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Cognito
globalmarketing@cognitomedia.com

As the Carolina Panthers and Denver Broncos get ready to face off in this year’s Superbowl, the nation gears up for the football shaped snacks and Superbowl parties, halftime performances, and of course those coveted commercials. And this year, we’ll be watching particularly close for those companies changing the way we interact with finance.

The 2015 Superbowl attracted an average audience of 114.4 million viewers and sparked 28.4 million tweets, making it the most watched broadcast event in US history and the most tweeted Superbowl ever. In the run-up to this year’s event, 30-second slots were sold for the staggering price of $5 million or more. With all eyes on the Big Game, several finance and payment companies were willing to cough up big bucks for advertising, on the one day when no one will be fast forwarding past the commercials.

Here’s the rundown on the financial and payment companies dominating the game this year:

  1. SunTrust Banks – SunTrust is making its Superbowl debut, running its first ever 30-second ad. The bank cited the Fed’s recent interest rate hike as a sign that Americans are optimistic about their financial situations, and decided to move forward with a big ad push. Conceptually, the commercial will focus on providing people with tools, tips and game-changing ideas related to their personal finances. The bank will pair this with a longer 60-second ad online and social campaign. Check out a preview of the bank’s ad, “Hold Your Breath,” here.
  2. SoFi – This San Francisco-based alternative lending startup will also be making its first performance this year, as part of a larger campaign to introduce the brand to the mass market. SoFi’s ad encourages consumers to live in a “bankless” society, and has already been released. You can view the full ad, “Great Loans for Great People,” ahead of game day here.
  3. PayPal – The payments company is another newcomer to the Superbowl arena, creating a commercial to introduce its “global vision for the future of money," since separating from eBay in 2015. Most companies buy Superbowl ads in 30-second or 60-second increments, but PayPal decided to take a 45 second time slot, set to air during the first quarter of the game.
  4. Quicken Loans – This online mortgage lender has already released its Superbowl ad titled, “What We Were Thinking,” promoting its Rocket Mortgage app. The app is described as the, “first end-to-end, completely consumer-driven online and on-demand mortgage experience.” The commercial features a patriotic message of helping the American economy and was bought in a 60-second time spot, slated to run during the first half of the game.
  5. TurboTax – A three year veteran of Superbowl advertising, TurboTax will premiere a 30-second commercial called, “Genius,” with the goal of erasing a person’s self-doubt when completing their own taxes. This commercial is part of a wider, lead up campaign of seven humorous 30-second ads, two even being in Spanish. While you wait to see TurboTax’s new ad this year, check out their 2015 Superbowl commercial dubbed, “Boston Tea Party.”

Be sure to check out Superbowl 50 this Sunday, February 7th on CBS, and keep an eye out for the above commercials!