Strategic Public Relations

Will Twitter Survive the Super Bowl?

Lots of great content leading up to Super Bowl XLII, including urban legends and stock tips.

Super Bowl ad content is more bountiful than ever. Consider that Super Bowl ads from 87-06 account for more than 11 hours of commercial time. This translates into more than 1,400 commercials and as much as $1.72 billion of ad sales. Firebrand alone has a week’s worth of content.

I’ve covered the ads in the past and even sat on a panel of reviewers. If I weigh in during the game this year, it will be via Twitter. Many folks will be doing the same as it's less work. Twitter also allows you to do so quickly and easily while still enjoying the game.

TIP: There are a few ways to gauge an ad’s performance. Don't forget to mine Twitter after the game.

But will Twitter be able to survive the added traffic the game is sure to bring with it? MacWorld and recent service outages suggest no. Guess I’m rooting for two underdogs this year.

Twitter Bought the Farm uploaded by Jestu what?!
Super Bowl XLII | Super Bowl ads | Super Bowl

Super Bowl XLII – Ad Salmon Keep Swimming to this Mass Media Event

Ad Age reports that Super Bowl ads are almost sold out.

The game’s on Feb 3rd and a 30-second spot can go for as much as $2.7 million apiece. 90 percent of these spots are already sold?!

Let’s hope this early land grab is to ensure enough time to implement marketing programs that support the spot(s).

Yes, I’m suggesting Super Bowl advertisers get more out of their pricey investment by spending more money.

The annual Super Bowl ad binge is adding up. Super Bowl ads from 87-06 account for more than 11 hours of commercial time. This translates into more than 1,400 commercials and as much as $1.72 billion of ad sales. >gulp<

tags | advertising | marketing | Super Bowl XLII | Super Bowl ads | Super Bowl

Four Links – 09.25.07 – Firebrand Reinvents the 30-Second Spot, Flickr’s Dark Side, PR Makes Geek Squad Smarter, Swash Sounds Strange

1) Firebrand Reinvents the 30-Second Spot | Firebrand
Billed as “the QVC for the MySpace generation,” the social media press release says that

Firebrand programs the "coolest" TV commercials the way MTV used to program music videos, creating the first multi-platform network to go "live" simultaneously on TV, the web and mobile.

A YouTube for ads might sound odd initially, but this pull technique feels better to me than recent push methods being floated out there. And with content, contests and commerce to offer it will be interesting to see how it unfolds.

2) Flickr’s Dark Side | Various Sources
Holy Fotomat! One picture from Flickr placed into a Virgin Mobile ad is raising some serious questions about Creative Commons licenses and Flickr. Having used a Flickr pic in printed materials before, might I suggest ASKING the photographer and getting a release form signed?

Flickr is playing an interesting role in computer theft too. But it’s not the only photo site having issues. Scott Baradell notes that the rise of sites like iStockPhoto has caused Getty to drop some prices. This price drop has understandably raised photog ire.

3) PR Makes Geek Squad Even Smarter | Minneapolis/ St. Paul Business Journal
Best Buy research shows that “90 percent of Americans don't understand HDTVs.” In response, Best Buy is launching HD Done Right, to provide consumers with information about planning and budgeting for the new sets.

As we settle into football season and the holidays hurtle towards us, this approach is brilliant on so many levels. It makes the Geek Squad look that much smarter, positions Best Buy and Geek Squad as HDTV experts and it generates plenty of media cat nip to get the word out through the research results. Smart.

4) Swash Sounds Strange, er, Too Good to be True | Swash
Tide brings us Swash – a collection of products that eliminate wrinkles, odors and stains so the energy-conscious can stave off the laundry cycle a bit longer. The sloth-centric will appreciate it too. Green is good and P&G gets a gold star for trying something new. But it’s “Fresh It Up” product comes in Free Agent, At Large and Posse scents!? Something tells me I’m not the target audience.

tags | public relations | PR | media relations | media | Firebrand | Swash | Geek Squad | advertising | marketing | Flickr

Super Bowl Advertisers–0 :: Special Interest Groups-2

Let’s recap the Super Bowl Ad Aftermath. Snickers retreats completely. GM stands tall. Pundits react. Days later, GM retreats slightly.

If the VW Jetta "airbag ads" ran during the Super Bowl, would they have pulled those too?

Perhaps this ad ripoff homage sums it all up. "One 30 Second Super Bowl Spot. $2.6 million.
Extensive, free national publicity for special interest groups and YouTube. Priceless."

UPDATE: Make the logo bigger makes an interesting observation regarding a new VW commercial.

tags | public relations | PR | media relations | media | advertising | marketing | YouTube | Super Bowl XLI | Super Bowl ads | Super Bowl

McDonald's Fake Lincolnfry Blog

I'm not lovin' it.

McDonald's sent up the whole "Virgin Mary on a grilled cheese sandwich was sold on e-Bay" saga in their Super Bowl ad called Lincolnfry. It is about a French fry that looked like Abe Lincoln.

They did a series of two ads. You are introduced to the concept in the first ad and someone buys the fry on e-Bay in the second ad.

I was impressed enough at the time. They push you to a custom Web site a la subservient chicken. They tapped into a popular, humorous phenomenon. The ad series was poorly done however. If you don't see the first ad, the second ad makes little sense.

Anyway, I dutifully visited the site and was intrigued initially to see it also had a blog. Then I realized it is a fake blog. Even the post comments are bogus.

Boo. Hiss. What's the point? No one in their right mind would believe the blog is real. So while it is not deceptive, it still stinks. The site is so very camp to begin with; the fake blog is simply trying too hard.

I suspect that McDonald's is probably already gearing up for next year's Super Bowl. Super Bowl XL? Are you kidding me? It will be a Super Size Super Bowl to be sure.