For years, fans have tuned into the Super Bowl not only for the game, but also for the slate of new ads sprinkled throughout the broadcast.
This year, the same could be true for the race deemed by many to be NASCAR’s Super Bowl, the Daytona 500.
New ads from nine companies will be a part of the 54th annual race, televised live on FOX with coverage beginning at noon ET.
Several Fortune 500 companies, such as Coca-Cola and Ford Motor Co., are among those that will be featuring new spots. The season-opener is the most prestigious race of the NASCAR schedule, one expected to showcase tight action, aggressive driving and multi-car crashes as drivers attempt to master the nuances of racing in large packs at the high-banked superspeedway.
Sprinkled amongst the action will be the ad campaigns. Commercials are designed to be engaging, informative and imaginative in effort to capture fan attention during the breaks in the on-track coverage.
The often comedic ads aim to appeal to a wide array of fans. Coca-Cola will debut a spot featuring many of the Sprint Cup Series top stars. Series sponsor Sprint will also be debuting a new ad, as will Nationwide, sponsor of NASCAR’s second-tier series.
Why would advertisers choose to embark on new ad campaigns during these events? Because of the increased numbers of fans that generally tune in for NASCAR’s most prestigious race. Last year’s race drew in more than 30 million viewers. This year’s race, with a field that features Dale Earnhardt Jr., Danica Patrick and defending race winner Trevor Bayne, could draw even more.
The sanctioning body itself will debut three new spots as part of its long-running campaign tabbed, “Everything else is just a game.” These ads combine racing action and driver shots in a campaign designed to spotlight the sport in a new way.
“Following a thrilling to-the-wire 2011 season, NASCAR wanted to build on our momentum by breaking new spots on the broadcast of our sport’s biggest event – the Daytona 500,” said Kim Brink, NASCAR managing director of brand, consumer and series marketing. “The advertisements are part of a series of spots in this year’s brand campaign, aimed at elevating the sport by demonstrating the key attributes that make NASCAR more than a game. Using sports vernacular, we bring the vibrant and colorful world of NASCAR to life, showing it is bigger, bolder, richer, deeper and faster than any other form of entertainment.”
