Super Bowl: Food Sellers Look to Run Up the Score

Catching up to Thanksgiving, the Fourth of July and Memorial Day, Super Bowl Sunday has become yet another day when Americans take a break from the call for healthy eating.

According to a survey by the Retail Advertising and Marketing Association (RAMA), 71.3 percent of respondents plan to buy food and beverages for game day, dwarfing the spending planned on team apparel or accessories (8.6 percent), decorations (6.4 percent), and furniture or a new entertainment center (2.4 percent).

Overall, the average game-watcher expects to shell out $63.87 on related merchandise, apparel and snacks for the Giants/Patriots match-up, up from $59.33 last year. Total Super Bowl spending is expected to reach $11.0 billion.

The Super Bowl party is the main event.

• Of those planning to watch the game, nearly 63.6 million (27.1 percent) are planning to attend a party, up from last year's 61.2 million, according to the RAMA survey. Another 35.9 million (15.3 percent) plan to throw a party, also up from the 34.9 million who said they would host a party in 2011.
• Supervalu's third-annual Snack Down survey found that the majority of respondents readily acknowledge that few, if any, snacks they eat during games would be considered healthy or good for them. Favorite snacks were dips and spreads (32 percent), followed by chicken wings (23 percent), and pizza and salty snacks (tied at 14 percent).
• According to a survey from the National Restaurant Association, 48 million people will order takeout or delivery on game day with another 12 million heading to a restaurant or bar to watch the game. In its survey, 69 percent of respondents described salsa, dips or spreads as "must-haves"; 63 percent indicated chicken wings; 61 percent, pizza; 50 percent, desserts; and 49 percent, subs/sandwiches.
• Forty-two percent said healthful food items are a "must" on their game-day table.
• The National Chicken Council stated that 1.25 billion chicken wings -- or about 100 million pounds of meat -- will be eaten on game day.

As supermarket circulars on Sunday touted "Game Day Savings," other articles are coming out detailing how to best prepare and save money for the game day party.

On street.com, Kristin Colella urged making finger foods at home and encouraging guests to bring beverages. On lifegoesstrong.com, Leah Ingram advised preparing everything in advance, using a slow cooker, buying disposable plates and bowls, and setting the menu around supermarket sales.

Writing for phillyblurbs.com, Eddie Gribbin added limiting invites, preparing hot-foods before kickoff, and setting up an extra television. Wrote Mr. Gribbin, "For any party, it's all about preparation."

(Source: Retail Wire, 01/30/12)

GM’s Chevy Eyes One Of 35 Indie Films As A Super Bowl XLVI Commercial

General Motors division Chevrolet has for the past few months been soliciting from filmmakers worldwide submissions for an ad that could potentially run on NBC during Super Bowl XLVI.
Chevy has closed the competition but opened another: People can visit a dedicated Web site to vote for their favorite.

In addition to getting a sneak peek at at a possible Super Bowl spot, visitors to the site have the opportunity to win up to $10,000, which is part of a larger $15,000 purse being offered by the automaker for watching and sharing the entries. (Full details here.)

GM is planning to have five 30-second spots on Feb. 5, one of which will go to the winner of this competition. Ad time has been selling for upward of $3.5 million for a 30-second space, per analysts, but companies with multiple spots usually pay a lower bundle rate.

The Chevy Super Bowl event, under a “Chevrolet Route 66” umbrella, is running now through Jan. 26, 2012. After that, Chevy execs will look at the films that have received the most views to help make their final selection.

Chevrolet has been working with Microsoft on the project.

The company said it received nearly 200 submissions from 32 countries, including Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Mexico, the United Kingdom and United States. Chevy said that growing percentage of its sales are coming from international car buyers and is using this promotion, in part, to strengthen those bonds.

Among the 35:
• “Happy Grad”: Parents are giving their son a mini-refrigerator as a high school graduation present for his college dorm. He and his friends mistakenly think he’s getting a 2012 Camero. “Best gift ever!” they all yell as a neighbor, who actually owns the Camero, drives away.

• “Miss Van Der Volt”: A woman lets her friend sit inside her new Chevy Volt. Once inside, the friend envisions herself as a super heroine – Miss Van Der Volt. After she gets out of the car, the Volt owner’s other friends fight for their turn behind the wheel.

• “Dogs And Horses”: In a similar vein, a dog eyeballs a new black Camero, but not for the tires. He pictures himself behind the wheel, head out the window, speeding down an open highway. The dream ends when the car’s owner catches the pooch behind the wheel. Turns out this is not the first time. “George,” yells out the car owner, “you dog’s sitting in my car again!”

• “Cindy, I Love You”: A young man is seemingly seeking to cross items off of his bucket list. Next up: Telling a former girlfriend that he loves her. He drives to her wedding ceremony in his Chevy, bursts through the chapel door and yells, “Cindy, I love you!” The woman, in her wedding dress, replies, “My name is Candy.” The awkward moment becomes sentimental when it turns out the guy was completing a list for his deceased friend. “You had the worst handwriting ever,” the guy says about his friend as he moves on to the next task.

• “School’s Out”: A grade school teacher has the rapt attention of his class, even after the bell rings and the weekend arrives. The kids even follow him out of the classroom and to the parking lot. Turns out that he has a new Camaro. When he gets in and revs the engine, all of the kids go “Oooooh.” Then one of the students says to the other, “When I grow up I want to be a teacher.”

BigLeadSports : Business, NFL, Super Bowl Ads, Super Bowl XLVI Barry Janoff