Yesterday I found this great graph at the New York Times. It looks at the history of ads during the Super Bowl. On first glance, I was interested in the following:
- 42% of the ads were humorous in 2002. That number rose to 83% last year. Effect of 9/11.
- There were 17 dot-com ads in 2000, and only 3 in 2001. Effect of the dot-com bubble burst.
- Animals are always involved between 15-30% of the ads.
- The rise of Film Studios using the Super Bowl to market their films.
It’s this last point that I wish to explore a little more. I’ve listed each year that had a TV spot from a film, and placed it’s ranking in Box Office on the year of release.
1987: Over the Top (50+)
I’m amused to see that Over the Top was the first movie to have a TV spot in the Super Bowl. It didn’t make the top 50 that year and only made $16 million. This is probably why another Film wouldn’t be in the Super Bowl for 4 more years.
1991: King Ralph (40), The Doors (39)
These are two totally different movies that each had spots in the Super Bowl. They both did ok and were right next to each other in rankings.
1992: Shining Through (50+), Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot! (46)
I’ve never heard of Shining Through and Stop! or My Mom Will Shoot! is really awful. Not a very good year for movies in the Super Bowl.
1993: Groundhog Day (13), Cliffhanger (10), Falling Down (37), A Few Good Men (5)
This is clearly the best year up to this point. A Few Good Men’s ranking is actually from 1992 since it was released in December of that year. Still, three in the top 15.
1994: Getaway (50+), Sugar Hill (50+), On Deadly Ground (37)
Getaway & Sugar Hill were flops and On Deadly Ground did alright.
1995: Just Cause (47)
Obviously 1994′s failures effected 1995 with only one entry. Once again, mediocre box office numbers.
1996: Independence Day (1)
Huge box office numbers and look at the result below.
1997: The Devil’s Own (50+), Men in Black (2), The Saint (28), Liar Liar (4), Dante’s Peak (22), The Lost World (3), Private Parts (50+), The 5th Element (26)
Three of the top 4 films from 1997 (Titanic was #1) and two others in the top 30.
1998: Sphere (50+), Lost in Space (30), The Wedding Singer (24), The Mask of Zorro (19), Armageddon (2), Mercury Rising (50+)
I’m not sure why there are so many Space movies but the Super Bowl doesn’t help out Sphere or Mercury Rising. Obviously, Armageddon is the big winner here.
1999: Austin Powers (4), The Mummy (8), EdTV (50+), The Matrix (5), Wild Wild West (17)
Three of the top 8. I’m shocked to see Wild Wild West in the top 20.
2000: Titan A.E. (50+), Mission to Mars (41), Gladiator (4), Nutty Professor II (16), U-571 (28)
Gladiator & Nutty Professor II benefit, but the others aren’t helped too much.
2001: A Knight’s Tale (45), Hannibal (12), Mummy Returns (6), Swordfish (35), Exit Wounds (49)
Two in the top 12 and all of them are in the top 50. I forgot Hannibal did so well.
2002: Austin Powers in Goldmember (7), Blade 2 (31), Hart’s War (109), 40 Days and 40 Nights (71), XXX (15), Signs (6), Collateral Damage (66), Bad Company (88), Scorpion King (29), Frankenstein (150+)
Signs & Austin Powers 2 are big hits, but Frankenstein is a huge flop.
2003: Daredevil (27), Anger Management (12), Bad Boys 2 (11), Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle (29), The Hulk (14), Bruce Almighty (5), The Recruit (55), The Matrix Revolutions (9), Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (8)
Three in the top 10, with three more in the top 14 and two others in the top 30. I’d say this is a pretty successful year. Who would have thought in 1999 that a third Terminator would do better than a third Matrix?
2004: Secret Window (67), 50 First Dates (15), Van Helsing (16), Ladykillers (76), Hildalgo (42), The Alamo (101), Miracle (47), Troy (13), Starsky and Hutch (26)
Three in the top 16, but the rest are pretty mediocre. The Alamo is a huge flop.
2005: Robots (15), The Pacifier (17), Be Cool (48), War of the Worlds (4), The Longest Yard (12), Sahara (35), Hitch (11), Constantine (29), Batman Begins (8)
Before I looked this up, I thought it would be a failure outside of War of the Worlds and Batman Begins. I guess I was wrong with all of them in the top 50 and six in the top 17. I didn’t remember The Pacifier, Robots or The Longest Yard being so successful.
2006: The World’s Fastest Indian (150+), Running Scared (150+), Mission Impossible III (14), Cars (3), Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (1), 16 Blocks (86), Poseidon (49), V for Vendetta (36)
I think The World’s Fastest Indian is the strangest movie to have a Super Bowl ad. Obviously Cars and Pirates of the Caribbean enjoy big years.
2007: Pride (150+), Hannibal Rising (90), Wild Hogs (13), Meet the Robinsons (29)
Pride is a failure and I completely forgot about Hannibal Rising. Outside of Wild Hogs, not a good year for films in the Super Bowl.
2008: Wanted (16), Iron Man (2), Leatherheads (92), Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (13), Wall-E (5), Jumper (37), Don’t Mess with Zohan (28)
Iron Man & Wall-E are big hits with Wanted & Chronicles of Narnia rounding out the top 16. Even though it’s about football, Leatherheads doesn’t enjoy much success.
