TV Newsday > Entertainment

TV Zone

News, scoops, reviews and more from TV land.

Email Print A a

Bloggers

Verne Gay

bio | email

Super Bowl 2013 ads: Teaser commercials released

Tuesday January 22, 2013 8:34 AM By Verne Gay

Super Bowl XLVII, aka the 'Baugh Bowl, is a couple of weeks away, and the time now begins to think about advertising -- who, what, where, why.

I'll fill this space as time and material permits with the new pre-released ads as they arrive. But it's worth noting that there appears to be a growing industry debate over whether to pre-release ads as opposed to debuting them during the game, thereby forcing viewers to pay a little closer attention to the commercials for whatever surprises they offer. The pre-release, of course, builds viral action, but that doesn't do a whole lot for the in-game commercial because viewers have already seen it. You'll note I refer here to “viewers,” a word an advertiser never ever uses. They speak only of “consumers,” but for the purposes of a TV blog, I'll stick with “viewers.”

There is a good middle ground and that is the “tease." Super Bowl teases, which suggest something amazing will be contained in the in-game ad, have been around as long as the Internet, but I suspect there could be a few more of them this season. They accomplish a couple of things from the advertisers' perspective: 1.) Build anticipation; 2.) don't give away the whole store before the game.

MORE: Latest TV coverage | Reality TV | TV Zone blog | TV Listings

Not everyone will have teases, which are very expensive. That Golden Pistachios ad, starring Psy, for example, will apparently only do the in-game commercials, but for those who do... get ready for the barrage!

I offer a couple here which could give you a clue of what to expect online over the next couple weeks. Will these appear within the game? Good question. I don't know, but it's likely most of these are designed for pregame consumption. Plus, don't forget, advertisers paid an average $3.8 million per 30. By way of explanation, the Mercedes CLA tease could be suggesting all sorts of things (Kate Upton stars in one of their game ads), including a less pricey car.