Brands attempting to make a lasting impression with a Super Bowl ad are turning to some of the tried and true elements of year’s past — employing big stars, lots of action, some tugging of the heart strings, a bit of comedy, and more. Whether any of it is working in the days leading up to Sunday’s game is the question for the folks at iSpot.tv, the Bellevue, Wash.-based company that watches how you watch television by tracking ads in real time and measuring digital responses. Here are some of the latest numbers from iSpot.tv: Total online views are approaching 200 million; down… Read More
T-Mobile has a thing for musical superstars in its commercials. The Bellevue, Wash.-based wireless carrier scored with one of the top ads of the Super Bowl last year, featuring hip-hop star Drake and a play on his hit “Hotline Bling.” This year, the “Un-carrier” is back with ads for the NFL’s big game that star Justin Bieber and Snoop Dogg, among others. Bieber introduces himself as a “celebration expert” in an “Unlimited Moves” ad that dropped on Thursday. Clean cut and sporting a crisp tux and big glasses, Bieber runs through the evolution of the touchdown celebration with NFL stars Rob… Read More
James Heckman is getting the band back together. The Rivals.com founder and former Yahoo executive today announced the formation of theMaven Network, a new digital media company that will feature premium stories and video “across multiple content segments.” It is set to launch in the first quarter of 2017. Heckman is well known in entrepreneurial circles, having previously founded the online sports network Rivals.com during the dot-com boom. Rivals.com — which raised $70 million in venture capital and hit the wall during the dot-com bust — eventually sold to Yahoo in 2007 for a reported purchase price of $100 million.… Read More
