Social Media and Super Bowl Sunday

Lesley Gross - February 4, 2010

For many years now, advertisements during the Super Bowl have been almost as popular as the game itself. People have come to expect new and entertaining messages from big brands like Pepsi, Coca-Cola, and many automakers. So come Sunday, it will be interesting to see how many of these brands decide to incorporate Social Media into their campaigns.

For the first time in over a decade, Pepsi has decided not to run any ads during the game. Instead, they are choosing to put an estimated $20 million toward an online campaign that includes updating their website, as well as creating a strong presence on Facebook.

Coca-Cola apparently will be doing a little bit of both. They plan to run 2 advertisements that will promote their corporate philanthropy and also offer virtual gifts through their Facebook page, with all donations going to one of their charities.

Going even a step further is the automaker, Audi. In an effort to promote their environmental-friendly cars, they have created the “Green Police,” a group of individuals from the media that are chronicling their driving experience on their journey to the Super Bowl in Miami. Their updates will be found on YouTube and Twitter. A Super Bowl commercial will also introduce the world to this new campaign.

These are just a few examples of how integral Social Media has become in our overall marketing campaigns. Just a year ago, none of these types of media were being discussed in this magnitude. If the Super Bowl ads are any indication, 2010 is going to be a very social year!