Why some advertisers are pulling from the Super Bowl

By:: Amanda Duncan

It’s not easy to come up with a Super Bowl ad that will be remembered for years to come. More or less most Super Bowl ads end up being one-hit wonders. Not every Super Bowl has ads like Apple’s “1984”, the famous Budweiser “buuuud, wiiiise, errrr” frog commercial, or Snickers’ “You’re Not You When You’re Hungry” that re-launched Betty White’s career.  Some advertisers are feeling the urge to pull from the Super Bowl ad line up. Last year Pepsi pulled its ads from the Super Bowl after 23 consecutive years and used the cost of Super Bowl advertising to form their “Pepsi Refresh Project”. Was it worth the gamble for Pepsi? Some say it was while others label the decision to not participate in the Super Bowl as a failure. Pepsi must have had a change of heart because this year they are back with ads for Super Bowl XLV. Nevertheless, the decision to not be in the Super Bowl in 2010 gave Pepsi a huge amount of media coverage. This year will be no exception.

This year Denny’s has made the decision to not be a part of Super Bowl XLV after having a Super Bowl advertisement for the past two years (2009 and 2010). When asked why Denny’s wouldn’t participate in this year’s Super Bowl, Frances Allen, Chief Marketing Officer at Denny’s said, “It is a very expensive exercise and I don't believe it's necessary for us to continue to put all our eggs in one basket.” She said that the decision to quit the Super Bowl train was a process based strategy and Denny’s will focus on continuity in 2011. However, the extra media coverage doesn’t hurt.

Despite the hype over Super Bowl advertisements, I wouldn’t be surprised to see more advertisers pull out from the Super Bowl in the future. By pulling from the Super Bowl, Denny’s saved an estimated $3 million dollars for a 30 second spot and made headlines for doing so. I mean come on be honest. Do you remember the Denny’s Super Bowl ads in 2009 and 2010? I’d be impressed if you did. I believe Denny’s made a wise choice this year.

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