At Cote Media, we’re the kind of Super Bowl fans who bring an abundance of burgers to share with our new tailgating friends!  Our painted torsos show pride in single digit temperatures for 3 hours. The team chant and occasional stadium wave?  That starts in our section every time.  We even get all up in the face of our opponent’s fans when we make a touchdown!

There is one thing you might not expect from us, though.  Instead of pools for the quarter scores, we’re wondering who will have the best Super Bowl commercials!  What can we say, marketing is our thing! Like choosing the winners of the season, it’s not just about watching the final game, but observing everything leading up to that last National Anthem.  Some brands are already leaking clues to their Super Bowl presence.

Anheuser- Busch (A-B) isn’t hiding the fact that they’ll be dominating the commercial waves this year.  The alcohol distributor has tweeted: “Look for five ads from @Budweiser and @BudLight at #SuperBowl XLVIII.”  30-seconds of advertising during the Super Bowl costs companies $4 million! A-B will have 3-minutes and 30-seconds of air time.  A linked article reveals that A-B’s ads will focus on their mascot Clydesdales, celebrities, and our troops.  The company produced last year’s number one Super Bowl commercial, “Brotherhood”, about the bond between a trainer and his horse. We expect they’ll hold that rank again this year.

Pepsi has been getting “hyped for half time” on their social networks since the New Year!  They’ve combined their Super Bowl enthusiasm with their sponsorship of the Grammys, asking the question “what if the Grammy’s had a half time show?” The short videos (found on pepsi.com) entice viewers to tune into CBS on January 26^th for the answer. Pepsi’s latest television commercial reminds viewers that the soda company has been part of the big game since the beginning.  Their Facebook and Twitter host a “Twice in a Lifetime” video, starring Rory O’Connor who attended Super Bowl IV where Carol Channing performed at half time.  Pepsi brought his experience to life for the second time.

Dorito’s held their annual “Crash the Super Bowl” contest.  Through Twitter and Facebook, the Frito Lay’s company urges consumers to vote for the winning submission to air on FOX, February 2^nd.  Last year’s winning commercial was ranked the #4 best Super Bowl commercial, raising Dorito’s sales in 2013. Winners of “Crash the Super Bowl” will not only win $1 million, but also the opportunity to work on Marvel’s “Avengers: Age of Ultron.” Does this mean we’ll get a look at other upcoming Marvel films during the game? Maybe Captain America: The Winter Soldier?

Super Bowl commercials are just as competitive as the football teams themselves! There are front runners, like the Broncos and the Sea Hawks. There are those who fall short, like teams with a season of 3-13-0! Advertisers go to great, and sometimes bizarre, lengths to imprint their message into our heads.  Volkswagon, for instance, hints that they’ll throw all the winning factors into this year’s commercial. While this is only a teaser, we’d be okay if it was the final cut because, hey, “it’s only weird if it doesn’t work!”

~Jess