MI Car Dealers See Increase in Traffic After Super Bowl Ads?

Feb. 17, 2011 - PRLog -- DETROIT, M.I. – MI car dealers may have watched the many different commercials during the Super Bowl just as millions of consumers did across the country. It was announced before the big game day that at least eight automakers would be featuring their ads for all to see with each 30-second advertising spot averaging $2.8 to $3 million in cost.
[Rewind: Detroit Automakers Are Buying Up Super Bowl Ad Spots: How Much and How Many?]
The final count was eight automakers and 18 commercials about their cars and trucks. The following is a list of which automakers advertised and how many commercials each had:
•   General Motors, 6
•   BMW, 3 (one for Mini Cooper)
•   Hyundai, 3
•   Volkswagen, 2
•   Chrysler, 1
•   Mercedes, 1
•   Audi, 1
•   Kia, 1
MI car dealers saw the most advertisements from General Motors and its main focus was on Chevrolet. Of the Detroit Big Three, Ford was the only automaker to not include any ads during the actual Super Bowl; although, they were the last automobile commercial during pre-game before the game officially began.
General Motors kept its focus on Chevrolet with the Chevrolet Cruz featured in three commercials and one commercial each for the Chevrolet Silverado HD, Chevrolet Camaro and Chevrolet Volt. With so many commercials, Chevrolet seemed to have left an impression on viewers especially with one of the favorite ads of the game according to KickingTires (Cars.com) being with the Silverado HD. The truck took on a Lassie-type character and helped his owner save his son from various misadventures. This particular ad increased customer traffic 143 percent during the four days after the Super Bowl as Chevrolet commercials reached a combined 55 million views.
Chrysler may have only had one commercial, but according to websites across the Internet like KBB.com, it was one of the most successful in terms of generated interest. The ad consisted of the Chrysler 200 and the rap star Eminem at the wheel. According to Kelly Blue Book’s website, immediately after the ad aired the shopper activity increased 213 percent. Also, this one commercial was the most expensive ad of 2011 with the ad at two minutes. Although that would have normally cost $12 million, it is rumored that the automaker received a discount to about $9 million. Since the Super Bowl, the ad has had 2.6 million views online.
A non-Michigan automaker seemed to have taken the Internet by storm even before the Super Bowl arrived. Volkswagen aired two commercials, but the one that everyone remembers involves a little boy dressed up as Darth Vadar. With over 1.8 million views on YouTube within the first 48 hours and growing to over 15 million views by the time the Super Bowl arrived, this ad left the biggest impression on the viewers across the U.S according to most websites.
The big question: How did the ads rate to consumers?
Most websites have their own polls where viewers could choose their favorite ads. According to KickingTires, the top three commercials were Darth Vadar with the Passat, Tommy with Chevrolet Silverado HD and Eminem with the Chrysler 200. USA Today had a live panel of viewers who rated commercials as they were viewed, and the Volkswagen Darth Vadar ranked in the third spot. In the end, most websites had Volkswagen as the top rated commercial of 2011.
The question may remain if the commercials actually brought increased foot traffic to MI car dealers, but one thing is for sure that Internet searches and queries in the millions may convert into more vehicles sold for certain automakers.
Got a favorite commercial? Send your opinion to news@miautotimes.com or connect with us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/MichiganAutoTimes.