Pepsi and Coca-Cola have decided to break with tradition and not post TV commercials during the Super Bowl next month amid the economic recession caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
The variety was first reported Pepsi’s decision last week, with Next Coca-Cola Friday with an ad that would not air ads on CBS Super Bowl LV.
In a statement shared with The Hill, Coca-Cola said it made the “difficult choice” of “make sure we invest in the right resources during these unprecedented times. “
“We will toast for our branded companions with a cold cake as ice,” the company said.
Meanwhile, Pepsi, one of the biggest and most reliable sponsors of the football event, chose not to post ads during the game to “double our existing 12 minutes on Pepsi’s Super Bowl half-day program in the middle of the Super Bowl.” , According to a statement shared with Variety by Pepsi’s vice president of marketing, Todd Kaplan.
“We’re going to build it like we’ve never built it before,” Kaplan said of the halfway through program, adding that the decision to cut ads was not influenced by the desire to limit spending.
Pepsi did not immediately respond to The Hill’s request for additional comments.
Canadian singer The Weeknd will headline the Pepsi-sponsored show, with the music star taking part in a Pepsi advertising campaign before the Feb. 7 game, the first time a Super Bowl headliner has done so, according to Variety.
Coca-Cola in 2020 spent about $ 10 million on commercials for Fox’s Super Bowl LIV broadcast, according to advertising spending tracker Kantar.
Coca-Cola’s decision comes after the Atlanta-based company announced it in December it would reduce about 2,200 jobs worldwide, with 1,200 in the US, due to declining sales amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Coca-Cola had been preparing for the cuts since the summer, when it offered purchases to nearly 4,000 employees in Canada and the United States earlier this year, the brand also announced it would stop Tab, Odwalla and Zico, as reported by CNN at the time.
Variety reported Friday that CBS has not yet announced the sale of its commercial gaming inventory, with the search for about $ 5.5 million for ad packages.
Last year’s football game generated about $ 435 million in advertising spending, a new record, according to Kantar.