General Motors Confirms Super Bowl Advertising Comeback for 2014
GM will return to the Super Bowl ad line-up in 2014, reversing its 2013 absence as it launches a wave of new Chevrolet models in the US market.
General Motors will advertise during Super Bowl XLVIII in February 2014, ending its one-year break from the NFL’s flagship broadcast. The company confirmed its return to the high-profile event as it prepares to launch 18 new or refreshed vehicles in the US, including 13 Chevrolets.
The decision marks a reversal of the previous year’s strategy, when GM sat out the 2013 Super Bowl over the cost of airtime. At the time, the company said the $3.8 million price for a 30-second slot was too high, up from $3.5 million the year before. The move was part of a broader cost-cutting push under then-chief marketing officer Joel Ewanick, who also halted paid Facebook advertising and was later ousted in July 2012.
GM’s new approach under Chevrolet global chief marketing officer Tim Mahoney puts the brand back on one of the largest stages in US advertising. Mahoney said the timing of the 2014 Super Bowl aligns with the company’s aggressive rollout of new cars and trucks, making it an opportunity to showcase Chevrolet’s latest products to a mass audience. Fox, which is broadcasting the game, reported that by late August 2013, 85% of ad slots had already sold, with that figure expected to reach 90% before the NFL season began.
Chevrolet at the centre of GM’s 2014 US push
Chevrolet is set to be the focus of GM’s Super Bowl campaign, reflecting its central role in the company’s 2014 US strategy. Among the 18 new or refreshed models GM plans to introduce, 13 will wear the Chevrolet badge. The Super Bowl ad will be part of a broader marketing effort to support these launches and build awareness among American buyers.
GM has already begun to reverse several of the marketing decisions made during Ewanick’s tenure. In April 2013, the company resumed paid Facebook advertising, having previously pulled out over cost concerns. It also bought airtime during the 2013 Super Bowl pre-game, signalling a gradual return to major event marketing.
