Save the Polar Bears

In a move that may shock commercial enthusiasts, Coca-Cola’s Super Bowl ad campaign, titled “Mirage,” will be sans polar bears. While the decision may disappoint a number of Super Bowl viewers that have come to love their not-so-ferocious furry friends, it has already paid off in the form of mainstream media attention.

This year, Coca-Cola’s agency Wieden + Kennedy developed a 60-second commercial featuring showgirls, cowboys, and a gang of bikers. The ad, which is already accessible online, centers on the three parties’ pursuit of Coca-Cola through the barren desert.

In an effort to generate discussion and engage with the 100 million-plus watching the big game, Coca-Cola is allowing the audience to choose the commercial’s ending. Viewers can vote for the group that they feel should win the race, either by tweeting or logging on to CokeChase.com.  Votes will be tallied in real-time and the complete ad will air immediately following the conclusion of the game.

By giving a degree of power to viewers themselves, Coca-Cola is targeting second-screen users. With a large percentage of the audience watching the game alongside their tablet or mobile device, this is an important tool for brand marketers. With this ad, Coca-Cola is hoping to maintain the consumer’s attention for longer than the 60-second commercial within the game broadcast.

Given the extraordinary costs of Super Bowl commercials --- an estimated $4 million for a 30-second ad --- brands are looking at new ways to increase the return on their investment. Given the explosion of social media, what better way to capture people’s attention than inviting them to participate via YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter. In order to encourage viewer participation, Coca-Cola will be providing incentives. They plan to offer free bottles of Coke, Diet Coke, or Coke Zero to the first 50,000 people that vote online.

Coca-Cola sought out second-screen users in 2012 by allowing viewers the opportunity to watch a live feed of the famed polar bears throughout the entire game broadcast. Though more than 9 million people logged in to watch the bears, it was definitely a less aggressive and engaging campaign than that which is scheduled for this year.

Though it is definitely a departure from previous Super Bowl ads, “Mirage” has already received positive reviews from consumers. By smartly releasing the commercial via YouTube, Coca-Cola has ensured that fans will be on the lookout for the ad during the game. Additionally, by announcing that the final ad will debut after the final whistle, Coca-Cola has ensured that they will engage consumers throughout the entire game.

As brand marketers continue to measure their success by the quality of engagement via social media and the second-screen, this ad campaign should rank very well. If nothing else, it will likely be discussed on Monday in offices and classrooms around the nation.

Also, just one blogger’s prediction here, but don’t be surprised if polar bears do eventually make an appearance in the final ad. Could they beat out the showgirls, cowboys, and bikers for the Coke?