Dive Brief:
- Amazon.com will run its first Super Bowl ad next Sunday, starring Alec Baldwin, Dan Marino, and Alexa, the digital assistant inside its Echo appliance.
- A 30-second teaser for the forthcoming ad (hashtagged #BaldwinBowl) shows the three in a clubby sitting room, brainstorming ideas for a Super Bowl party.
- CBS is charging $5 million to air a 30-second spot, and viewership of the event is expected to meet or exceed 2015’s 114.4 million.
Dive Insight:
In an unexpected move, Amazon.com will run its first-ever Super Bowl ad, starring actor Alec Baldwin, former Miami Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino and Alexa, the voice of the Amazon Echo in-home speaker appliance.
The tech giant doesn’t need television ads to build brand recognition, of course, but the Echo—Amazon’s gateway to the Internet of Things—is just beginning to get traction in American homes. In addition to accepting voice commands to adjust linked thermostats or play music, the system allows users to re-order Prime-eligible products by announcing their wants to Alexa.
As the largest-viewership broadcast by far worldwide, the Super Bowl may be the one ad buy left that reaches almost everyone—even consumers who have never used Amazon or habitually skip ads on their DVRs and smartphone screens. And since the ads are almost as big an event as the game itself (or bigger, depending on the matchup), the $5 million price tag is still a bargain for brands.