Coca-Cola won’t advertise during the Super Bowl for the first time in 11 years, instead choosing the cheaper option of airing an ad right before kickoff.
CBS is charging between $5.1 million and $5.3 million for ads that air during the Feb. 3 game itself, but ads that run pre-game can cost anywhere from hundreds of thousands of dollars to a few million, Variety reported.
Coca-Cola will run a 60-second commercial on the theme of inclusion and diversity, titled “A Coke is a Coke,” just before kickoff of Super Bowl LIII, when the New England Patriots face off against the Los Angeles Rams in Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
The beverage giant said in a press release that “A Coke is a Coke” was inspired by a 1975 quote by iconic pop artist Andy Warhol.
“We all have different hearts and hands; heads holding various views,” the closing line states. “Don’t you see? Different is beautiful. And together is beautiful, too.”
“Coca-Cola is a brand built on optimism, diversity and inclusion,” Stuart Kronauge, senior vice president of marketing for Coca-Cola North America, said in a statement. “We have a long history of using the country’s biggest advertising stage to share a message of unity and positivity, especially at times when our nation feels divided. This year, we decided to place our ad just before the national anthem as Americans come together in their living rooms to remind everyone that ’together is beautiful’.”
Coca-Cola previously took an eight-year break from advertising during the Super Bowl in 1998, Variety reported.
• Jessica Chasmar can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.
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