Advertisers Battle it out for the Best Commercial During Super Bowl XLV
On February 6, 2011, all eyes will be on Super Bowl XLV in Arlington, Texas. While the Green Bay Packers and the Pittsburgh Steelers will be battling it out on the field, advertisers will be battling it out during commercial breaks. And just like the Super Bowl champions who will earn the coveted trophy in the end, advertisers will earn the respect of consumers measured by USA Today’s Ad Meter.
Cars.com, one of the nation’s leading resources for buying and selling a car, is heading to Super Bowl XLV with two brand new commercials. The site’s return to the Big Game marks the fourth consecutive year it will advertise alongside some of the most recognizable brands in the country. Cars.com will add to its ‘Confidence’ campaign with two 30-second spots: one in the third quarter and one in the fourth quarter.
E*TRADE Financial Corp. announced that E*TRADE Securities LLC has unveiled two new 30-second “Talking Baby” advertisements scheduled to debut during the Fox Television Network broadcast of Super Bowl® XLV. The new Super Bowl spots are part of E*TRADE’s 2011 “Investing Unleashed” advertising and marketing campaign developed by agency of record, Grey New York. ”Investing Unleashed” speaks to the real concerns of investors today: planning for retirement, market uncertainty, diversification and access to first class products, service and education. Read more
NFL.com to Offer Fans Higher Quality Video Experience This Season
Higher quality video will be available to NFL.com users through the Akamai HD Network
NFL.com and Akamai Technologies announced that NFL.com has implemented Akamai’s HD Network to enable broader availability of high-quality online video. NFL.com will be utilizing the Akamai HD Network to assist in providing the best possible online video player experience for its fans.
This season, the majority of video content on NFL.com will be offered in higher quality and delivered across the Akamai HD Network, including NFL.com Live: Thursday Night Football offering live look-ins to NFL Network’s eight-game package, video highlights of every NFL game and coverage of other NFL events. In addition, exclusive video contained within the new NFL Fantasy Football game will be offered in higher quality through Akamai’s HD Network. The enhanced content will be made available in multiple bitrates up to 3.2 mbps.
The incorporation of Akamai’s HD Network into the NFL.com video player includes several benefits: Read more
NFL Mobile kicks off with Verizon Wireless in April
The National Football League (NFL) has joined forces with Verizon Wireless, the owner and operator of the nation’s most reliable wireless network, to provide fans with the deepest NFL experience on their mobile phones, it was announced today. The new four-year agreement for NFL Mobile kicks off next month with coverage of the 2010 NFL Draft to be held from April 22-24 and continues with the NFL’s regular season.
Verizon Wireless, which also becomes the NFL’s official wireless service sponsor, will provide fans with unprecedented access to America’s favorite sport regardless of whether they are in the stands, at home, or on the go.
Among the programming that will be available for the first time during the regular season will be the wildly popular NFL RedZone channel from the NFL Network, which airs live look-ins of every key play and touchdown from Sunday afternoon games. Fans also will be able to watch live streaming of NBC’s Sunday Night Football and NFL Network’s Thursday Night Football. In addition, fans will receive the NFL Network channel, which airs seven days a week, 24 hours a day on a year-round basis, and is the only network fully dedicated to the NFL and the sport of football.
“This is an agreement that has, at its core a mutual desire by both the NFL and Verizon Wireless to provide consumers with what they want on and off the field,” said John Stratton, executive vice president and chief marketing officer for Verizon Wireless. “For Verizon Wireless, it is NFL content delivered over our 3G network so football fans can extend the excitement of the sport long after the last touchdown of a season. And the NFL content is customizable in that consumers have options from video to ringtones to alerts; the choice is theirs.”
The NFL experience will become increasingly rich as Verizon Wireless launches its 4G network. It plans to have 4G available in 25 to 30 markets in 2010 and in virtually all of its current nationwide 3G footprint by the end of 2013.
“We are looking forward to working with Verizon Wireless to deliver our fans the most extensive experience on mobile phones,” said Brian Rolapp, the NFL’s senior vice president of media strategy. “Our fans have an insatiable appetite for football, and we will be able to keep them connected wherever they are on game day but also throughout the year.”
In addition to NFL RedZone, live Sunday Night and Thursday Night games, and NFL Network, other features of NFL Mobile on Verizon Wireless will include:
– Video: Game highlights and an extensive collection of on-demand video featuring analysis and inside access from NFL Network and NFL Films.
– Audio: Live radio broadcasts of every regular season and playoff game from both home and away teams.
– Fantasy: Access to fantasy information, news, and player and team statistics.
– Customizable NFL alerts, ringtones and graphics.
Fans will get their first taste of NFL Mobile on Verizon Wireless with one of the most anticipated sports events of the year, the NFL Draft, to be held from April 22-24. Among the content:
– Live 24/7 stream of NFL Network’s coverage of the Draft from Radio City Music Hall.
– Extensive collection of on-demand video of NFL Network analysis.
– Pick-by-pick Draft tracker updated in real time.
– In-depth prospect profiles, blogs, news and more.
Source: Verizon Wireless
NFL and CBS score captioning Touchdown at Super Bowl XLIV
On February 7, 2010, the National Football League (NFL) and CBS Corporation ensured that Super Bowl XLIV made history with a record number of captioned commercials and promotions. The NFL and CBS worked closely with the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) to reach this remarkable goal, as well as to bring out the beauty of American Sign Language (ASL) during the National Anthem.
“The NAD is grateful to the NFL and CBS for providing an unparalleled level of access for millions deaf and hard of hearing Americans at this year’s Super Bowl. We were truly a part of the audience,” said NAD President Bobbie Beth Scoggins.
Through this dedicated effort, 81% of nationally broadcast commercials and network promotions were captioned from beginning to end of the game. Not only were far more commercials captioned during this program than in any other television program, but advances were made in uncharted territory. CBS took the unprecedented step of captioning 84% of its promotions, which are previews of upcoming television shows and other network content. Also, for the first time, many deaf and hard of hearing people witnessed captioned movie trailers.
“CBS is pleased to have worked with the NAD, the NFL, and our advertisers to caption voluntarily many of the commercials and CBS promotional announcements in Super Bowl XLIV, the most watched television program in American history,” said Martin Franks, Executive Vice President, Planning, Policy and Government Affairs, CBS Corporation. “As captioning technology improves, and costs moderate, CBS and its advertising partners look forward to continued progress on the voluntary captioning of our promos and commercials.”
There is no legal mandate to caption commercials by advertisers or promotions by the network broadcasting the game. The NAD advocates for full access to the entire television experience through legislation, but also encourages networks to caption even where not required by law. The NAD thanks the NFL and CBS for going above and beyond the law and considering the deaf and hard of hearing community a part of its valued audience.
In addition to such captioning achievements, the NFL and CBS ensured that American Sign Language (ASL) was an integral part of the National Anthem. The signer, a senior at the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind, was shown on the stadium’s large screen and a portion of the performance was showcased on national television.
Source: CBS Corporation