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FedEx Worries about Super Bowl Spots

FedEx has not yet made a decision about whether it will advertise during the upcoming Super Bowl. Though a loyal Super Bowl advertiser, FedEx thinks it may look wrong to spend $3 million or thereabouts on a :30 spot during a time when it is asking employees to “do more with less,” according to a person close to the company.

Other advertisers who have already decided to take a pass on the upcoming game include General Motors, which has advertised in 16 games, and Garmin, which has advertised in the last two, the Wall Street Journal writes . (Garmin says its decision was unrelated to the economy.) New to the game in February will include Pedigree, the dog-food brand owned by Mars, and perhaps Monster, which has sat out in recent years.

E*Trade, which struggled with its ultimate decision to advertise in the Super Bowl last February, saw an increase in newly opened and funded brokerage accounts during the week following the game of 32%.

But ad executives say that indulging in high-priced media deals can raise eyebrows and give the wrong impression, particularly because, if an ad doesn’t perform well, a company can be skewered not just for lackluster creative but for irresponsible corporate spending.

NBC has sold out most of its Super Bowl inventory, and many in the industry were surprised by the high demand in light of the soft economy. This year’s price tag was up from last year, which saw Fox pulling about $2.7 million per :30 ad. Companies that choose to advertise during the Super Bowl get the benefit of much advance- and post-game publicity, and that publicity seems to grow every year.