Chrysler is advertising during the Super Bowl for the first time since 2004, making it the first U.S. automaker in the world’s most expensive advertising showcase in two years.
Chrysler will feature its Dodge Charger in a 60-second ad in the U.S. during the first half of the NFL championship game on Feb. 7. According to TNS Media Intelligence, CBS is selling 30-second ads for between US$2.5 million to $2.8 million.
None of the U.S. automakers–Ford, General Motors or Chrysler–advertised in the game amid a sharp industry downturn in 2009.
Italian automaker Fiat took control of Chrysler after it emerged from Chapter 11 reorganization in June, and now the company wants people to know it, said Chrysler spokeswoman Dianna Gutierrez.
“Most American consumers do not realize we have emerged from bankruptcy so the Super Bowl is a great way to reach out to our consumers to let them know we are still here,” she said Thursday.
The company also added that, although the move could be criticized as a big expense, Chrysler feels it is justified considering the viewership, which reached nearly 100 million people in the U.S. last year.
“In fact, it would be more costly to achieve the same number of viewers in traditional media placement and ensure the high viewership attention span that the Super Bowl delivers,” the company said.
Foreign automakers Toyota, Volkswagen and Hyundai were the only auto brands in last year’s Super Bowl–shrinking auto advertising dollars to just 8.5% of the $213 million in revenue the game generated, according to TNS. That’s down from nearly 17% in 2005, a year when both Ford and GM advertised.
GM, sitting out for a second year in a row, is the third-largest Super Bowl advertiser in history, having spent $80.5 million for 15 years’ worth of ads, according to TNS.
