Even as big tech companies and major brands lay off employees amid continued economic uncertainty, marketers still plan to shell out as much as $7 million for glitzy Super Bowl ads.
While economic woes aren’t expected to be directly addressed in most Super Bowl campaigns, the shaky financial situation is still looming behind Big Game campaigns.
Perhaps, most visibly, are Workday’s and Google’s decisions to air commercials on Super Bowl Sunday—for Workday, it will be its first Big Game appearance—despite both recently announcing plans to lay off employees.
It is unclear how Google will approach the Big Game amid its 12,000 job cuts and if any plans were changed as a result. A spokesperson for the tech giant declined to comment. A Workday spokesperson said its Super Bowl ad remains unchanged after laying off 525 employees.
Related: Tracking layoffs and other economic moves
“As we navigate this uncertain environment, it’s important we help ensure Workday is set up for continued growth for many years to come,” the Workday spokesperson said. “This includes continuing to invest in the strategic areas of our business so we can capitalize on the opportunity in front of us; aligning our resources against business priorities; optimizing in certain areas so we can operate more efficiently; and prioritizing to meet customer and market demands. We see our brand as a strategic area of investment for us and our decision to do a Super Bowl ad is part of our long-term, multi-year plan that we’ve been considering for over five years.”
Workday's decision to air a commercial in the Big Game despite the economic uncertainty was strategic, Pete Schlampp, chief marketing officer, said during an Ad Age Remotely interview in late January. “We know that during those times companies that are investing in their people and in their workforce, they end up coming out ahead, and that’s certainly what we are see in our business,” he said.
“We also know that companies that invest in their brand and advertising during challenging times like this actually have a higher ROI on the other side,” Schlampp added. “So it was a very conscious decision we made to do this ad and we expect to have a great outcome on the other side.”