Programmatic Completes Pass To Local Super Bowl Spot

Programmatic ad buying has crashed the Super Bowl, advertising’s biggest day.

Mondelez has bought two local 15-second spots that will be seen in Erie, Pa., during the Super Bowl halftime show using TubeMogul’s programmatic platform and Wide Orbit’s TV online marketplace.

Programmatic buying employs automation consumer data with advertising inventory. Used first for buying online inventory, programmatic buying is being increasingly used for TV spots, especially at the local level.

The national Super Bowl ads, which NBC sold for about $4.5 million per 30 seconds and will reach millions of viewers, were sold the old-fashioned way.

“We’re proud to be the first company to test out automated ad buys during the Big Game. This pilot will help us learn how to transform media buying with leading-edge technology,” said Laura Henderson, associate director of U.S. media and communications at Mondelēz International, in a statement. “Data-driven buying is the future of TV and media. We believe it will play a key role in improving our ROI, and helping to fuel growth for our Power Brands.”

"Mondelēz International is a true pioneer,” said Brett Wilson, TubeMogul CEO & cofounder. “The Big Game is the pinnacle of brand advertising, and the fact that a global powerhouse like Mondelēz International is buying TV inventory programmatically on the world’s largest stage proves that software can transform video advertising at any level.”

“The Big Game is clearly the number one broadcast event delivering great value to advertisers. Mondelēz International’s pioneering effort demonstrates how leading brands can efficiently deliver incremental advertising dollars to local broadcasters through programmatic technology,” said Eric R. Mathewson, founder and CEO, WideOrbit.

Jon Lafayette

Jon has been business editor of Broadcasting+Cable since 2010. He focuses on revenue-generating activities, including advertising and distribution, as well as executive intrigue and merger and acquisition activity. Just about any story is fair game, if a dollar sign can make its way into the article. Before B+C, Jon covered the industry for TVWeek, Cable World, Electronic Media, Advertising Age and The New York Post. A native New Yorker, Jon is hiding in plain sight in the suburbs of Chicago.