How do you try and make a big splash around the biggest TV event of the year with a little project and a little budget. Try and go local and get some buzz on the idea…
Case in point.
“We Are Triathletes,” the top-grossing documentary about triathlon is set to be released on DVD and streaming platforms in time for Super Bowl LIII. But unlike the big-budget blockbusters which produce lavish trailers for national Super Bowl spots, this is a documentary. The $5.3 million price tag for those spots is well out of range for this production, so the executive producer set his sights on Glendive, Montana, the smallest media market in the country (population: 5,107; DMA #210).
For .002 percent of the cost, Super Bowl LIII viewers watching on CBS affiliate KXGN-TV in Glendive, Feb. 3, will see something that none of other 100 million viewers across the nation will see: a television spot featuring triathletes. The trailer for “We Are Triathletes” will air exclusively in Glendive during the Super Bowl.
(View a preview of the Super Bowl commercial here)
“With the Super Bowl being the largest single-day televised sports event, what better way to promote the largest grossing film in the history of triathlon with a twist by having a commercial that airs in the nation’s smallest market,” said executive producer Bob Babbitt, an Ironman Triathlon and USA Triathlon Hall of Famer. “As viewers of the Super Bowl are inspired by the athletes on the gridiron, this trailer featuring these incredible athletes will inspire as well.”
“We Are Triathletes” follows six triathletes, including Rudy Garcia-Tolson, who in the film attempts to become the first double, above-the-knee amputee to finish the Challenge Roth Triathlon (2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride and 26.2-mile run).
Amazon link to order “We Are Triathletes:”
Now the idea of cost effective buys in targeted local markets is not new. Hundreds of brands build it into their budget each year, although most don’t create a custom spot. Others are always trying to ambush the game and its big process with targeted digital campaigns which will continue to grow, as well as with programs looking to capture the more than half of the population NOT watching the game and choosing to do other things. The key is to get the story told and then find people and outlets to help amplify your unique message.
My guess is there aren’t many brands just targeting a small Montana town, let alone niche documentaries trying to cut through the Super Bowl clutter. How one judges ROI for something like this is hard to say, but it certainly is a good way to make a proactive, and disruptive way to get a piece of the Super Bowl pie, no matter what the size.
