All eyes will be on the Super Bowl this Sunday as the Philadelphia Eagles takes on the Kansas City Chiefs, and a suburban company is shelling out big bucks for a commercial during the game.
WeatherTech, manufacturers of a variety of floormats and other automotive products, knows it's competing with bigger companies, but they're also excited about putting their message out during the most watched telecast of the year.
“I believe they’re the only independent company that’s advertising on the Super Bowl so they’re probably the smallest company on the Super Bowl,” said Michael Magnusson, who is the Founder and CEO of Pinnacle Advertising.
The 60 second ad features four golden girls going for a joyride, living a carefree life, and cruising to "Born to Be Wild" by Steppenwolf, who of course are keeping their car protected with WeatherTech floor mats.
“We did it in a very unique way, but the way we presented it we didn’t want to make it a commercial, we wanted to make it a music video,” explained Magnusson. "That's was the whole idea behind it let's make this something that's going to grab attention."
Pinnacle Advertising is behind the vision and marketing. The agency has been with the company since 2008 and ran their first Super Bowl commercial in 2014.
This year they wanted to take a different approach by venturing into the entertainment realm with their messaging to consumers.
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“We felt really strongly that we cemented the ‘Made in America’ theme of his [the company’s owner] advertising and his messaging to the American people,” said Magnusson. “It’s time now to express his company in a different way so let’s try to connect with consumers out there in something that’s a complete departure but doesn’t take away from who he is as a business.”
So how much did it cost for airtime during the Super Bowl? The advertising agency told NBC Chicago the reported cost in 2014 was around $4 million. This year it’s costing an upward of $7-8 million for a spot.
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“Super Bowl ads are so symbolic, everybody knows when you buy a Super Bowl ad you’re investing a lot of money in advertising, marketing, and in your company,” said Tim Calkins, clinical marketing professor at Northwestern University. “This is actually a really important message— it’s important for employees, for partners, for even the community.”
"I think its worth every penny because it's going to get the recognition, it's going to get the attention, and it's going to be something that becomes a campaign that lives on well beyond the Super Bowl," added Magnusson.
WeatherTech's ad will air during the second quarter of the game Sunday.
