Since its inception in 1967, the Super Bowl has established itself way more than just the pinnacle of American football, emerging as a cultural phenomenon that extends far beyond the field. Over the past few decades, the championship game has steadily evolved itself into one of the most-watched TV events worldwide, drawing audiences not just for the athletic spectacle but even the commercials that feature during the game.
History Of The Super Bowl
The origins of the Super Bowl can be seen in the creation of the American Football League (AFL) in 1960. According to the Organization of American Historians, it was established by a group of businesses who looked forward to having their own pro football franchises, but were not happy with the NFL’s unwillingness to expand. The AFL emerged as an alternative league as players came together to pay a more wide-open brand of footfall.
A few years later, NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle and AFL’s Kansas City Chiefs owner Lamar Hunt negotiated a merger agreement, wherein both the leagues would formally come together in 1970. During this time, it was decided that champions from AFL and NFL would face each other at the end of the season, with Hunt suggesting that the new game could be called “Super Bowl.”
Notably, the announcement regarding NFL and AFL merger took place on June 8, 1966, while the first ever “Super Bowl” between the champions from the two leagues took place after the end of the 1966 season. However, it took until the 1970 season for the two sides to unite their operation and integrate regular-season schedules.
The Super Bowl, played between the champions from the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC), is one of the most watched sports events, witnessing an average of 90 million viewers, according to History.com.
This is the reason why ads play a major role when it comes to the Super Bowl.
Super Bowl: Evolution Of The World’s Biggest Ad Event
It has been estimated by Prosper Insights and Analytics that about 18% of the viewers only tune in to watch the Super Bowl only for the commercial breaks. Every year, it is not just the football teams that see winners and losers. Even for brands, the major event serves as an advertising juggernaut. Companies are ready to give millions of dollars into crafting a commercial spot that goes on to linger long after its 30 seconds of TV airtime.
Tim Calkins, a marketing professor at Northwestern University, told History.com that since companies have “only 30 seconds to communicate,” it becomes an “enormous challenge” for them. “Maybe you have 60 seconds. It’s always fun to see which companies rise to the challenge and which ones miss the mark,” he added.
Memorable Super Bowl Ads Ever
Cola-Cola (1980): Arriving at the dawn of modern Super Bowl advertising, this special ad was first aired a month earlier in 1979. The brand later re-aired the commercial during the big game.
Apple (1984): Helmed by Ridley Scott, the post-apocalyptic ad was considered revolutionary at the time for not showing the actual product that it was advertising. But it made it stand out and went on to cement the Cupertino-based tech giant’s future, becoming a watershed moment in the advertising sector.
Mountain Dew (2016): Being difficult to ignore, this ad chanting “Puppymonkeybaby” went on to break the internet when it premiered during Super Bowl 50.
Volkswagen’s The Force (2011): This playful Star Wars parody came out as the company’s maiden Super Bowl commercial in over a decade. Interestingly, Volkswagen unveiled a longer 60 seconds version on YouTube a few days before the game.
Earlier this year, NBCUniversal’s Mark Marshall told Bloomberg that prices for Super Bowl ads had gone up to as much as $10 million on NBC. Marshall stated that the NFL is gaining significant traction among advertisers. The league stands out among the deluge of major sporting events that take place every year. On average, the price for a 30-second ad was averaging $8 million, he added.
Super Bowl: Key Facts
The first ever Super Bowl was played at the Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, when Green Bay Packers of the NFL smashed Kansas City Chiefs of AFL 35-10. Most recently, fans witnessed Super Bowl LX at the Levi’s Stadium in California’s Santa Clara. In the game, the Seattle Seahawks emerged victorious at 29-13 against the New England Patriots.
At present, Tom Brady holds the record for most games played (10) and most wins (7). Brady also holds the record for most completions (277), most pass yards (3,039) and most pass TDs (21). Among the head coaches, Bill Belichick holds the record for most Super Bowl games (9) as well as most wins (6).
Jerry Rice has scored most TDs (8) and most receptions (33), Emmitt Smith has most rush TDs (5), while Franco Harris has made most rush yards (354). Charles Haley and Von Miller have the most sacks at 4.5.