Super Bowl Shows TV Still King

Just in case you forgot who still wears the pants in the advertising world, it’s TV. According to USA Today, CBS has sold 90 percent of Super Bowl ads.

TV is still a shotgun-approach medium for advertisers, as they spray their messages in front of millions hoping to knock a few down. Digital, on the other hand, is sniper-oriented, targeting the right person at the right time with the right ad. Horizon’s David Campanelli says in the USA Today piece, “Put quite simply, [TV] works.”

Along with the TV buy, however, brands have figured out that the Super Bowl — and mega-events like the Oscars and March Madness — is a perfect storm of earned, owned and paid media. Commercial slots are falling between the $3.7 million and $3.8 million range, which is up slightly from last year’s $3.5 million spot on NBC. It’s good to be the king.

 

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