Brand Mix

Logo: Landor

Here's my summary of interesting things I read (or saw) this last week, Super Bowl-themed:

1) Flipping Awful: Slate
Tim Harford makes the case for replacing the NFL overtime coin toss with an auction system "in the natural currency of the game: field position. The team that was willing to begin closest to its own goal line would receive the privilege of possession." What's wrong with the coin toss? "In the 14 overtime games that produced a winner this season, the coin-toss victor won 10 of the games, more than 70 percent."

2) Ten Reasons to Like the Pittsburgh Steelers: Freakonomics
None of which will be persuasive to Cardinals fans

3) How Super is Your Super Bowl Ad Buy? The Keyhole
Brand Keys predicts in its 7th annual Super Bowl Engagement Survey that: "Denny’s, Hyundai, Budweiser, and Frito-Lay will be the advertisers most likely to get the highest ROI. Advertisers like Cars.com, E*Trade, Pedigree, and Coke – not so much." Here's the Pedigree spot:



4) 1 second ad.com: Miller High Life



"Paying $3 million for a 30-second commercial makes about as much sense as putting sauerkraut on a donut." Miller High Life, shut out of the Super Bowl itself by the exclusive deal negotiated by Budweiser, has found a way to play anyway. As posted by Ben Kunz: "MillerCoors cut a unique deal with local NBC affiliates who carry the game for them to run a series of 1-second spots."

5) Why do Super Bowl ads cost 6 times as much? Thought Gadgets
Ben Kunz asks why the inflation-adjusted cost of a Super Bowl ad has risen from $4.79 CPM in 1967 to $30.77 today. "Are advertisers spending 600% more because they're desperate to reach consumers in one of the few remaining mass mediums?" Yes. It's the one and probably last place where everyone tunes in and everyone watches the ads.

6) A modest proposal: 21,900 commercials for the price of 1: EYECUBE
What else could $3 million (the price of a Super Bowl spot) get you? Rick Liebling has an idea. How about give 60 people $50,000 each and a Flip camera to record 30-second interviews to post online. 21,900 ads for the price of one.

That's it. See you next week for more stories from the world of brand strategy.