Super Bowl Commercials: Memorable Moments to Marketing Marvels

The Super Bowl and TV

On February 11, 2024, Patrick Mahomes cemented himself as one of the great quarterbacks in the history of the National Football League when he led the Kansas City Chiefs to an overtime victory against the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII, winning his third championship in just his seventh season in the NFL. With the game being held in Las Vegas and the halftime performance being headlined by Usher, the final game of the NFL season was sure to gain some traction. Millions of people tuned in to watch the game for various reasons. The Super Bowl is more than just a football game—it’s a cultural phenomenon that brings people together and provides a platform for advertisers to showcase their creativity and brand messages on a global scale.

In 2024, the Super Bowl once again proved its cultural dominance, drawing in an estimated 123.7 million viewers in the United States, making it the single most viewed TV event in history of the United States (excluding news events), beating out last year’s Super Bowl LVII which recorded 115.1 million viewers. Advertisers know how many potential customers are watching the game, and while Patrick Mahomes was suiting up for the biggest game of the year, so were many advertisers.

The History of Super Bowl TV Advertising

The Super Bowl’s viewership has grown exponentially since its inception. From humble beginnings, the game has evolved into an annual extravaganza of football, entertainment, and advertisements, which captivates millions of viewers worldwide every February. Each year, the Super Bowl sets new records for viewership, with 2024 being no exception. This year’s game was even broadcasted on Nickelodeon, just another way to reach a new demographic of viewers. In 1967, Super Bowl I was broadcast nationally for the first time and amassed an estimated total 51.18 million viewers in the US. It seems that each year, the Super Bowl breaks the record for most viewed TV broadcast in US history. Of the top 30 most-watched broadcasts of all time in the United States, 27 are Super Bowls. I

t’s a no brainer for advertisers, of course they want to promote their message to record breaking audiences each year. That’s when it becomes competitive. There is a finite amount of time that can be allotted to commercials during the Super Bowl (in 2020, there was 42 minutes and 40 seconds available for brand ads), and with so many potential customers watching, businesses are willing to shell out big bucks for a chance to win them over.

Super Bowl Commercials Cost How Much?

The history of Super Bowl advertising is as rich and varied as the game itself. Since the first Super Bowl in 1967, commercials during the game have become an integral part of the viewing experience. Even if you’re not interested in the football game being played, there is always something interesting to see during the commercial breaks. Initially, advertisers saw the Super Bowl as an opportunity to reach a large audience in one fell swoop, but it wasn’t until the 1980s that Super Bowl commercials began to evolve into the elaborate, high-budget productions we know today. The average cost for a 30 second TV commercial during Super Bowl I in 1967 was $37,500. In 2024, the average cost for a 30 second TV commercial during the Super Bowl was $7 million.

Let’s break it down and look at the cost of a 30 second Super Bowl TV commercial per viewer throughout history. During Super Bowl I in 1967, a 30 second commercial would have cost $351,539 (adjusted for inflation in 2024), and with 51.18 million viewers, the total cost of a 30 second commercial is about $0.007 per viewer. That’s less than 1 cent per viewer! For this year’s Super Bowl LVIII, the cost of a 30 second TV commercial per viewer is approximately $0.057 per viewer. Over the past 57 years, the price per viewer has risen about 5 cents, which may not seem like a lot of money, but when there are hundreds of millions of viewers, that cost certainly adds up.

As viewership and advertising costs continue to rise, this begs the question, is it even worth it? The simple answer is yes. A creative ad can stick in a consumer’s mind and sway their decision the next time they are deciding whether to buy a product or not. A good ad can leave a positive impression on consumers which will lead them to pick your brand over competitors. If an advertiser decides to save the money and not purchase ad space during the Super Bowl, their competitor can steal the spot and win over hundreds of millions of people. For brands who can afford to buy the space, it’s simply not worth missing out on.

Creative Genius on Display

Like every year, there were a vast array of star-studded commercials that were aired during this year’s game, everything from new product releases to movie trailers and political campaigns. Some notable commercials this year include State Farm’s “Like a Good Neighbaaa” commercial featuring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito, Dunkin’s “The DunKings” ad with Jennifer Lopez, Jack Harlow and Boston legends Matt Damon, Ben Affleck and Tom Brady and “Perfect 10”, Kia’s 60 second ad telling a heartwarming story featuring their EV9 SUV. We even saw the return of Anheuser-Busch’s iconic Clydesdale horses and the second installment of FanDuel’s “The Kick of Destiny” where Gronk missed a 25-yard field goal for the second year in a row.

Celebrity endorsers are a popular marketing strategy seen in Super Bowl commercials; most ads feature a famous actor, artist or athlete to persuade the viewer to buy into their message. It seems like this strategy is working for advertisers. Every year we see new commercials with more and more celebrities, but as the costs of running an advertisement increase, so does the production budget for each commercial.

Conclusion

The Super Bowl represents the pinnacle of sports, entertainment, and advertising. Year after year, advertisers eagerly vie for a coveted spot during the game, knowing that it offers unparalleled reach and engagement. Despite the ever-increasing cost of advertising, the Super Bowl continues to attract record viewership, cementing its status as one of the most-watched events in television history and the most valuable 30 second commercial an advertiser could purchase.