Changing Times: The Super Bowl of PR
By Kevin Volz, Media Relations Intern

In the first Super Bowl in 1967, it was all about the game. The Green Bay Packers defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 35-10. College bands played the National Anthem and the halftime show. Big-event commercials were nonexistent.

Fast forward to 2011. The Packers have once again won the big game, but virtually nothing else has remained the same. Football is no longer the only focus of the Super Bowl. From the ads to the musicians, the battle has shifted from the game on the field to the minds (and wallets) of the more than 100 million viewers that watch each year. Let’s review some PR winners and losers of this year’s big game.

The first big fumble of the night was an infraction by the NFL and Cowboys Stadium. More than 1,000 fans who bought tickets to the game were turned away from their seats after their sections of the stadium were deemed unsafe. These fans were later offered tickets to next year’s Super Bowl. Although the NFL released a statement prior to the game explaining the situation, many home viewers were left wondering how the league could be this unprepared for their biggest event of the year.

The second fumble belongs to the two main musicians featured throughout the night: Christina Aguilera and the Black Eyed Peas. Aguilera needs to spend the next couple of days saving face as viewers everywhere are discussing her lyrical slip-up while performing the National Anthem. On a similar (bum) note, when the Peas took over Cowboys Stadium during halftime, most were wow-ed by their impressive visuals, but let down by their less-than-stellar vocals.

The night wasn’t doom-and-gloom for everyone, however. Some major ad winners include Volkswagen, Chrysler, and Motorola.

Volkswagen’s mini-Darth Vader and Beetle teaser commercials are already being considered some of the best Super Bowl ads ever. Chrysler’s pro-Detroit ad featuring rapper Eminem hit home with many viewers who root for the underdog that is American automobile manufacturing. Motorola went on the offensive against Apple, reworking that company’s famed 1984 ad to promote the new Motorola Xoom.

So, what did you think? Do you agree with our winners and losers? Let us know in the comments section below!