Films pass on Super Bowl

Less than a week before the Super Bowl, only two movie ads are confirmed for the game — a steep decline from last year, when eight pricey plugs yielded decidedly mixed results.

Neither of the pics is a summer release; summer movies have historically used the winter showcase as a launch pad.

Time has not run out on inventory, and network and studio execs said a couple of studios are in talks with CBS over the last remaining fourth-quarter spots. Those positions are usually the least watched, especially in a lopsided contest.

Universal, Sony and Warner Bros. have deliberately avoided the Chicago-Indianapolis matchup, diverting those millions in potential spending to targeted primetime berths. With record ratings for “American Idol” as well as strong new series from “Grey’s Anatomy” to “Heroes,” TV has lately provided prime opportunities.

The two studios that have locked down game time are Lionsgate and Disney.

Lionsgate is advertising for the Terrence Howard-Bernie Mac pic “Pride,” about an inner-city teacher who turns troubled kids into champion swimmers. Lionsgate is planning a wide bow March 23.

Disney is advertising for “Wild Hogs,” a comedy starring John Travolta, Tim Allen and Martin Lawrence that launches March 2.

Paramount is sponsoring an hour of the six-hour pregame show, a promotion for its Eddie Murphy film “Norbit.” Sony, which in past years has taken a pre-game spot, has done so again this year for “Ghost Rider.” Both pics are launching in February, and pregame ad time is considerably cheaper than during the game.

Studios are not alone in pulling back. Blue-chip consumer product firms Procter & Gamble and Unilever are also reported to be taking a pass as traditional mainstays like soft drinks, snack foods and beer step up. Many companies see better value in less fishbowl-like environments, where the “game within a game” invites scrutiny not just from viewers but also from business partners.

Pressures can be more concentrated in Hollywood. “The biggest nightmare with Super Bowl spots is telling other producers why you aren’t buying ads on the game for their movies,” noted one studio marketing vet.

Film marketers’ jitters reflect wider concerns about capturing eyeballs as ad dollars gradually shift toward the Web. The Super Bowl is perhaps the last bona fide communal campfire, but viewers are often at large parties when watching, and many are overly saturated with lavishly produced, 30-second spots and the accompanying Ad Bowl sweepstakes.

Plus, many major summer titles, especially those bowing in May, are new editions in well-established franchises, so generating awareness is the last concern. Would a 30-second enticement for “Spider-Man 3,” “Shrek the Third” or “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End” yield more B.O. or would it just raise that always-bedeviling level of expectations?

Rates for the game’s fourth quarter are typically steeply discounted, and CBS is giving big discounts for the last remaining national spots, in some cases cutting nearly a million off the $2.6 million asking price.

“We’re very happy where we are right now; we have a couple of units left, but we are going to be sold out by game time,” said CBS exec veep of sports sales John Bogusz.

The shift this year is interesting in historic terms. A decade ago, “Independence Day” was the only film advertised on the game. Its theatrical launch was monstrous, leading seven studios to take ads the following year. Studio spending has remained at a high level ever since, with film trailing only beer as a category.

Time Warner and Disney have been the fourth- and fifth-biggest advertisers in the Super Bowl over the last 20 years, spending $63.4 million and $43.5 million, respectively, according to TNS Media Intelligence.

Since 1991, 87 pics have been advertised during the Super Bowl with mixed success.

In the last four years, all eight movies promoted during the game and released after Memorial Day broke in at No. 1, including “Cars” and “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest.”

The biggest winner last year may have been Sony’s “Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby,” a perfect fit for the male-skewing Super Bowl aud. Action pics “Mission: Impossible III” and “Poseidon” both ponied up. The former benefited from short-term reaction only to underperform for other reasons; “Poseidon,” according to post-game focus groups, did not score well on the game and ultimately fizzled.

“The problem is, if you’re not ready with your creative, you are left way too exposed,” noted one gun-shy marketing consultant. He cited the now-classic example of 2003’s “The Hulk” spot, which was avidly TiVo-ed and picked apart frame by frame by feverish film geeks. With an f/x-dependent film that typically gets locked only a few days before release, that can be too much attention too soon. The general consensus on the film’s look was downbeat, and that made for a grueling trek toward opening weekend.

In addition to paid ad spots, CBS has big plans to promote its own schedule and talent before the game’s estimated 95 million viewers.

“We look at it the same way our advertisers do; it’s a huge showcase, and we pay close attention to every single second that goes into that game,” said CBS marketing prexy George Schweitzer.

The network won’t divulge its exact promotion plans, but the Monday premiere of the comedy “Rules of Engagement” will get special attention, as will the premiere of “Survivor” on Feb. 8. Also getting a promotional bump will be “The Amazing Race,” which returns two weeks later.

After the game, CBS is airing an episode of “Criminal Minds” and, after local news, a special episode of “The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson” live from Miami. Last year ABC used the Super Bowl lead-in to similarly promote “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Jimmy Kimmel Live.”

Katie Couric will also get a much-needed Super Bowl platform. The “Evening News” anchor will do a news feature during the pregame show. The net will also throw in some music-sports tie-ins to promote the Grammys airing the following week.

“We paid a lot of money and made an investment in the NFL for a lot of reasons,” Schweitzer said. “We look forward to having a terrific game.”