Why Are There So Many Car Commercials During the Super Bowl?
Why is the Super Bowl synonymous with commercials, and why are car companies so interested in this advertising opportunity?
Written by Lisa Steuer McArdle
Reviewed by Kathleen Flear
For many people, the Super Bowl is about seeing the
new commercials
just as much as it’s about football and partying
. NBC is broadcasting the 56th Super Bowl on Feb. 13 this year, and while the network does not reveal the cost of every ad that takes place during the game, recent 30-second spots have sold for $6.5 million, according to
NBC Los Angeles
. Last year, CBS reportedly sold Super Bowl ads for about $5.6 million each. So at that price, why are so many companies willing to shell out so much money for air time during the Super Bowl—particularly
car companies
?Why the Super Bowl become known for commercials
Simply put, all kinds of companies, not just car companies, like advertising during the Super Bowl because it’s an opportunity to reach a wider audience.
According to
Business Insider
, it all started with Apple’s 1984 Super Bowl ad, which announced the advent of Macintosh. Ever since then, the Super Bowl has been not just a sports event, but also an advertising event. In fact, it’s been found that movies that aired trailers during the Super Bowl can increase opening weekend sales by more than twice the cost of the commercial. There was even a Stanford study that revealed Budweiser’s Super Bowl ads increased sales by almost double what the commercial cost in the first place.
So it’s no wonder that car companies would want to get in on this advertising opportunity.
Today, companies tend to use Super Bowl advertising to be funny, entertain, and make a simple point without selling the product too hard.
Car commercials and the Super Bowl
Up until recently, car commercials were always prevalent during the Super Bowl. In fact, there were so many
Super Bowl car commercials
that carmakers needed to find creative ways to stand out. In 2018, 11 carmakers ran ads, one of the highest amounts yet, according to
Ad Age
. In 2020, six carmakers took up a total of seven minutes and 30 seconds of Super Bowl commercial airtime, and spent about $77 million on media buys, which was more than any other category. That changed a little bit last year, when major car companies opted out of Super Bowl advertising—which may have been due to industry shutdowns and closures that took place during the pandemic. In fact, 2021 had the fewest car commercials we’d seen during the Super Bowl in many years.
But according to
Car and Driver
, carmakers are back to Super Bowl advertising for 2022. This year’s Super Bowl car commercials
will include big names like Carvana, Kia, BMW, Nissan, General Motors, and more. We can also expect to see some electric vehicle commercials this year. Super Bowl commercials are expensive, but car insurance doesn’t have to be
Take a break from watching car commercials this Super Bowl Sunday—and the game, of course—and see how much you can save on car insurance using
Jerry
. The app compares quotes from more than 50 insurance companies for you in under a minute, without any long forms to fill out. Jerry saves customers an average of $889 a year on car insurance!
4.7
