Dive Brief:
- PayPal is entering the Super Bowl TV ad fray in a somewhat big way with a 45-second ad to run during the first quarter.
- The theme of the ad surrounds PayPal’s vision for the “future of money” and will be created by Crispin Porter + Bogusky.
- While PayPal is taking a TV ad step, recent research from AdParlor found one-third of marketers planning Super Bowl campaigns are only utilizing social media marketing channels.
Dive Insight:
The ad is the kick off for a major brand campaign that PayPal’s Greg Fisher, vp of global brand marketing, told Adweek was "more than a commercial" and is "designed to start a larger conversation about a reimagined financial world that must include everyone."
So far reports have 30-second Super Bowl ads costing $5 million or more.
Fisher explained the ad will seek to lay out the company's plans to "empower people and businesses to move and manage money securely, efficiently and affordably" following its recent split from eBay.
This year, though, not all marketers plan on joining PayPal paying Super Bowl TV spot rates, according to research from AdParlor. Out of 400 brand and agency professionals surveyed, 60% planned on advertising around the Super Bowl, but one-third of that figure expects to only advertise online. Specifically on social media, the main platforms – Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat – are all likely candidates for digital alternatives to the costly TV spots.
The AdParlor study notes that social platforms "are ideal cross-device platforms that offer optimal mobile experiences. In a crowded Super Bowl party, viewers might have to strain to see the TV, but their phones are always at arm’s length.”
That being said, last year's game between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks drew 114.4 million viewers, making it the most-watched TV broadcast ever in the U.S.
