Advertisers Make Big Plans for Super Bowl

via USA Today

Whether it's beer, cars or corn chips, the usual suspects are lining up to make the 50th Super Bowl more than a game to remember -- at least when it comes to the ads.

With the Super Bowl now almost two week away, advertisers are starting to give a peek at what they’ve got planned. They have a lot at stake as they prepare to drain their marketing budgets for what is perennially most expensive promotion opportunity of the year. Creative directors are angling to make an impact -- whether it's through a laugh or a pull of the heartstrings.

"It's brand strategy, pure and simple," says Erika Napolitano, a branding consultant for RHW Media in Chicago. "It's emotional, entertaining and most of all -- and more than any other ad buy you make for the year -- it has to have a clear message."

That's because so much is at stake: When the NFL championship airs on CBS on Feb. 7,  advertisers will vie for the attention of an audience that last year had a viewership of 114 million, making it one of the most watched telecasts

ever.

With so many eyes on the small screen, companies are willing to pay millions of dollars for 30 mere seconds of air time.

The average rate for a 30-second Super Bowl ad has risen by 76% during the past decade -- reaching $4.4 million in 2015, according to Kantar Media. It’s the priciest commercial time on TV.

"The demand for the Super Bowl has been extraordinary," CBS CEO Les Moonvessaid during a UBS conference last month, without disclosing specific price tags for this year's ad inventory.  "We've sold most of the spots for very, very high prices."

A wide range of companies have lined up for this year's action. But most haven't revealed their strategy or the actual ad. They are starting to be divulged, and one of the Super Bowl's most familiar advertisers is among the first to reveal some of the spots it has in mind.

Anheuser Busch, the Super Bowl’s exclusive beer sponsor for the 28th straight year, scooped up three and a half minutes of air time to run five ads for four brands:  Bud Light, Budweiser, Shock Top and Michelob Ultra.

“For us this is extremely important because we use the Super Bowl to make statements about our brands, to kick off the year with a vengeance,'' Jorn Socquet, Anheuser Busch’s vice president of marketing, said during a media preview Thursday.

Budweiser’s iconic Clydesdales will once again make an appearance.  Michelob ULTRA's 30-second ad will be its first in the Big Game since 2010. Seth Rogen and Amy Schumer will bring plenty of laughs to a “Bud Light Party" in an ad supporting that brand. And Shock Top, an unfiltered wheat beer, will feature comic T.J. Miller as its “unfiltered spokesperson’’  in a spot that will mark its Super Bowl debut.

Watch the Seth Rogen and Amy Schumer teaser here.

Soft drinks and sweet snacks will also be advertised, with as well as healthier fare such as the avocados from Mexico brand.

Skittles and Butterfinger will be in the big game, as well as Mountain Dew's Kickstart beverage.

Skittles'  ad will star rocker Steven Tyler, and marks the first time a celebrity has been part of Skittles’ “Taste the Rainbow’’ ad campaign.

And, as usual, a bevy of car companies will be represented -- more than nine so far. Among the brands planning one spot or more include Acura, Audi, Buick, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mini and Toyota. Some, like Buick, are first timers.

All will be watching closely to see if they get their money's worth.

"The Super Bowl has become the Ad Bowl," Napoletano says. "Ads have become a culture in and of themselves."

Coke launches new global campaign: 'Taste the Feeling'

via Fox News

The company Tuesday rolled out a new ad campaign, "Taste the Feeling," which will be used to market Coca-Cola, Diet Coke and Coke Zero. (AP)

Coca-Cola is working hard to reboot its image amid declining sales and increased health concerns about sugary soft drinks.

The company Tuesday rolled out a new ad campaign, "Taste the Feeling," which will be used to market Coca-Cola, Diet Coke and Coke Zero, rather than running different spots. This is the first time that one campaign will be used across multiple Coke products.

"We are reinforcing that Coca-Cola is for everybody," Marco de Quinto, Coke's chief marketing officer said in on the company’s website.  "People want their Coca-Cola in different ways, but whichever one they want, they want a Coca-Cola brand with great taste and refreshment."

The new global campaign features a new theme song “Taste the Feeling” by rising Australian pop singer Conrad Sewell, known for the single “Start Again.” Hear the song here.

The reboot replaces the "Open Happiness" campaign that Coke has used since 2009.  Other well-known slogans have included "It's the Real Thing," "Coke Adds Life," and "Have a Coke and a Smile." This is its 48th different slogan during that time.

"Taste the Feeling" is the latest effort by Coke to win over more drinkers in the struggling soda category.  Currently 70 percent of Americans consume more added sugar than the USDA’s recommended limit, with one third of that sugar coming from sodas.

Soda companies have been trying to convince consumers that they produce healthier options and in 2014, the American Beverage Association pledged to cut calories in offerings by 20 percent. 

But Coca-Cola has been caught trying to sway public opinion about its soda. In March, the company got burned for paying fitness and nutrition experts to suggest its soda should be viewed as a snack idea during American Heart Month.

And last November, a controversial study was released that claims that diet drinks, such as Diet Coke, had a "neutral" to "even beneficial" effect on weight when compared to water.  The research was conducted by Peter Rogers, professor of biological psychology at Bristol University, but was funded by the International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI). But the Sunday Times found that ILSI is made up of Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Nestlé, and other food-industry executives.

 Watch their new "Anthem" here.

Jordan Spieth Signs Massive Endorsement Deal with Coca-Cola

via Yahoo Sports

Just a few days after Jordan Spieth was crowned golf's highest-earning player, he added another huge name to his growing list of endorsements.

The two-time 2015 major winner has signed a major endorsement deal with Coca-Cola, which sponsors the PGA Tour's Tour Championship, which the 22-year-old won last September to clinch his first FedEx Cup title.

"Coca-Cola has always been associated with iconic sporting events and some of the world's greatest athletes, so this is an incredibly cool opportunity for me," Spieth said in a statement. "As a brand ambassador, I look forward to growing awareness for the sport of golf globally and engaging with fans in exciting new ways."

Financial terms of the multi-year deal were not disclosed. However, an ESPN report suggeststhat this deal is one of the soda maker's biggest ever with an athlete and may compensate Spieth on a level comparable to Coke's deal with NBA player LeBron James. James endorses Sprite, boasting his own flavor each of the last two years. Coke also has a deal with singer Taylor Swift to plug Diet Coke.

As part of the deal, Spieth's likeness will appear on packaging for a range of Coca-Cola products, as well on point-of-sale displays. In particular, Spieth will be connected to the company's bottled water Dasani. The Texan will also be feature on Coca-Cola cans the company produces to commemorate the 2016 Olympics, of which golf will be part for the first time in 112 years.

'American Idol' Alum Justin Guarini Returns as Lil Sweet in Diet Dr. Pepper Spot

via AdAge

Every weekday, we bring you the Ad Age/iSpot Hot Spots, new and trending TV commercials tracked by iSpot.tv, a company that catalogs, tags and measures activity around TV ads in real time. The New Releases here ran on TV for the first time yesterday. The Most Engaging ads are showing sustained social heat, ranked by SpotShare scores reflecting the percent of digital activity associated with each one over the past week. See the methodology here.

Among the releases, Nissan salutes the truck manufacturers that came before it, namely Chevy, Ford and Dodge -- see Ad Age's coverage of the ad here -- and AT&T kicked off its campaign showcasing products announced at the Consumer Eletronics Show. Trident presents a juror that needs to smile his way out a bad situation, and Jaguar plays with the cliches of the London business worldand there's got to be some kind of inner joke in there that we didn't catch.

Finally, Diet Dr. Pepper brings back "American Idol" alum Justin Guarini's Lil' Sweet persona: a tiny pink-clad glam rocker that uses a whole lot of falsetto to congratule a dad on building a playhouse for his daughter. The dad invites him to watch a football game, but he has to catch a ride with the family's cat.

Mello Yello Has a New Look

via AdWeek

Add Mello Yello to the list of beverage brands getting an extreme packaging makeover. The Coca-Cola owned brand recently teased its new packaging on Twitter.

Created out of United Dsn, the design-- which features a vertically scripted "MY" phrase and uses black and yellow and a touch of green -- is a radical departure from previous packaging that used green and and orangish-red color against a yellow backdrop (see second image above). Packs of New Mello Yello Zero will show yellow and silver wording against a black backdrop.

Last year, Mellow Yello dressed its cans and bottles in camouflage as part of a new partnership with hunting and outdoors brand Realtree. The new packaging is hitting shelves now and will be supported in out-of-home, radio and in-store advertising, according to a Coca-Cola spokeswoman. Beverage Digest first reported the 2016 packaging overhaul late last year based on information obtained from a bottlers meeting. The report noted that the "citrus brand, a longtime distant second to PepsiCo's dominant Mountain Dew, will get what was billed as a disruptive package, logo and marketing redesign." Other beverage brands that have recently redesigned their packaging -- or are planning to -- include Sierra Mist, Bud Light, Blue Moonand Coors Light.

Crystal Pepsi Is Coming Back For a Limited Time

via Time

View the extended spot here

Crystal Pepsi is making a comeback after fans of the popular clear cola campaigned for its return, the company announced Tuesday.

Soda buffs can enter a chance to win their own six-pack of the low-sodium, caffeine-free product of the early 1990s through a sweepstakes on Pepsipass.com, officials said.

The limited-time giveaway runs from Thursday to Friday. Winners will be picked during the week of Dec. 14 and deliveries will be made around Christmas, officials said. Pepsi is giving away 13,000 six-packs.

“Crystal Pepsi fans, and their enthusiastic requests for its return, inspired Pepsi to bring back this iconic ‘90s product for the holiday season,” Linda Lagos, marketing director at PepsiCo, said in a statement to TIME.

The announcement comes after months of calls for a comeback from Crystal Pepsi fans, including competitive eater and YouTube celebrity Kevin Strahle who led the #BringBackCrystalPEPSI social media movement. Pepsi had hinted at a resurgence in June.

The company confirmed the much-anticipated news Tuesday with several social media posts and a nearly 3-minute flashback video featuring a supposed 92nd floor at Pepsi headquarters where the drink is produced.

“The 92nd Floor never shut down,” Pepsi said on Twitter. “And 23 years later, they’re ready to share ‪#CrystalPepsi with the world.”

Jones Soda Turns 20

via CSPnet

SEATTLE -- Jones Soda Co., the soda company known for its unique flavors and customer-designed packaging, has released a limited-edition Birthday Cake-flavored soda to celebrate the company’s 20th birthday in 2016.

Along with the Birthday-Cake flavored drink, the company's yearlong celebration will also include monthly “20th Birthday Present” giveaways on the Jones Soda website and several birthday party events to be announced throughout the year.

Jones Soda Co. was established in 1996 and began distribution of its premium soda throughout Canada and the United States that same year. For the past 20 years, Jones Soda has become known for its bold, fun flavors made with real pure cane sugar and ever changing labels featuring consumer-submitted photos.

"With its reputation for creating envelope-pushing flavor innovations, it is only fitting to celebrate Jones' 20th birthday year with a new, unique and great-tasting flavor," the company said. And in keeping up with the company’s forward-looking focus on the ever-evolving consumer preferences for slightly less-sweet soda, Birthday Cake Soda, along with the rest of the core Jones Cane Sugar Soda lineup, will be introduced into the marketplace in 2016 with at least 5% less sugar than current versions, according to the company.

”The beverage industry is ever changing, and to be able to celebrate 20 years of business is a huge accomplishment,” said Jennifer Cue, CEO, Jones Soda. “Throughout all these changes, Jones has kept up with industry trends, while staying focused on our core consumer and their want for a premium, crafted soda. We have a passionate fan base and an equally passionate and qualified team here at Jones Soda Co. that is equipped to take this brand and the company to the next level. This team has to date only scratched the surface on what we can do, and we are all excited for not only this upcoming celebratory year, but also the next 20 years.”

Jones Birthday Cake Soda be available throughout 2016 at select Jones Soda accounts, including regional outlets such as Fresh Thyme in the Midwest and QuikTrip convenience stores in Arizona, and nationally in Cost Plus World Market starting in February. In addition, Jones Birthday Cake Soda will be available online at JonesSoda.com.

Based in Seattle, Jones Soda Co. markets and distributes premium beverages under Jones Soda, Jones Zilch and Jones Stripped brands and sells through its distribution network in markets primarily across North America.