Since a 30-second spot will reportedly cost $4.5 million on Sunday’s kickoff, brands have to invest heavily in full-blown digital campaigns that run during the Big Game.

It's about so much more than simply posting longer versions of an ad online, one has to show a full presence, as Mountain Dew did - an official Super Bowl sponsor through parent company PepsiCo, that will air a spot during this year's pregame show as part of its "It All Starts With a Kick" campaign in support of the launch of energy drinks Kickstart Pineapple Orange Mango and Strawberry Kiwi. The campaign will be extended during and after the game via YouTube, Twitter, Vine and Snapchat.

Dan Greenberg, CEO of the ad exchange Sharethrough, introduced his idea of how brands prepare for the Games. They have to show not only their digital campaigns in the run-up of the Super Bowl but better get a spot in the air as well. "It's beyond promoting the video assets—it's about promoting a much larger story," Greenberg said.

Reacting in real time, as Oreo famously did with a tweet during the blackout of Super Bowl XLVII, has proved to be a shockingly popular marketing tactic. Seeing the success of Oreo, sources say Snickers is planning a real-time campaign on SB Nation during the Super Bowl featuring "satisfying moments" from the Big Game, complementing the brand's Super Bowl spot and creating a second-screen experience for fans hungry for more content.

It is worthwhile to list some brands that could pay in themselves to get a spot under the Games’ coverage:

BMW: The luxury automotive brand will run its first ad in four years with a 60-second spot from Kirshenbaum Bond Senecal + Partners. Bryant Gumbel and Katie Couric will promote the BMW i3 responding to the popular Today Show clip where they try to understand modern informational technology. "What is 'Internet' anyway? Do you write to it like mail?"

Nissan: After sitting out the Super Bowl since 1997, Nissan is back this year with a 60-second spot from TBWA\Chiat\Day in Playa del Rey, Calif. They do not plan to expose their ad until it airs, but the brand has tapped seven YouTube stars, including Roman Atwood and Dude Perfect to set a lead through online videos to the Big Game bomb.

Mercedes-Benz: Mercedes' 60-second ad from Merkley + Partners, retells the story of The Tortoise and the Hare, portraying a child tale that takes a different turn with appearance of the brand-new $100,000 sport car, Mercedes AMG GT. The spot is directed by Robert Stromberg, who is known for his feature film work (Maleficent, Avatar) and hasn't directed a commercial before. The ad will air in the fourth quarter. This year marks the brand's third Super Bowl appearance in five years.

Victoria's Secret: After running ads in 1999 and 2008, the lingerie brand is back this year with a 30-second spot that will air in the fourth quarter of the game. The ad features Angel supermodels Karlie Kloss, Adriana Lima, Doutzen Kroes, Lily Aldridge, Behati Prinsloo and Candice Swanepoel. The ad is part of a Valentine's Day campaign that also includes a 90-second online video.

Coca-Cola: Coke will run a 60-second ad targeting online trolls with the hashtag #MakeItHappy. The company is not willing to fold its aces before Sunday. The 60-second in-game spot by Wieden + Kennedy remains hidden until it airs nationally on the game. However, some teasers had spread online presenting the company’s main messages; ‘optimism, uplift and inclusion’.

Pepsi: The competitor soft drink company has not revealed the secret ad either, it launches a 30-second ad to support its halftime sponsorship, where Katy Perry will perform, but the video will not air during the game. According to USA Today, the team is going to set the video in a desert, probably in Arizona where they will face unexpected adventures. "Strange things happen in the desert," Pepsi's senior director of marketing Lou Arbetter told the publication. "That's the basis of the spot."

Moral of the fable is; those days are gone when an advertiser could rely on a market buzz from a mere TV spot. Burfeind cited Radio Shack's '80s-themed commercial in last year's Super Bowl: "Winning a popularity contest doesn't mean operational growth," he warned. "Your success as a Super Bowl advertiser hinges on other things that go beyond the success of your spot."

Sources:
www.adweek.com