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Marty's Marketing Musings: Nine Car Brands Advertise on Super Bowl 50 @ $160,000 Per SECOND!


PHOTO (select to view enlarged photo)

by Marty Bernstein
Editor-at-large
The Auto Channel

Fifty years ago the network couldn’t literally give away commercial time, then in :60-second lengths, at a little over $1,000 each or $20 a second in “AFL-NFL Championship Game” the first big championship game. The second game used the same term. There was no Super Bowl then.

The Super Bowl moniker was applied to the third iteration when it was named Super Bowl III with the previous two games retro-renamed Super Bowl I and Super Bowl II. The Roman numerals continued until this year when Arabic numerals were used for the first time. Click for a look back at the naming process undertaken by the NFL.

Memory time. In the early seventies I was part of a new business venture called Sportstats that pioneered and originated the use of computer generated statistics in real-time during NFL games being broadcast by ABC, CBS and NBC. As a result, I was part of the broadcast team for Sup’s V, VI and VII. Two with CBS and one with NBC. Here’s a pic of a memento of the later game which was played in the Astro Dome in Houston.

If you’re interested in the automotive commercials that will be appearing Sunday, you’ve already seen them as the leaks and previews that are now SOP. If you haven’t they’re easy to find. I do believe these previews distract from the former ‘secret’ attitude that came with the premiere during the game. And I’m not going to review them either as it’s not a good idea to bomb ‘em either. Well, all except the Kia spot with Christopher Walken: it gets my nod as the all-time best use of a celebrity in a commercial ever.

Instead, I refer you to a trip down TV memory lane by watching some great commercials from Newsday's Most Memorable 50 Super Bowl Commercials

Please pass the nachos.