Kellogg School of Management Faculty and MBA Students To Lead Fifth Annual Super Bowl Advertising Review

How will advertisers perform during economic hardship? Results available immediately following the game

With economic uncertainty, layoffs and bailouts dominating news headlines, this is the year Super Bowl XLIII advertisers will truly need to pull out a new playbook for the big game. During the 2009 Super Bowl, students from the Kellogg School of Management will rank each advertisement based on key factors that can help drive sales and favorably impact the company’s bottom line – especially important in a year of fiscal scrutiny.

WHAT: For the fifth consecutive year, Kellogg marketing students will participate in the Kellogg School of Management Super Bowl Advertising Review, to watch, analyze and grade each ad during Super Bowl XLIII.

During the Review, marketing faculty and students from the Kellogg Marketing Club will gather in Evanston, Ill., rate the advertisements on a series of academic criteria and develop a final ranking of the most – and least – successful advertisers. Each advertisement will be ranked on innovative criteria known as ADPLAN, which was developed by Kellogg School faculty. The acronym instructs viewers to account for each spot’s Attention, Distinction, Positioning, Linkage, Amplification and Net equity. Results will be available immediately following the broadcast.

Two members of the Kellogg School marketing faculty, Professors Tim Calkins and Derek Rucker, will lead the Review, and serve as non-biased resources to provide analysis of Super Bowl advertising and answer questions before, during and after the game, including:

- How might ads differ this year due to the economy and feelings of consumer uncertainty?
- What qualities are essential to a strong Super Bowl ad in a recession?
- How can marketers leverage interest in social media to generate buzz for their ad beyond game day?

WHO: Professors Calkins and Rucker and participating students will be available for media interviews and commentary the week leading up to, during and immediately following Super Bowl XLIII.

New for 2009: Professors Calkins and Rucker are blogging about Super Bowl advertising to offer comments and insights into this year’s advertising trends. Visit the blog at http://kelloggsuperbowlreview.wordpress.com.

WHERE: The Kellogg School of Management
James L. Allen Center
2169 North Campus Drive Evanston, IL 60208
This event is closed to the general public. Open to media, please call ahead.

WHEN: Results will be available immediately following the broadcast via PR Newswire and via e-mail and fax.

Professor Calkins and Professor Rucker are available for comment the week leading up to the Super Bowl. They are also available until midnight EST (12:00 a.m.) immediately following the game on Sunday, February 1, and all day on Monday, February 2.

More info: To schedule an interview or learn more about Professor Calkins, Professor Rucker and the Kellogg Super Bowl Advertising Review, contact Aaron Mays or Betsy Berger at the contact information above.

Visit the Review on the Web at www.kellogg.northwestern.edu/news/superbowl.