BMW and Lexus will return to the Super Bowl after sitting on the bench for several years.
BMW said today it will pitch the i3 electric in a 60-second spot during the game’s first quarter.
Meanwhile, Lexus will run its second Super Bowl commercial ever. It will tout its newly launched NX compact crossover in the hot luxury crossover segment.
Auto commercials for the Feb. 1 Super Bowl are trending downward. NBC, which is broadcasting the game, told Advertising Age that many brands lack launches early this year.
So far, six brands -- BMW, Kia, Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan and Toyota -- are expected to run spots, Last year, 11 auto brands aired commercials during the game.
GM said Tuesday that it wasn’t airing a spot this year, reported Advertising Age, an affiliate of Automotive News.
Tim Mahoney, Chevrolet’s chief marketing officer, “has said that we do not have any major launches at this time, so we decided to sit out this year,” a GM spokeswoman wrote in an email today.
Honda, Acura, Jaguar, Lincoln and Volkswagen will also forgo Super Bowl ads this year.
BMW sees the Super Bowl as a chance to push its electric agenda.
“As one in three Americans will tune in to watch the Super Bowl, we are thrilled to use this platform to educate viewers on the importance of electric mobility,” said Trudy Hardy, vice president of marketing for BMW of North America, in a statement. “Big ideas like the BMW i3 take a little getting used to, and the creative idea surrounding our spot will play on this analogy.”
The i3 starts at $43,350, including shipping.
Lexus spot
