Super Bowl Advertisers All Seek to Standout

When airtime for an ad costs $3.5 million for 30 seconds, the advertiser wants to make the most of it -- and every advertiser has a slightly different plan leading up to the Super Bowl.

Some plan to stick with safe standards, animals and comedy. Others hope to tap celebrities, some off A-list and others in the not-quite-so-famous variety.

For almost all of the advertisers, the ad (or ads in the case of automakers, beer/beverage companies and movie makers) goes far beyond the 30 seconds, minute or more that the ad airs during the game itself.

Some companies put their ads online as a preview days ago. Other companies plan to wait until the game itself. That's just part of the strategy, though, because every ad is part of an overall effort that ties in online, print and social media as much as possible.

Five of the best already out there online include spots from (in alphabetical order): Budweiser, Coke, Honda, Pepsi Max and Volkswagen. Here's a look and some background on each --

Budweiser

They told two rec league hockey teams they were making a documentary. They lied, and the result is special.

Coke

The polar bears return, watching the big game, and they'll be featured a couple of times Sunday, including spots supposedly tailored to the action on the field.

Honda

With a nostalgic tip of the hat to "Ferris Bueller," actor Matthew Broderick takes a sick day centered around his vehicle. Probably a spot that needs watched a couple of times to catch nuances along with the main message.

Pepsi Max

A continuation of the annual Pepsi-Coke delivery man spots. While it might seem the genre has been tapped, a great checkout moment and a surprise winner (plus a cameo from Regis Philbin) keep it fresh.

Volkswagen

On its own, the first 2/3 of the ad works well. How can a dog and humor together fail? Then VW challenges viewers to remember last year's (and ongoing) Star Wars-related spot. It might resonate, but it'll be interesting if viewers get the context.

Among others that will return to the Super Bowl commercial lineup are GoDaddy.com (with Danica Patrick), Acura (with Jerry Seinfeld and Jay Leno) and even spots featuring Motley Crue and Elton John for Kia and Pepsi, respectively.