NEW PRODUCTS POST: Super Bowl Launches

Launch Date: February 3, 2008

With an estimated price tag of $2.7 million for a 30-second spot, companies brought their A-game to capture as many of the 97.5 million viewers as possible during Super Bowl XLII. This was the most watched Super Bowl ever, as well as the second most watched TV show in American broadcast history (second only to the series finale of M*A*S*H in 1983, when 106 million people tuned in).

The Super Bowl has been regarded as an occasion to introduce innovative products ever since Apple's show-stopping 1984 Macintosh launch. Surprisingly, despite Super Bowl XLII’s record-breaking ratings this year, only four companies used the opportunity as a stage for major product launches, equal to the number of Bowl product launches last year. Here is a play-by-play:

1^st Quarter
Audi R8

The Volkswagen-owned German car manufacturer is looking to break into the American luxury auto market with the launch of their new $109,000 R8 model. Using a dramatic parody of The Godfather’s horsehead-in-the-bed scene where oil replaces spilled blood, Audi sends a strong message about the impending fate of ‘old luxury’ vehicles. This ad was clearly as much about positioning the Audi brand in the minds of American consumers as it was about the R8 itself, particularly because most of the Super Bowl viewing audience are not typical Audi customers.

 
Pepsi Gatorade G2

As we wrote about earlier, Gatorade used the Super Bowl to officially launch their new low-calorie lifestyle beverage, G2. The ads, which feature athletes such as Derek Jeter and Dwayne Wade, are a part of a greater integrated marketing effort that has included teaser ads for the TV ad campaign, print, events in NYC, a large new media component, etc. This is Pepsi Co.’s largest integrated marketing campaign since the launch of Propel Fit Water in 2002.

 
3^rd Quarter
Hyundai Genesis

Another car manufacturer that chose to launch a product during this year’s Super Bowl was Hyundai. In their first appearance in Super Bowl ads since 1989, Hyundai launched their 375 HP Genesis sports sedan with a pair of commercials. Hyundai initially introduced this model at last month’s Detroit Auto Show as a part of their higher-end product line-up, and the Super Bowl presented an excellent opportunity to expose the general public to images of the car for the first time. With higher MSRP’s and a growing number of up-scale models, the question arises as to whether Hyundai consumers will pay higher prices for Hyundai products or whether Hyundai should brand these higher end models differently, much like what Toyota chose to do with its Lexus brand.

4^th Quarter 

Taco Bell Fiesta Platter

Taco Bell leveraged their Bowl real estate to launch their newest menu item, the Fiesta Platter. The $4.99 combo meal, appearing on menus Monday, includes a main taco dish, beans, rice, chips and salsa in a portable container. The cheesy ad positions the Fiesta Platter as the closest thing to a full-fledged Mexican meal. 

So, while many bloggers will be separating advertising hits from misses, we’ll be watching these new products to see if their Super Bowl debuts were worth the big bucks. What do you think?