Audi buys 60 seconds for Super Bowl XLIII

Audi is boldly going ahead and buying ad time for the Super Bowl game next year.

Audi claims that last year's ad (seen above), featuring the R8 sports car in a spoof of the Godfather films, was a success and is hoping to repeat the feat again by buying an ad time for Super Bowl XLIII.

The new 60-second spot will air during the first quarter of the game, which is likely to be a very expensive proposition for the Ingolstadt-based premium brand. Super Bowl ad time is the most costly in the world. NBC, which will be airing Super Bowl XLIII, is said to be charging about 3 million US dollars per 30-second spot. Audi has not said how much the airing of the ad will cost.

Audi hopes to increase awareness of the brand in the US and drive traffic to its website, which last year's ad tripled in the subsequent months. Audi is the least well known in the US market of the three competing German premium brands, which include Mercedes-Benz and BMW. Audi says it has taken a larger portion of the import luxury market in the US in 2008, increasing its share of the segment to 8.6 percent from 6.2 percent a year prior.

No details available yet on what the ad will be or whether it will focus on the brand or a specific model. The ad is being produced by Venables Bell & Partners, Audi's advertising agency based in San Francisco.

Press Release

Audi to Advertise During Super Bowl XLIII Broadcast

• 60-second spot to air in the first quarter of the game
• Last year's ad drove record traffic to Audi's website
• Audi's market share has increased over two percentage points in just 12 months

After tremendous consumer and critical reaction to its "The Godfather"-inspired ad in Super Bowl XLII, Audi of America today announced it has purchased a 60-second slot to advertise in the first quarter of Super Bowl XLIII.

Last year's Super Bowl ad was the first in nearly 20 years for the company. The spot's unique creative elements scored big points with viewers. According to Collective Intellect and Nielsen Buzz Metrics, Audi was the number two Super Bowl advertiser in total buzz after the game. In the months following the game, traffic to www.audiusa.com increased almost 200% and the Audi R8 became the top search term on Google immediately following the ad's airing.

"Last year's Super Bowl ad put old luxury on notice that Audi was setting the new standard in the American luxury market," said Scott Keogh, chief marketing officer, Audi of America. "With this spot, we plan to build on the success we've enjoyed in 2008 to make 2009 a year of progress and market momentum for the Audi brand."

Audi experienced a record year for sales in 2007. In 2008, despite the worst sales climate in nearly 25 years, Audi has increased market share against other imported luxury brands to 8.6%, up from 6.2% just 12 months ago.

Audi's advertising agency, San Francisco-based Venables Bell & Partners, created the ad.