OpenAI’s Super Bowl commercial suggests new marketing strategy

OpenAI is planning a fascinating marketing push by introducing its first TV commercial during the 59th Super Bowl this coming Sunday, February 9th, according to the Wall Street Journal learned from sources close to the matter.

In addition to the game itself, the many surrounding traditions, and the halftime entertainment, Super Bowl Sunday is an auspicious night for advertising. Some of the most notable brands pay millions of dollars for up to 30 seconds of airtime during the popular football event. Reports indicate that advertisers have shelled out up to $8 million for spits during this year’s Super Bowl, where the San Francisco 49ers will play the Kansas City Chiefs. This is up from $7 million the year prior.

Details about OpenAI’s Super Bowl ad, or how much the company paid for the TV spot remain unknown. However, its introduction to a more forward-facing advertising space comes at an interesting time. The artificial intelligence company became notable in the tech space in late 2022 with the popularization of its ChatGPT chatbot. Since then, OpenAI has had a limited branding strategy, relying largely on social media, word of mouth, and news reports to evangelize its tools and services.

With more AI options being developed almost daily, and competition growing, the brand has onboarded its first chief marketing officer, Kate Rouch, the WSJ noted.

The company is also in talks to raise up to $40 billion at a valuation of $340 billion– with investor SoftBank leading the funding round.

While it seems OpenAI is keeping its ad under wraps until Super Bowl Sunday, many other tech brands have already teased their commercials online. Google’s commercial is called “Dream Job,” featuring a father prepping for a job interview using Gemini Live AI assistant. Tech companies as a whole are becoming more visible in advertising at the Super Bowl. Last year, Microsoft aired its first commercial in four years during the game, to introduce its Copilot AI assistant.

AI companies have developed other interesting strategies to market themselves during football’s big night. The brand Perplexity will also be on location in New Orleans where the Super Bowl is being hosted, advertising its brand on a custom-wrapped Tesla Cybertruck. The brand has chosen this option in hopes of garnering social media buzz, AdAdge noted.