Nashville-based tiremaker Bridgestone returns for its third year in the annual classic, sponsoring the halftime show as well as contributing two ads during the game.
The German automaker Volkswagen, which is building a $1 billion manufacturing plant in Chattanooga, is running an ad during the game for the first time in nine years.
Both advertising bets by companies tied to the auto industry show that, even in a recession, major companies are willing to pony up big dollars for what may be the most watched and critiqued advertising messages of all.
RelatedIs Peyton Manning the best ever?"We couldn't think of a better 'wow' factor than getting involved with the Super Bowl," said John Baratta, president of replacement-tire sales for Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations.
The purpose of the company's participation is to raise brand awareness for its premium Bridgestone tire lines, he said, which have posted double-digit sales increases since the company teamed up with the NFL. Bridgestone, which is the official tire of the NFL, was mostly unknown to the average consumer before signing on with the league, although its lower-priced Firestone brand is a household name in the U.S.
Building brand awareness also is the goal of Volkswagen, which hopes to double its annual U.S. sales to about 400,000 vehicles in the next three years, said Tim Ellis, vice president for marketing at Volkswagen of America.
"We've had a tough couple of years, but we did better than most (automakers), and we feel like we have the wind at our back," he said.
The big game pitting the favored Indianapolis Colts versus the upstart New Orleans Saints isn't just the pinnacle of the NFL season, it's also the Super Bowl of marketing. It's the only place where advertisers can reach more than 100 million people at once to introduce new products or boost existing ones, said Brian Evans, managing director of Nashville-based FanLab, a research firm that helps companies measure the value of sports sponsorships.
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