game ad analysis.
Cindy Harris
