And you thought the Rams and the Patriots were the Super Bowl’s center of attention?
Advertisers certainly have a different agenda. According to Variety, the going rate for a 30-second spot is anywhere from $1.7 to $2 million, a bargain compared to last year. On the bill for the giant Sunday ad-fest: Pepsi’s covergirl Britney Spears, movie studios and the White House.
You may not recognize Britney at first because she’ll be donning outfits from decades past to promote Pepsi’s age-old “generations” slogan. From a ’50s Marilyn Monroe-style wig to a ’90s Madonna-esque red leather dress, Spears will not only be the game’s hottest fashion show, she’ll also be rakin’ in the dough.
According to Sky News, Pepsi is paying close to $8.5 million for the spots, and Spears is supposedly getting a healthy serving of that. (Did we mention this is an interactive ad? Viewers will be able to vote for their favorite era via the Internet, and the most popular one will be shown again at the end of the game.)
Touchstone Pictures is also hoping you’ll take your potty breaks during the fumbles rather than during their movie trailers for Bad Company, starring Anthony Hopkins and Chris Rock, and Signs, starring Mel Gibson and Joaquin Phoenix.
Like Pepsi’s ads, the Internet will play a part. If viewers visit the official Bad Company Web site, they will be able to enter a contest for a chance to win a trip for two to New York and Prague, where the movie was filmed. The Signs ad won’t have a contest, but can be seen again on the film’s official Web site.
The White House Office of National Drug Control is also getting dibs on America’s favorite Sunday. Variety reports the newcomers to the ball game ad scene are spending close to $3.5 million on two spots pushing the message that the drug trade feeds terrorism.
