It’s that time of year again. The wind is blowing, the snow is falling, and fans across the nation are gearing up to paint their faces, don their jerseys and cheer in a drunken stupor as two teams take the field to play some good quality football in Super Bowl XLVII.

The average viewership of the game last year set a new record at 111.13 million people. As viewership is growing and turning the Super Bowl into some sort of national holiday, it makes sense that advertisers would have to pay top dollar to get in front of this captive audience. Especially when the Super Bowl has become known almost equally for its advertisements as its game play, with many people claiming they watch the game for the ads. Probably something no other televised show or event can boast. A Nielson survey done in 2010 and cited by the NY Post found that 51% of respondents claimed to enjoy the advertisements more than the action on the field.

This year ads have a price tag on average of $3.7 to $3.8 million per 30 seconds. This is up from an average $2.6 million in 2010. And while traditionally most advertisers would keep quiet about their commercials and approach game day with an element of surprise, with social media already buzzing about Super Bowl ads many advertisers are opting to share their plans or commercials ahead of time to become part of the conversation. In taking advantage of social media, advertisers gain further exposure and have a chance to interact individually with its audience.

Mercedes, being the first to release their teaser, has already seen 4.6 million YouTube views within a week. That’s 4.6 million free exposures along with a whole mass of conversation regarding the spot through media, fans, and the general public.

Ads from the 2012 Super Bowl showed that 75% of the 20 most shared videos debuted in some form online prior to the game. Online ad sharing is also increasing. As the ads are becoming some sort of a spectacle in themselves, Super Bowl ads shared went up 129 percent between 2011 and 2012.

Along with releasing insights earlier, companies also plan mobile and interactive components into their campaigns. With 75% of the audience on a second screen during the game, interweaving these additional components presents the opportunity for a deeper connection with consumers.

Companies that have already released their spots or teasers include Mercedes, Coca Cola, Audi, Volkswagen, Taco Bell, Century 21, Axe, Hyundai and Go Daddy, with more coming out every day.

With all the money and time being spent on Super Bowl XLVII, we hope advertisers took the time to prepare some good, quality messages. Because we will be watching and we will be judging.

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