Detroit Three to skip 2024 Super Bowl
The Detroit Three automakers say they are passing on advertising at the 2024 Super Bowl, even with their hometown team having its best chance at winning the NFL title in years.
Pricing for Super Bowl LVIII set to air Feb. 11 on CBS is said to be around $7 million for a 30-second spot, according to Ad Age. Last year, 115.1 million viewers tuned into watch the Kansas City Chiefs defeat the Philadelphia Eagles. The playoffs will determine who plays in this year's game outside Las Vegas. The Detroit Lions are their division's champions this season.
The auto industry in 2023 saw increased sales as supply-chain issues resolved and pent-up demand from the pandemic was satisfied. In 2024, that sales growth is expected to moderate as interest rates remain high, and customers are looking for incentives to make a purchase. That means squeezed profit margins unless the companies cut costs.
Skipping the super Bowl is Stellantis NV's latest move to adjust its marketing spending. The company this week pointed to challenging market conditions in its decision to evaluate its appearance at auto shows on a case-by-case basis. Stellantis won't attend next month's Chicago Auto Show
"With a continued focus on preserving business fundamentals to mitigate the impact of a challenging U.S. automotive market, we are evaluating our business needs and will take the appropriate decisions to protect our North America operations and the Company," according to a statement sent by spokesperson Diane Morgan. "In light of this assessment, we will not be participating in the Big Game this year."
Stellantis aired two commercials during last year's game. One promoted the Jeep 4xe plug-in hybrids with a new version of the "Electric Boogie." The second premiered the all-electric Ram 1500 REV. Five days later, the automaker closed reservations for the truck that'll launch in the fourth quarter.
The automaker's Super Bowl ads in the past have delivered buzz. In 2020, the commercial with actor Bill Murray and a Jeep Gladiator spoofing the "Groundhog Day" film topped USA Today's Ad Meter. Eminem introduced the Chrysler 200 in a 2011 Super Bowl ad that also focused on the revitalization of Detroit.
General Motors Co. in recent years has used the Super Bowl to sell its EV future, though it isn't doing so this year. Last year, the automaker brought in actor Will Ferrell to promote its EVs and a new partnership it had with the streaming service Netflix. The automaker also had Ferrell appear in a 2021 ad called "No way, Norway," where Ferrell goes on a mission to get back at Norway for selling more EVs.
"We continually evaluate our media strategies," GM spokesperson Arianna Kughn said in a statement, "to ensure they align with our business priorities."
Ford hasn't aired a Super Bowl ad in several years, and it won't again in 2024, said spokesperson Mike Levine, referring to a previous statement from CEO Jim Farley: "If you ever see Ford Motor Co. doing a Super Bowl ad on our electric vehicles, sell the stock."
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