2009 Super Bowl ads: Playing it safe--or not.

It's not a huge surprise that General Motors and FedEx won’t be advertising on the Superbowl this year. It is a slight surprise that ad prices--despite the economy-- are at an all-time of $3 million per 30-second spot.

NBC says they are in discussions over the remaining unsold spots. Most are in the fourth quarter, and tend to go for slightly less than other positions. While some high-profile advertisers have pulled the plug, some new advertisers like Mars and Pedigree pet food will run Super Bowl ads for the first time. But this year, the tone of some ads will reflect tough times.

For example, Hyundai WAS planning to run an ad for the Genesis Coupe with renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma playing a Bach piece. But now, in the grip of fear and fiscal insecurity, they may run a less high-brow spot that basically touts a new incentive program for car buyers who lose their income within a year of the purchase.

Longtime Super Bowl patron Anheuser-Busch is taking a different approach. The Budweiser brewer said it wants its ads to uplift and entertain viewers instead of reminding them about the economy.

The Go Daddy Group Inc., which registers Internet domain names, is unapologetic about splurging on the Super Bowl. GoDaddy is elated that NBC has approved two somewhat racy ads for the Super Bowl, one of which will air after a consumer vote.

With Danica Patrick starring in both, it's an ad "strategy" sure get attention no matter how the economy is doing.

Any takers for 3 seconds of fame?

Last year, the Weatherproof Garment company tried to buy two seconds of Super Bowl time and was unsuccessful.

This year, they're trying to get other nine companies to go in with them at a rate of $300,000 for three seconds each.

Any takers?

No.

The small apparel company seems to be serious--or seriously desperate. They tried to run a $3,000 ad in the Wall Street Journal looking for partners with the planned headline: Attention Deficit growing. Say it Short. Say it fast!"

The slogan they left out was "Say it to deaf ears."

Desperate measures for desperate times? Perhaps. But it's no surprise there were no takers. Even at $1000 per second, which might seem like a deal in Super Bowl advertising terms, no one can make an impact that matters. What will they do? Flash a logo? Shout a tagline?

Is that what advertising has come to?

Maybe it's just another "Go Daddy" style publicity stunt.

We shall see.

At 3 million per spot, can marketers afford the Super bowl?

With advertising rates for the Super Bowl running as high as $3 million for a 30-second spot, some marketers are wondering whether during these tough economic times they can afford the big game.

FedEx is concerned that shelling out big bucks --and holding out to see if it can get a bargain. FedEx's hesitation is raising eyebrows on Madison Avenue because it has advertised in 12 of the past National Football League championship games.

Advertisers taking a pass on Super Bowl XLIII altogether include beleaguered General Motors, which has been in 16 games, and Garmin Ltd., the maker of GPS devices, which had advertised in the past two games. A company spokesman for Garmin says its decision to sit out was "unrelated to the economy."

General Electric's NBC had sold most of its Super Bowl ad inventory by early September, prior to the meltdown on Wall Street. Advertisers gobbled up the available slots even though NBC raised its price sharply, compared with the previous Super Bowl.

NBC is in better shape than Fox was during the past recession. In 2002, Fox, whose parent also publishes The Wall Street Journal, had about 10% of its ad time unsold just two weeks before the game.

The Super Bowl has shown no signs of flagging in the ratings. The nail-biter between the New York Giants and the New England Patriots drew 97.4 million viewers, the biggest TV audience for a U.S. sporting event.

Advertisers in 2009 will include Anheuser-Busch, CareerBuilder.com, Hyundai Motor, PepsiCo, Viacom's Paramount Pictures, Cars.com and Coca-Cola.

New marketers include Pedigree, the dog-food brand owned by Mars. Even Monster.com, the online job site owned by Monster Worldwide, is currently in talks to jump back into the game after sitting out the past few years.

Read the details and full article from the Wall Street Journal here:

The Official Ad Age Chart of Advertisers

A list of marketers who will be running ads this year. Advertising Age will be updating their chart all the way up to game day.

Who's buying what in Super Bowl XLII

2008 Super Bowl XLII Kicks Off

More than 30 minutes of commercials will play in the 2008 Super Bowl. Budweiser will run eight spots, including "Hank," a spot about a Budweiser Clydesdale, which scored a record high in focus groups.

2008 SUPER BOWL Ad Line-up