TV Ad Spend Weekly: Verizon highlights first responders in corporate promo during NFL Sunday
Brands continue to invest heavily in above-the-line content, and television is still seen as the place brands want to be. Each week, in partnership with Kantar Media, The Drum looks at which brands have been investing the most in newly-launched creative on US national broadcast and cable TV.
Verizon gives a nod to first responders months after criticisms of it throttling service during California Wildfires / Kantar Media
Ad spend on national TV during the first week of October remained relatively flat at $1.1bn, compared to the previous week. However expenditures for new advertising increased 31%, reaching $216m. The main drivers of new ad spend were live sporting events, specifically: NFL games ($62m), college football ($12m) and MLB playoff games ($8m). Together, games from these three sports leagues were responsible for 38% of all new ad spending.
This week, Verizon took the focus off its products, instead highlighting a corporate promotion featuring the country’s first responders. The spot features firemen along with Verizon chief network engineering officer, Nicki Palmer, discussing how Verizon’s innovations and technology allow first responders to do their jobs and how the company plays a vital role in times of crisis by providing reliable communication through different channels.
The new promotion comes just months after Verizon was criticized for regulating the unlimited data plan of firefighters battling record-setting blazes in California in August 2018. Some claimed Verizon slowed data speeds, however the telecom giant said this was nothing more than a customer service error.
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This data is part of ongoing reporting released on a weekly basis with Kantar Media using its AdScope tool.