This is definitely the year in which introducing ads before the Super Bowl has exploded.  Before the advent of social media, the idea was to keep your Super Bowl ad secret and advertisers who simply aired a pre-existing ad were generally panned.  

The idea now, according to many of the agencies and companies whose ads will be seen by millions before the game, is to whet peoples’ appetite so they are ‘actually looking for your spot’ during the game.  But I’m not sure what world these individuals live in, nor with whom they watch the Super Bowl.  One of them was quoted in the January 27 NY Times to the effect that the reason the ad time on the game is so expensive is that “the Super Bowl is the only show people watch just to see commercials.”  I suspect most viewers actually watch for the game.  I believe they might look forward to seeing a celebrity in an ad or, just possibly, a very humorous ad they’ve seen only once or twice before.  However, with unfettered access to an ad on YouTube, the novelty will definitely have worn out – even for a very entertaining 30 seconds. 

Advertising folks who watch with other marketing folks to the contrary, the majority of viewers do not really look forward to the ads; even in the Super Bowl of Advertising.  Normal viewers still use commercial time to talk or take a break.  Novel Super Bowl ads, especially those with visual appeal, will garner more attention by making the ad available before.  Yet, in doing so, they would be wise to realize that they are likely diluting the post-game buzz they would have gotten by airing a fresh spot.