Automakers Set Stage For Super Sunday; Who Comes Out on Top?

From an all-star rapper to the grown-up version of America’s favorite teenage truant, from sarcastic NBC comic legends to vampires, this year’s collection of automaker Super Bowl commercial stars run the gamut of pop-culture icons.

Heading into the weekend, the spots are also generating a bit of “pre-game buzz” for automakers, some of whom are advertising on Super Sunday for the first time.

With this in mind, Auto Remarketing looked at the theories of auto analysts that certain car ads might just work better than others.

In fact, according to Kelley Blue Book, commercials where the actual vehicle is featured or a celebrity is involved tend to do better.

“In addition to being model-focused, commercials with pop culture references tend to outperform other campaigns,” noted Arthur Henry, KBB’s manager of market intelligence. “Last year, Volkswagen saw a lot of success with its Star Wars ad, and Chrysler also benefited from their 'Imported from Detroit' commercial starring Detroit-native Eminem.”

Fortunately for several of the advertising brands, many of this year’s crop will feature both the model and the celebrity.

Suzuki, for instance, is advertising its Kizashi model through a “Sled” commercial featuring Eskimos and the music of rapper 50 Cent, who — appropriately enough — is the protégé of last year’s Super Sunday rap star, Eminem.

Likewise, Kia is going the musical route, using a famous tune of rock legends Motley Crue. Their spot promotes the 2012 Optima Limited, and features Victoria Secret Angel Adriana Lima, mixed martial arts star Chuck Liddell and more to go along with the song “Kickstart My Heart” from the aforementioned heavy-metal bad boys.

Audi is running a spot playing off the pop-culture fascination with vampires as it advertises its LED technology.

And in what may be the most talked-about spot heading into the game (automotive or otherwise) actor Matthew Broderick — aka “Ferris Bueller” — headlines an ad featuring the 2012 Honda CR-V.

The “Matthew’s Day Off” commercial was directed by Todd Phillips of  "The Hangover" and "Old School "fame. Honda hopes to reach Gen-Y viewers, many of whom likely saw “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” as kids and are now experiencing their own “coming of age” as they move into their 30s.

KBB is expecting online traffic for the CR-V, in particular, to climb 100 percent week-over-week on Sunday. While this hike may not be as high as some vehicles, KBB believes it will be longer-lasting and sustained for quite a while.

“The images of the new CR-V have been available for several months, but this affordable model, currently available for purchase, has been high in demand even before the redesign," said Arthur Henry, manager of market intelligence for Kbb.com.

“The national exposure will only further interest in the model, as advertisements that resonate most with consumers are those that are model specific,” he added.

One brand that is going with the model-focused approach, but ditching the celebrity element is Cadillac. The luxury brand is spotlighting the 2013 ATS, but is doing so with a “straight pitch” commercial that the brand argues is a “contrast to many Super Bowl ads.”