Audi, Toyota Join Super Bowl Lineup

NEW YORK Audi will be an advertiser on Fox's broadcast of Super Bowl XLII. Toyota, which advertised during this year's game in February, will also return.Audi will feature the sporty R8 roadster in a 60-second spot that will air during the first quarter."We are going to keep our cards close to the vest until Super Bowl day actually arrives, because I think we have a dramatic message," Scott Keogh, CMO of Audi of America, said. "I don't see any benefit to let this concept out of the bottle at this stage. I think it's something that is impactful and powerful and we want to get that 'Wow' factor during the Super Bowl."Keogh hinted that the execution from Venables Bell & Partners, San Francisco, will "grab into the heart and soul of the American struggle and the American entertainment business." The ad's only broadcast TV airing will be during the Super Bowl telecast Feb. 3. However, there will be teaser spots available online prior at AudiWorld.com and third-party sites, filled with subliminal messages and innuendo that Keogh hopes will prompt repeated viewings as consumers attempt to decode the secret meanings. "We want this to explode on the Web and get people talking," he said.The R8 is a so-called "halo" car, designed to draw attention to the brand. It first hit dealerships in October with a starting price of $109,000. Audi sold 104 of the R8 that month, and 67 in November.The ad buy marks Audi's return to the Super Bowl after more than 20 years. The spot will kick off a bid to position the brand as a top-tier luxury car on the biggest stage in advertising."It's time for us to not only let the experts and aficionados know about Audi; we want America to know about Audi," said Keogh.Toyota has also confirmed that it, too, will advertise during the Super Bowl, although it declined to say which product will be featured. "We are still waiting to see what will be the model," said truck marketing manager Brian Smith. A rep for the company said that the new Sequoia SUV or the Tundra pickup were both in play, but "we're still two months out so we have to see as we get closer."Meanwhile, Toyota has confirmed that it, too, would advertise during the Super Bowl, although it declined to say which model would be featured. "We are still waiting to see what will be the model," said truck marketing manager Brian Smith. A rep for the company said that the new Sequoia SUV or the Tundra pickup were both in play, but "we're still two months out so we have to see as we get closer."Toyota in the past has launched several vehicles and vehicle "refreshings" with Super Bowl spots, including the Tundra pickup this year and the Camry sedan hybrid in 2006. In 2005, Toyota promoted the Prius hybrid with a 60-second Super Bowl spot.This story updates and replaces an item posted yesterday with the news that Toyota also plans to run a Super Bowl spot.

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Audi, Toyota Join Super Bowl Lineup

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