Saturday, January 30, 1999
Super Bowl ads may steal the show
Price of spots hits $1.6M-$2M
The Cincinnati Enquirer
It's the only day of the year you can hear this sentence spoken:
“Hey, everybody, hurry back, the commercials are on!”
On Super Bowl Sunday, the game may be exciting or boring, the halftime show may be cool or tacky, but the sure, reliable thrills are the new and often spectacular ads that kick off before, during and after the game.
The Budweiser frogs made their debut at a Super Bowl, as did Bud Lite's Spuds MacKenzie. Apple Computer's “1984” ad ran one time only, and helped make the Super Bowl the showcase day for new commercials.
On Sunday, after a 14-year absence, Apple will be back with a new spokesman — the HAL 9000 computer from 2001: A Space Odyssey.
With the biggest TV audience of the year, averaging 90 million viewers during the game, the Super Bowl is as much an event for advertising as for sports.
Big advertisers and big ad agencies show off new spots and new products. Intel is launching the new Pentium III chip. M&M is launching a new M.
Times change, but the Super Bowl is still largely a Guy Thing. So on Sunday, supermodel Karen Mulder will look sexy for Victoria's Secret and Doritos will introduce its new barbecue chips with a very, very hot actress Ali Landry.
The World Wrestling Federation will show its first network spot, a day at the office with Stone Cold Steve Austin and more. Jerry Seinfeld will return to the set of his TV show for American Express.
More than 30 advertisers are paying Fox a record premium for their rights to show off — reportedly between $1.6 million and $2 million for a 30-second spot. That is more than the record average $1.3 million NBC garnered last year.
But Louie the Lizard better watch out. There's a story going around he's an endangered species.
Super Bowl ads may steal the show
Apple's Super Bowl return is already creating talk
Go-go growth ends wild '98
Clermont County plant to close
Cincinnati Bell's earnings up 19%
Schwab Web site a hit with investors
Sanctions get world body's OK
StarKist sends tuna to victims
Automaker mergers gain speed
Fourth-quarter reports pleasing, surprising
INDUSTRY NOTES: RETAIL
PEOPLE ON THE MOVE
TRISTATE BUSINESS SUMMARY
TRISTATE MARKET SPOTLIGHT
