Companies Spending Millions For A 30-Second Super Bowl Ad

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- It's become a sport among advertisers--creating the most talked about Super Bowl ads.

With more than 1,400-million Americans expected to tune in on Sunday, advertisers are really stepping up their game.

Jessica Kartalija has more.

If you think the Super Bowl is just about football, you're really missing the game. Every year, companies spend millions for a 30-second commercial.

"Just to be in that company of Super Bowl advertisers on there, and it's the big stage, and it makes someone that may not be the big Budweisers and so on, give them an opportunity to play with the big guys," says Rich Reiter.

Reiter is the creative director at Planit, a Baltimore agency specializing in marketing, branding and social media. He says this year, we'll see celebrities and politics.

"Considering the fact that it's an election year, that you'd usually probably be a little bit already bored or what's this going to be about, I found it really entertaining. I thought they did a great job overall, Budweiser," says Reiter.

Car and beer ads targeting men still dominate, but women are increasingly the focus.

Many advertisers are releasing their ads early, cross promoting on social media, to get more bang for their buck.

"This year, there were a ton of teasers that did grab attention and make you want to look into it a little more before you actually see the full spot," says Reiter.

For advertisers, the cost of a 30-second ad is a huge investment because as the price of running an ad increases, so has the size of the audience.

Companies say it's worth it.

"People saw the spot, came in, test drove the vehicle and then ultimately bought the vehicle," said Michael Sprague, COO of Kia Motors America.

"If people are still talking about the spots after, then I do feel like it is worth it," says Reiter.

The average price of a Super Bowl ad this year is approximately $5 million dollars.