Jan. 26, 2015—Roughly half as many automakers are expected to run commercials during this year’s Super Bowl compared to last year’s game, according to a report from Automotive News.
Eleven car manufacturers ran Super Bowl ads during last year’s game, and, so far, just six are known to have plans of appearing in ads for this year’s contest.
BMW, Kia, Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan and Toyota are the only brands confirmed to have bought space for Sunday’s Super Bowl, where a 30-second commercial costs an estimated $4.5 million.
Volkswagen has seen recent success with its Super Bowl ads, but like other manufacturers, the German automaker saw resources spent elsewhere, such as social media campaigns, as a better investment than spending Super Bowl money.
"Volkswagen is a great fan of the Super Bowl, and it has been a strong platform for the brand and our campaigns," Volkswagen spokeswoman Jeannine Ginivan told Automotive News. "However, for 2015 we have opted to not participate due to other priorities and initiatives across all platforms."
BMW will continue its streak of Super Bowl ads, however, as the prime time spot gives it the chance to roll out its ad campaign for the i3, its first offering in the electric vehicle market.
