The Super Bowl is so much more than just a game. Not only is the event the culmination of the biggest sport in the United States, but it's an opportunity for marketers to put their product in front of millions of potential consumers.
For the non-football fans, the commercials are the best part. Companies willingly fork over tons of money to make sure that they are in on the action.
Although this particular example has nothing to do with a $1,000,000 30-second commercial spot, it is still a missed opportunity to take advantage of this hugely popular event. Take a look at this "advertisement" that a local pizza place put on their pizza box:
This normally wouldn't be that upsetting, but i recently finished reading David Meerman Scott's World Wide Rave while apparently the person responsible for marketing at this place hasn't. It goes against much of what his book advocates.
I'll preface this with the fact this company isn't usually open on Sundays, so i give them props for being open. However, these times are EST. As you can see, they are open from Noon until 5pm; the Super Bowl didn't even start until 6:30. So... your only option is to serve cold pizza or reheat it yourself at game-time.
If this pizza place wanted to help its customers, it would be open during game-time when party-goers were ready for a slice. If this pizza place really wanted to help its customers, it would offer delivery service even though that's something that they never do.
This place serves a mean pie and has a loyal following. Imagine the response if this place went out of their way and offered delivery to its customers during the biggest sporting event of the year. It would have created buzz. Perhaps not a World Wide Rave, as Scott suggests, but it would have generated a ton of local buzz at a low cost.
What are your thoughts? Am i just being crazy or do you think that this local pizza place missed a huge opportunity? Their hearts were in the right place by being open when they normally wouldn't, but the execution just wasn't there.