Want to watch $275 Million get spent in 48 minutes? Just tune into CBS at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday to see one of America's greatest primetime displays of violence, debauchery and poor impulse control. And I'm not talking about the Super Bowl…

I'm talking about the Super Bowl ads.

In all seriousness, these days it's no surprise that independent research year after year continues to show that over half of U.S adult viewers plan to watch the Super Bowl as much, or more, for the ads than for the game itself. In fact, social listening measurement findings suggested that in 2012 64% of respondents said that half or more of their conversations online with respect to the Super Bowl were about the commercials themselves.

With the average investment of $4 Million on the line for a 30-second spot, it's no wonder why the CMOs of many of these advertisers are looking to squeeze their investment for every penny.

There are three standout trends that have continued to proliferate the Super Bowl ad space for the last several years (and by all accounts will continue even more in 2013).

01. Online Ad Preview and Teasers

Online Ad Previews and Teasers are becoming more of the norm. VW made the most famous splash last year with its Star Wars parodies that received over 56 Million hits after allwas said and done, largely in part to the pre-release of the spotson YouTube.

This year's early winner goes to the Kate Upton Mercedes spot, which in one week gained over 5 Million views (and counting).

Humbling news as, by this author's account, this is one of the more ridiculously off-brand spots I've ever seen. Given the fact that the CLA won't even be available for the next 7 months, the brand needs lasting impression and awareness. Regardless of the substance, it's clear that Mercedes knows the value of online traction and will do whatever it takes, no matter how low-brow, to get an early lead among its rivals.

Regarding the idea of Super Bowl teasers, the concept is simple,but the debate still rages on about whether or not the big reveal should be saved for the big game. While we don't promote a "one size fits all" approach to advertising, and I'm sure there are errors to the rule, it's hard to argue with the facts. Mashable reports, "According to YouTube's research, ads that ran online before the Super Bowl last year got 9 Million views, on average. Those that waited? 1.3 Million." With, on average, three times as many views online over broadcast, many could argue that the real winner in all of this is actually YouTube.

02. Ads for Social Democracy

Ads by social democracy are becoming more common in 2013. While Doritos pioneered the concept with their user-generated ads in the past few years, this year we are seeing a greater variety of the concept. For instance, one of the biggest brands in the world, Budweiser, has finally launched a Twitter account in its name. The brand, which had a little more than 600 followers Monday morning, is using the account to promote its upcoming Super Bowl ad, which will feature a Clydesdale foal via their Twitter hashtag campaign. Pepsi is also using their site and Twitterto recruit some of their fans to strike a pose with their can before their half-time show.

But, the big pre-game winners in 2013 seem to be the "choose your own adventure" style ads from Audi and Coke. In what Audi says is a Super Bowl first, they recorded separate endings for their "Prom Night"commercial, and are compiling social votes where the audience chooses the ending. Coke created cokechase.comto tease their spots by highlighting three different sets of teams who are all racing to win a giant coke in the desert. The team with the most votes online will get their spot aired right after the game.

03. Second Screen

This year, more viewers than ever will be watching on a second screen. Now in real-time, technology allows brands to engage with the viewing public on their mobile phone or tablet during the event. For instance, Yahoo's Into_Now pioneered app technology that augments the second screen experience by using the unique audio digital signature in a television show topickup, and serve up, content directly related to that show. CBS estimates ad revenue alone from their second screen engagement to be between $10-$12 Million. Being able to interact with stats,player bios, team formations, highlights and social aspects is an essential part of any second screen approach for the sports enthusiast.

Regardless of all of the hype, a few certainties remain. The Super Bowl represents one of the highest risk: reward ratios in advertising. Because of this, marketers are getting smarter by using not only the right tools, but also the right content to get the consumer's attention. Disintermediation is taking effect and the consumer is finally starting to see large-scale control of and connection with their favorite brands. As our society gets more social and mobile, so does the advertising.

Needless to say, as an advertiser, I am thankful for the Super Bowl. If not for any other time during the year - the Super Bowl gives us an annual magnified window into the progress of advertising. With so much attention to the commercials, it almost makes me feel sorry for the guys on the field.

Almost.

Originally posted on the Rodgers Townsend blog.

Remote cabin, Chile

The last time you were in a place with no cell phone reception or where electronic devices were prohibited – were you anxious or secretly relieved? If you felt a creeping sense of relief at being given permission to have a break from the incessant pull of your digitally connected lifestyles then you are not alone.

In the latest Lowe Counsel Future Sign we explore the concept of 'New Esc', which looks at how people are increasingly seeking time away from the intensity of a hyper-connected and crowded world. This trend is being driven by a range of factors, from the rise in urban population, information overload, search for meaning and unique experiences, which are all fueling the demand for physical and mental escape and space. It's important to understand that New Esc is not about a new Luddite rejection of technology; it's about finding better ways to manage it so we remain its master and not its servant.

Digital Detox holiday

Understanding the Impact of Hyper-connected Lives

We are only beginning to see the implications of living with constant connectivity. While younger generations cannot even comprehend the possibility of being online not being an integral part of everyday life for many the transition has not been without its challenges. The constant stimulation of multiscreen reality means that we are seldom alone or un-stimulated and this is seen as having negative as well as positive psychological effects on productivity. Kelly McGonigal, health psychologist and lecturer at Stanford University explains: “It's this basic cultural recognition that people have a pathological relationship with their devices. People feel not just addicted, but trapped.”

Digital Crack: Online Addiction

Experts are already warning of the addictive power of technology. The constant stimulation in the form of digital pings and updates stimulates chemicals in the brain, which create a physical craving that can be damaging and can even lead to addiction. As Dr. Gary Small, director of the UCLA Longevity Center at the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior explains: "The same neural pathways in the brain that reinforce dependence on substances can reinforce compulsive technology behaviors that are just as addictive and potentially destructive." Teaching people to regularly disconnect is becoming vital for personal mental health and business productivity.

David Lynch - Silencio

The Rising Demands of the 'Always on' Workplace

Our obsession with being constantly connected is in part being fueled by employers. Alexis Madrigal, writing for The Atlantic questions: “Are we addicted to gadgets or indentured to work? Much of our compulsive connectedness… is a symptom of a greater problem, not the problem itself." Employees are now expected to work longer hours with growing numbers going home still tethered to devices, which constantly send them emails and messages. A survey conducted by Xobni, an email and contact management company, found that 68% of American adults check their work emails during holidays, with 79% of those polled saying they receive emails from clients or colleagues during this time. According to McKinsey Quarterly Report: “Always-on, multitasking work environments are killing productivity, dampening creativity, and making us unhappy.”

Remote cabin, Sweden

The Power of Being Out of Reach

In our over-connected world being alone or un-contactable is emerging as a modern luxury. The last few years have seen a dramatic rise in 'sanctuary spaces', from technology free venues to digital free islands, with many leading edge luxury spaces using 'no reception' as an added value. Increasingly we are seeking space and time away from the constant demand and chatter of technology.

Eva Restaurant deposit box

Embracing Silence

As Leonardo da Vinci famously proclaimed:“Nothing strengthens authority so much as silence.” People are learning to appreciate quiet time for inspiration and contemplation. Earlier this year David Lynch's Silencio hosted the 'In Praise of Slowness Salon'. Lynch in partnership with the Maharishi Foundation is introducing Quiet Time, where students practice transcendental meditation to awaken their creativity and intelligence, into more than 350 partner schools around the world. As we learn to appreciate silence and contemplation, consumers and brands are realizing the power of daydreaming in boosting creativity and innovation.

Telia internet-free zone

Creating New 'Space’

Progressive companies are recognizing that employees need mental space in order to be creative and make better business decisions. According to New York research brand Basex, half of a knowledge worker's day entails managing information, which causes 'a loss of ability to make decisions, process information and prioritize tasks'. Web consultancy firm Netlife Research have introduced a new monastery-style space at work, designed as a space for employees to seek refuge for contemplation. Google allows employees to take 20% of the time to work on their own projects, or to simply do whatever they want. Some companies are even paying workers to take vacations to avoid burnout.

Remote cabin, Washington

Tech-free time out

Companies are gradually becoming more aware of digital on and off time and are implementing new procedures to ensure employees are taking technology-free time outs. Volkswagen has rewired employees' Blackberrys to stop receiving work emails 30 minutes after their shifts ended, while W Hotels in New York is introducing technology-free Fridays to encourage 'greater communication and creativity among the team'. As part of his Invisibility Project, artist and designer Thomas Stevenson has created 'analogue armor', which is lined with anti-electromagnetic fabrics to prevent electronic devices from working. There has been a rise in campaigns and offers to promote healthy breaks from technology. There is even an annual ‘National Day of Unplugging’ organized by think-tank Reboot who campaigned at this years SXSW, setting the Recordsetter.com world-record for the most people to power-down their devices at the same time.

The Rise of Digital Free Spaces

It's not just in the workplace where people are seeking digital detox. Digital connection is banned in most private members clubs and we are now seeing this practice being adopted by other public spaces such as shops and hotels. US outdoor clothing brand Weatherproof opened its New York store recently with a 'leave your Blackberry at the door' policy, while the Eva Restaurant in L.A. offers customers a 5% discount for leaving their phone with the receptionist during the meal. According to Mark Gold, chef and owner of Eva Restaurant: “We want people to connect again. It’s about two people sitting together and just connecting, without the distraction of a phone, and we’re trying to create an ambiance where you come in and really enjoy the experience and the food and the company.”

Digital Detox Apps

Paul Butler Facebook visualisation

People are now even using technology to take breaks from technology itself. Digital Detox is a free app inspired by Adbuster’s Digital Detox week, which disables a user’s phone for a specified period of time. Similarly the Pomodoro app aims to maximize productivity by instructing you to take a break from work every 25 minutes. The Freedom app can be set to block Internet access for up to eight hours to allow users time for offline productivity. Anti-Social is another productivity application that disables access to social media sites. The RescueTime app monitors where you spend time online, forcing you offline at certain times. It claims to rescue an average of four hours of productive time per person per week. Taking the approach a step further sees Swedish telecoms provider Telia launch an application allowing customers to disable the Internet for a set time at home, which also has the benefit of being a cost cutting strategy. The company also created physical isolation pods around Sweden called 'Internet-free zones', which people could visit to disconnect from their devices. As Kelly McGonigal, health psychologist and lecturer at Stanford University suggests: “We need to find ways to make it [digital technology] as nourishing as possible, as we try to do with our diets, and not just turn to what’s easiest.”

Digital Escapes

Photo credit: Eric Valli

It's not just in the digital realm that people are seeking escapes. From camping to retreats, there is a growing trend for vacations from digital technology that is emerging, allowing people to reconnect with themselves and return to the digital world charged. As part of their digital-detox vacation package St. Vincent and the Grenadines is asking travelers to leave their technology at home. The package includes an onsite life coach who offers advice on how not to let technology control one’s life. There is also the growing appeal of visiting virgin territory. The combination of isolation and the purity of the surroundings are becoming aspirational to a global generation of urban dwellers. A Style Magazine journalist in Sao Paulo reveals: “People are now traveling to spend time with the Xingu, (one of the few indigenes tribes who have remained in Brazil) to live by their rules and be isolated from the modern world.” Glen Morris, writing for BBC, points out: "These days the Arctic, and to a large extent the Antarctic, has become a playground for the wealthy holiday maker."

Living off the Grid

Once only for extremists and hippies, living 'off grid' is also becoming increasingly popular and aspirational. The trend reflects the fact that many consumers in the west are moving away from acquisition culture; buying fewer things, adopting new methods for self-sufficiency. According to US Home Power magazine, there are now 750,000 living off-grid compared to 180,000 five years ago. While the New Esc trend continues to gather converts it's interesting to see that the latest trend on the Internet is to step away from the Internet.

Republished with the kind permission of Lowe Counsel.

Let’s be blunt: NBC shit the bed in their Olympic coverage.

In this digital, social media age – when earthquakes are tweeted about before the Earth even finishes shaking – NBC made the unfathomable decision to broadcast events on tape delay in order to garner primetime ad dollars. Apparently NBC execs figured a few billion people could keep secrets until after dinner.

The funny thing is, even if a few billion people weren’t on Facebook, Tweeting, texting and blogging, NBC’s strategy was so stupid, they spoiled their OWN results. While the broadcast was holding back the biggest events into the evening, at practically every other commercial break, they were encouraging viewers to check out additional content on their Olympic website which… wait for it… showed headlines of results they had yet to broadcast.

Fail.

Their Twitter and Facebook pages were no better. Before Americans got to see for themselves, the NBC Olympic Twitter stream had already blown the surprise of the Queen and James Bond parachuting into the arena.

NBC, you do understand how the internet works, right? (Rhetorical.)

But wait! There’s more! While you’re stuck trying to navigate a slow, horribly-designed, advertising-laden NBC site to see streaming events, 64 other countries get to view it live on YouTube for free. Afghanistan and Botswana get YouTube. You get McDonald’s ads to pay off NBC’s investment.

Then, to top it off, when they rightfully got hammered for their ridiculous ad dollar grab in lieu of actual viewer experience, they responded by getting one harsh critic kicked off Twitter .

Because, you know, THAT’S the way to respond to social media criticism. There’s no way that strategy could backfire.

It sure seems like NBC’s entire strategy was “Let’s just say we’re streaming everything live!” without understanding how the viewer actually wants to engage with their content. Consumers have spent the past decade buying giant-ass HDTVs. Not everyone wants to be forced to their 10-inch iPad screen to watch events live. And certainly not everyone can stay completely away from Twitter, Facebook, and the rest of the internet long enough not to ruin the surprise before primetime.

Someday, the networks will come into the 21st century with a digital strategy that makes sense. Unfortunately for fans of the Olympics, that day isn’t in 2012.

The inspiration to make something culturally and psychologically strong enough exists when you get back to what blew your mind.

For just a moment, you’re a kid in 1970s suburban Los Angeles, ok? Pedal your bicycle to the big Topanga Canyon Boulevard record store. See what I saw: an epic, billboard-sized reprographic image of Pink Floyd’s album, Wish You Were Here, bolted to the side of the record emporium and taking up huge amounts of sky. Big record company marketing budgets could afford to blow a lot of minds in those days.

It was a mysteriously huge, Godzilla-sized piece of pop-surrealism that captured my imagination: A man on fire obliviously shakes hands with another suited man. It’s a random meeting in an abandoned soundstage backlot, like a dream in constant production. The handshake, a blithe and obligatory social grace, appears to hide the true burning intensity of ulterior motives. Or is that something about the fear of getting burned?

This was all the proof I needed for what I had suspected in my young mind all along: People are weird. And deep and funny. And this was weird, deep, and funny marketing.

I got lost in a new kind of alchemy, a mixture of what I both did and did not understand about this album cover. I actually liked not understanding the imagery. There’s power in mystery. Though I knew the marketing for this album was about dreams. Not Disney-esque life goal dreams, not those dreams, but the unsettling world of dreaming. And was this a billboard for an uncomfortable dream? Pink Floyd knew how to show you how dreams really feel. That’s what they do. Later, I’d find out that they made music, too.

Something else that astounded me—although I didn’t know how to name what it was in my monosyllabic, child mind. I can find the word now. The imagery was alluringly unwholesome.

Unwholesome? Yes. Every bit of product marketing I had ever seen in my limited time on earth seemed to dance a giddy dance of the effusive, wholesome-hypnotic, the good—and good for you—wash of the brain. Secret ingredient: sugar. (Or, substitute the word, trustworthiness).

This album cover on the other hand, was marketing that used dream language to call no bullshit, and for me, great marketing began with that album cover.

Eventually, I saw how this imagery shared the same surreal power of the Buddhist monks who had self-immolated in protest of the Vietnam War. Add the imagery of Rene Magritte’s Victorian men floating in the sky, perhaps. That was the era. The era of the inner mind meets social upheaval.

Artwork for Wish You Were Here had a power that purposely reached for what was wrong and yet beautiful about the world.

Like most album covers produced during that slim psychedelic and post psychedelic creative era, meaning and hidden meaning trumped safeness, and it’s difficult to not regard album artwork created of that ilk as a true slice of cultural honesty through the language of symbolic imagery and playfulness.

Chances are, like me, you’d recall the marketing you probably don’t regard as actual marketing, but as something meaningful enough to feel and recall on a deeper level.

That might require you going back in time. When you were a kid. When you were raw-minded. Re-experience what affected you, the unspeakably good montage intro or trailer to a film, the world of colors in the Maoist propaganda poster you saw on Canal Street in NYC, an album cover you forgot you loved, a commercial that rocked your world, a PSA that pulled like a maddened emotion, desperate to free itself from the leash of the everyday.

That’s where the inspiration to make something culturally and psychologically strong enough exists, because it’s still living psychologically and culturally in your mind. That is, if you believe that marketing is actually part art, part storytelling, part psychological event, and is powerful enough to act as a sociological medium that does something amazing.

1975, Wish You Were Here, Pink Floyd.
Album Art by the amazing agency, Hipgnosis.

Joseph Coplans is owner of Denver's Ink Stain Inc, a strategic messaging firm in Denver.