Super Bowl Ads Now Playing at Movie Theaters, on Twitter and Facebook
Super Bowl ads are a million dollar industry and advertisers are working overtime to take the ads for Super Bowl 2012 to the next level – to "second screens."
Advertisers want to capitalize on the number of smartphones, tablets and computers by encouraging viewers to grab exclusive content on the devices after watching the ad during the Super Bowl.
A report by Nielsen supports those efforts. Research points out that about two out of three smart phone and tablet users use the device while watching TV – posting to Twitter, texting and a host of other activities.
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Since they can't fight it, advertisers are joining it.
Chevron has an app that will allow Super Bowl watchers enter to win prizes ranging from a pizza to a new Camaro.
Kia launched a preview ad shown in movie theaters, giving Super Bowl watchers a taste before the big game.
Coca Cola has a Facebook page to show the company's animated polar bears cheering for the New England Patriots and New York Giants.
It is all an effort to capitalize on the expected 111 million viewers on Sunday. With the average 30-second ad slot costing $3.5 million, it's natural for companies to try to hook viewers into other mediums.
"People are glued to their digital devices, sometimes sharing far more that way than they are with others in the same room," David Berkowitz, vice president at digital marketing agency 360i, the company responsible for creating Coca Cola's online Super Bowl campaign.
"Being social means something very different now," he added.
The number of companies using sites like YouTube to post Super Bowl ads has grown significantly since last year – up from just a few to more than a dozen.
It is unclear if any of the social media hype will translate into increased revenue generated from the single ad campaign.
View a classic Super Bowl ad by clicking below.
