The Internet has changed a lot over the past fifteen years. It’s changed the way we conduct business. It’s changed the way we communicate, and it’s even changing the way we see Super Bowl commercials. Once upon a time, the main goal of companies was to have the funniest and most surprising thirty second spot. That former aim is still present, but a lot of advertisers are now willing to sacrifice the element of surprise for a few more eyeballs.

Starting a few years ago, many companies began releasing their commercials, sometimes even in full, on the Internet days or even a full week ahead of time to try and capitalize on word of mouth. During the Super Bowl, there’s hundreds of other commercials to compete against, but dropping the spot early can sometimes reduce the competition. That’s what Honda has done with the Ferris Bueller commercial, and it has seemingly worked like a charm.

The business world is constantly changing. Consumers are now reached in fundamentally different ways, and clearly, a lot of companies have embraced the teaser or the pre-release formula. I applaud those businesses for maximizing the number of people they’re reaching, but as a fan of the Super Bowl and more specifically, the entire atmosphere of the Super Bowl, I’m not sure I like having the chance to see commercials ahead of time. Don’t get me wrong. I watched Ferris Bueller and loved it, but part of me wishes I would have been shocked by it on Sunday.

What do you think? Do you like watching Super Bowl commercials ahead of time? Let us know by voting in the poll below…



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