Tough Economic Times Have Some Advertisers Rethinking Super Bowl Spots

In the last few years the Super Bowl has become less about the football and more about the "other." The two weeks leading up to it are always a media frenzy, the predictions and prop bets are a fan favorite in Las Vegas and of course, the commercials.

The commercials are what people that don't care about the Super Bowl stay interested in. It's almost anti-American to actually use a commercial break to go to the bathroom. Well, with the tough economic times hitting our country and a lot of companies pulling money from their advertising branch first, the Wall Street Journal suggests that some regular contributors might bypass on the $3 million for a 30-second ad.

FedEx, a loyal Super Bowl advertiser, still hasn't decided if it will buy in. FedEx is concerned that shelling out big bucks -- at a time when it's "asking employees to do more with less" -- will look "wrong," says a person close to the company.
"Companies have to be mindful that jumping into the game can open them up to criticism," this person says.

Lucky for NBC, the network broadcasting the Super Bowl this year, most of the ads were sold in early September, just before the financial crisis took a left on Lose Your Money Avenue. The network still is reporting eight open ad spots for the big game, a number that if not reached could have some companies asking for a discounted price.