Black, Yellow, and Lots of Green

Super Bowl 2001 ads sneak peek, courtesy of CNN Money

www.money.cnn.com

     It's the long-awaited event every year for every NFL team and their loyal fans: the chance to compete for the title of Super Bowl Champions.  Teams vigorously practice all year round to sharpen their skills so that no other team stands a chance against them.  Millions of sports fans tune in to cheer on their favorite team.  But for the rest of us who aren't in it for the final score, there are the other components to the Super Bowl airing: the infamous Super Bowl commercials.  These advertisements bring not only the select few covered in face-paint and donning their favorite jerseys to the television, but the rest of us who don't care much about the game to the couch as well.  For years, these ads have been some of the hype to the whole event, as they continue to be more and more entertaining, but kind of expensive.

 The following link will take you to Aaron Smith's article for CNN, which will be used as the basis for my factual information:
Super Bowl ad time: Pricey but worth it?
  
     And by kind of, I kind of mean $3 million for every 30 seconds (Smith, CNN Money).  But why should companies go this distance just to be on TV for no less than a minute at a time?  Because, like Smith stated in his article, over 100 million viewers will probably tune in this year.  Paying those big bucks can mean big exposure.  Companies are fighting harder than ever for consumers' attention.  They're willing to pay the price to be fresh on a buyer's mind the next time at the grocery store.  Super Bowl commercials are an excellent example of the way the media effects consumers of this generation.  We see things on T.V. presented so wonderfully that we have to have them.  Not only are there two teams battling it out on the field, but a fight between companies to land a spot on your next grocery list.  They know millions of audiences will be captured this weekend with their humorous, witty, and expensive advertisments.  As Super Bowl XLV draws nearer, I wish the best of luck to both teams...and all the companies battling it out on Sunday.

Molly McAfee

Works Cited

Smith, Aaron. "Super Bowl Ad Time: Pricey but worth It - Feb. 3, 2011." Business, Financial, Personal Finance News - CNNMoney.com. CNN, 03 Feb. 2011. Web. 03 Feb. 2011. <http://money.cnn.com/2011/02/03/news/companies/super_bowl_ads/index.htm?hpt=C2>.