The Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League (NFL), the highest level of
professional American football in the United States. The day on which the Super Bowl is played is now
considered a de facto American national holiday, called "Super Bowl Sunday". It is the second-largest day for
U.S. food consumption, after Thanksgiving Day. In most years, the Super Bowl is the most-watched American
television broadcast; Super Bowl XLIV, played on February 7, 2010, between the New Orleans Saints and the
Indianapolis Colts, became the most-watched American television program in history, drawing an average
audience of 106.5 million viewers. Because of its high viewership, commercial airtime during the Super Bowl
broadcast is the most expensive of the year. Due to the high cost of investing in advertising on the Super Bowl,
companies regularly develop their most expensive advertisements for this broadcast. As a result, watching and
discussing the broadcast's commercials has become a significant aspect of the event. In addition, many popular
musicians have performed during the event's pre-game and halftime ceremonies because of the exposure.
The National Anthem
The lyrics come from "Defence of Fort McHenry", a poem written in 1814 by the 35-year-old lawyer and
amateur poet, Francis Scott Key, after witnessing the attack of Fort McHenry by the British Royal Navy ships in
Chesapeake Bay during the Battle of Fort McHenry in the War of 1812. The poem was set to the tune of a
popular British drinking song, which was already popular in the United States. With a range of one and a half
octaves, it is known for being difficult to sing. Although the song has four stanzas, only the first is commonly
sung today. "The Star-Spangled Banner" was recognized for official use by the Navy in 1889 and the President in
1916, and was made the national anthem by a congressional resolution on March 3, 1931, which was signed by
President Herbert Hoover. The song is performed before sporting events nationwide.
Oh, say can you see by the dawn's early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars thru the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?
Christina Aguilera was invited to sing the national anthem to kick off Super Bowl XLV but after Sunday, she might
not get a second invite. Aguilera, who has sung the national anthem before during NBA games, messed up
halfway through the song. Instead of singing, “O’er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming,” she
sang, “what so proudly we watched at the twilight’s last *unintelligible+.”
Attendees called it a disaster and a witness said everyone was looking at each other when she flubbed her lines.
A source says Aguilera was “devastated” backstage and that she know she blew it. “It’s an honor to be asked and
she let America and herself down. She doesn’t want anyone around her. Everyone telling her she was great but
she knows the truth.” What a drama queen this source is. They make it sound like Christina strangled a bald
eagle and curb stomped the American flag. Does anyone even remember who sang the national anthem before
last year’s Super Bowl?
The Halftime Show
Super Bowl XXXVIII, in 2004, was noted for a controversial halftime show in which Janet Jackson's breast,
adorned with a nipple shield, was exposed by Justin Timberlake for about half a second, in what was later
referred to as a "wardrobe malfunction". The incident, sometimes referred to as Nipplegate, was widely
discussed. Along with the rest of the halftime show, it led to an immediate crackdown and widespread debate
on perceived indecency in broadcasting, and resulted in a record $550,000 fine levied by the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC) against CBS, as well as an increase of the FCC fine per indecency violation
from $27,500 to $325,000. The halftime show was produced by MTV and was supposedly themed around the
network's Rock the Vote campaign, though the theme was quickly dispensed with in the first minute of the show
without any mentions after that point. Following the incident, the NFL announced that MTV, which also
produced the halftime show for Super Bowl XXXV, would never be involved in another halftime show.
For the past six years, the Super Bowl halftime show has featured real rock heroes to wash away memories of
2004’s infamous “wardrobe malfunction.” Ready to mix things up again, the NFL invited the Black Eyed Peas, in
an attempt to capture the largest demographics possible. The Peas performed an uninspired medley of their hits
with the help of some live auto-tune processing. There was little spectacle: minimal dancing and a partially unlit
stage spelling “love” were especially disappointing when compared to past performances. To make things
stranger, legendary guitarist Slash rose from the stage to play “Sweet Child of Mine” with Fergie, a song terribly
unsuited to her vocal range. Then adding insult to injury, the Peas continued playing their own songs (“Pump It”)
to a backing track, leaving Slash and a full horn section with nothing to do. Thankfully, Usher came out to save
the day with true stage presence. Canned chart-toppers with no spectacle, no clever collaboration and no value
beyond that of pop radio. To everyone else who enjoys the ads and halftime show as much (or more than) the
football: better luck next year.
Who Bought What in Super Bowl 2011
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Commercial time during today's Super Bowl on Fox has been sold out since October,
but who's promoting which brands during the annual gridiron classic has only gradually become clear as game
day approached. Marketers mixed it up, too, in the waning days of the countdown: Pizza Hut backtracked on
plans to run a commercial during the game itself, reverting to its usual pre-game strategy, while social
discounting service Groupon found its way into the game after seeming limited to pre- and post-game
advertising. Some marketers making a multimillion-dollar investment in Super Bowl XLV -- Fox was seeking
between $2.8 million and $3 million for 30 seconds of time during this year's game -- have released more of the
spots ahead of time than they once would have, opting for YouTube buzz-building over the impact of complete
surprise. But many others kept their creative strategies secret.
*If you were an advertising executive, would you spend so much money for such a short spot during the
Superbowl?
*Where would you position your ad, how long would it be, and what ad would you want it to follow or be
before? (If you were advertising a car, fast food, a store, etc.) Keep in mind that there are 4 15-minute quarters,
as well as pre-game, half-time, and post-game shows.
The Commercials
Things to consider:
*What is the product/ service being sold in this commercial?
*Who is the commercial’s target audience?
*Was a slogan mentioned in this commercial?
*Will you remember this commercial?
*Did this commercial make you want to buy that product?
NFL: Brand American—See how various sitcoms have celebrated the superbowl.
Pepsi Max: 1st Date—a couple on their first date reveal their inner thoughts.
Pepsi Max: Love Hurts—Love hurts when you are on a diet. Unless you drink a PepsiMax.
Bud Light: Product Placement—If you are going to use product placement, you might as well use something you
like.
Bud Light: Hack Job—Need to remodel your kitchen? Just add a bucket of Bud Light.
Lipton Brisk: Eminem—Rapper Eminem stops by to try a Lipton Brisk and remind us that he does not do
commercials.
Doritos: Pug—Doritos proves that nothing can come between a pug and some Doritos.
Doritos: Best for Last—The best part of Doritos is...
Snickers: Lumberjacks—If you don’t eat a snickers you’ll feel better.
McDonald’s: Bears love fries—McDonald’s proves that humans are not the only ones who love fries.
Subway: Februany—Subway is renaming February.
Pizza Hut: Big Dipper Pizza- Having a party? Want girls to come? Get a Big Dipper Pizza.
Daimler Chrysler: Eminem Detroit—Chrysler is Detroit, and Eminem shows you why.
Hyundai Sonata: Don’t Settle—What if we settled for the first thing that came along?
BMW: Built in America—BMW may be a foreign company, but the cars are built in America.
Dodge: Never Neutral—The new Dodge Charger is the leader of the human resistance.
Chevy Camaro: Transformers—‘Transformers’ star Bumblebee appears in this Chevy ad.
Chevy Camaro: Commercial Pitch—What would you put in a camaro ad?
Bridgestone: Karma—A driver helps out a beaver, and he helps him in return.
Bridgestone: Reply All—Accidentally sent an e-mail to the wrong person? Bridgestone can help.
Sony: Just Go With It—The trailer for the new movie starring Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler.
Disney: Pirates of the Caribbean 4—The trailer for the new Pirates movie starring Johnny Depp.
Universal: Cowboys v. Aliens—The trailer for the new movie starring Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford
Lowe’s: Home Improvement—A couple goes through home improvement ideas.
Best Buy: Ozzy v. Bieber—In the future, Ozzy Osborne and Justin Bieber sell products.
Target: Peanut Butter—With Target you don’t need to mix your own peanut butter and chocolate.
Godaddy: Baring it all—Danica Patrick and Jilian Michaels bare it all.
Teleflora: Help me Faith—Faith Hill stops by to help pen a love note.
Groupon: Save the Money—Groupon saves you money. Especially on unique cuisine.
Texts adapted from:
*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Bowl
*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Star-Spangled_Banner
*http://theblemish.com/2011/02/christina-aguilera-messed-up-the-national-anthem/
*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Bowl_XXXVIII_halftime_show_controversy
*http://www.northbynorthwestern.com/2011/02/100790/super-bowl-xlv-halftime-show-is-fergalicious-yet-unrewarding/
*http://adage.com/mediaworks/article?article_id=146802