The Super Bowl is one of the most- watched television shows of the year.  Over 150 million people are expected to watch this year's Super Bowl. Those managers that see the Super Bowl as a brand-building opportunity will pay an average of $3.5 million for each 30-second television advertising spot.

Kirk Wakefield, Edwin W. Streetman Professor of Retail Marketing, Hankamer School of Business, Baylor University explains the cost in a CommPRO.Biz blog. "The average CPM (cost per 1000 households) during primetime TV was just over $22 this past year. The CPM for the Super Bowl is over three times that at about $76." He goes on to explain that "the advertising waste spent communicating to an audience not in the market makes the effective CPM multiples of the already bloated $76 CPM." Professor Wakefield says that a Super Bowl ad can be successful if "the brand is related, prominent, and adds value to the event."

The decision to spend $3.5 million on a 30-second Super Bowl commercial reminds me of John Wanamaker (1838-1922), a Philadelphia retailer, who is often quoted by businesspeople today. "Half my advertising is wasted, I just don't know which half."

Some of this year's Super Bowl advertisers are Anheuser-Busch, Chevrolet, and Coco-Cola. Which ads are your favorites? Will you buy the product advertised? Are the Super Bowl ads worth the price?