Apple cost social media $10B. Here are the ads that cash could buy
Who needs ad targeting when you’ve got Super Bowl and James Bond commercials?
1,515Super Bowl ads
The Super Bowl is the most-watched TV event in the US, but the action on the pitch isn’t the main attraction for many viewers.Close to 50% of viewers actually watch the commercials more than the game,according to Stephen Master, VP of Nielsen Sports media research.
Those eyeballs are extremely valuable to advertisers. Indeed, some sponsors payas much as $6.5 millionfor 30 seconds of ad time. That’s some serious cash for most companies, but if you’ve got $9.85 billion goin spare, you could bag 1,515 of the slots.
219 product placement spots in James Bond films
Skyfallhad all the hallmarks of a classic James Bond film: Aston Martins, megalomaniac villains, a catchy theme tune, and copious product placement.
One of the sponsors, however, sullied a Bond staple: Heinekenreportedly paid$45 millionfor Bond to swap his vodka martini for a beer.
If the company had an extra $9.85 billion to spend, it could have got Daniel Craig to drink219Heinikens. That would buy enough screentime to make the beer bottle one of the film’s most complex characters.
15,760weeks on a Times Square billboard
The dazzling billboards that illuminate New York’s Times Square have become a tourist attraction in their own right — and a lucrative source of revenue. Just four weeks on one of the megascreenscould set you back $2.5 million.
That puts the billboards out of reach for your average mom-and-pop store. But give them$9.85 billion and they could spend302 yearson a Times Square billboard, dazzling the city until 2323.
The Silicon Valley giants would also appreciate the budget, but the lost revenues aren’t likely to threaten their survival. Facebook alonemade $9.2 billion in profitfor the third quarter of this year, despite the advertising issues andmounting controversies.
If they want to recoup the missing ad money, they may need a new idea to replace tracking iPhone users.
Story byThomas Macaulay
Thomas is a senior reporter at TNW. He covers European tech, with a focus on AI, cybersecurity, and government policy.Thomas is a senior reporter at TNW. He covers European tech, with a focus on AI, cybersecurity, and government policy.
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