SALT LAKE CITY — The commercials at the Super Bowl are often just as anticipated as the game itself, and this year, advertisers paid more than ever for those coveted spots.
With Super Bowl 60 delivering the largest television audience of the year, the price tag for a 30-second commercial reached record levels. Advertisers paid between 8 million and 10 million dollars for a prime spot, and that figure doesn’t even include production costs or celebrity talent.
“It really did break all records this year,” said Walt McRoberts, a partner with Salt Lake City-based MāHK Advertising. “The average is about eight million dollars, which is already a record, but some of those spots hit ten million.”
MāHK Advertising has helped clients like Big O Tires create ads airing during this year’s Big Game and has also secured Super Bowl commercial placements in the past. McRoberts says while the investment is massive, the return isn’t guaranteed.
“Not all companies get their money back,” he said. “Some ads are creative fumbles, so to speak, or they spend too much on a celebrity or influencer. But many do it right, and they’ll swear up and downs those ads turn into real profits.”
With viewership estimates nearing 128 million people, brands are trying to make their message count by tapping into emotion. McRoberts says the tone of Super Bowl ads often reflects what audiences are feeling at the time.
“During COVID, we saw a lot more drama and emotion,” he said. “Right now, I think we’ll see more humor this year.”
From laugh-out-loud moments to self-deprecating celebrities, advertisers aim to make viewers feel something, and eventually that could translate into them buying something.
“They really need to focus on what makes their product stand out,” McRoberts said. “And sometimes that means humor.”
For those in the advertising world, Super Bowl Sunday is more than a football game, it’s their championship.
“We watch it somewhat for the football,” McRoberts said. “But we’re really watching it for the ads. That’s our Super Bowl.”
And once the final whistle blows, it’s viewers at home who ultimately decide which ads were worth the multi-million-dollar gamble.
