As sports betting operators gear up for the fiercest marketing battle during this year’s Super Bowl, going as far to sell out FOX’s ad capacity well in advance of the event, Charles R. Taylor, professor of marketing at the Villanova University School of Business, is available to discuss breaking news about advertisers ahead of game day. He has some predictions about what we may see on Super Sunday.
First, while a few advertisers may attempt to stand out with brand activism messages, we will see less emphasis on controversial social messages than in other recent Super Bowls. With a 30 second ad selling for about $7 million this year, expect betting operators to take less of a risk.
That said, alcohol and betting operators will be unusually well represented—with Anheuser Busch giving up its exclusive rights to beer ads in the Super Bowl, expect there to be some “Beer Wars” as other brands return to the ad space… so at least gambling won’t be the only vice.
Moving away from betting operators and alcohol, many classic brands will spend a considerable amount of emphasis on nostalgia and light themes. Plus, TikTok will enter the fray this year, and some advertisers would be well advised to link their Super Bowl ads to TikTok content—as the fastest growing social medium in terms of ad revenue advertisers will look to capitalize on the space.
Last year, the Super Bowl saw many cryptocurrency promotions. This year will be different, as there are not expected to be many crypto brands shelling out big bucks for a spot.