SuperBowl Sunday is less than a week away and the hype surrounding the commercials that will run on game day is getting as much attention as the teams and players who will be grinding it out at kickoff. Take, for example, Nationwide Mutual Insurance, which media reports say purchased the most expensive TV advertising time in history. The cost of a 30-second spot is expected to top out at a reported $2.6 million this year. Nationwide Mutual's commercial features Kevin Federline — the former husband of Britney Spears — who pokes fund at himself in the spot going from starring in a rap video surrounded by gorgeous women to working at a fast-food place. In his real life, K-Fed, as he is known to the entertainment world, has had major lifestyle changes after his recent divorce. The 30-second spot will air during the third quarter of the Feb. 4 game between the Chicago Bears and the Indianapolis Colts, and is the latest installment in Nationwide's "Life Comes at You Fast" ad campaign. If you're curious, the commercial can now be seen on Nationwide's Web site. You be the judge. Did Nationwide get its money's worth?
Other commercials expected on Super Bowl Sunday are from Pepsi, Anheuser-Busch, FedEx, Garmin and King Pharmecuticals. Interestingly, this year the video-sharing Web site, YouTube, says after the SuperBowl it will place all the commercials on its site in a gallery and conduct a vote. The most popular commercial will be posted on the front page of the YouTube site on Feb. 6th. — Gerald Magpily
See MarketWatch article
See San Francisco Chronicle article
See San Jose Business Journal via BizJournals
Continue reading below
