Monster.com Makes Super Bowl Buy

TMP Worldwide career site Monster.com announced that it has again purchased ad space during the Super Bowl.

Monster.com’s ad buy in Super Bowl XXXV, which will air January 28, 2001 on CBS Television, marks the third year in a row that the company has advertised on one of the nation’s most widely viewed television events.


The decision by the company to continue its streak of Super Bowl advertising is especially notable at a time in which lavish offline marketing spending — such as that on the Super Bowl broadcast — is being blamed for the financial troubles of some dot-com companies. Additionally, dot-coms have shrunk their advertising and marketing budgets in the wake of the April stock market shakeout, since new capital is no longer easily attainable.

The “just under” $4 million buy includes four 30-second commercials, one each in the first and fourth quarters of the game, and two during the pre-game show, said Monster.com spokesperson Melanie Downey.

The ad buy is part of an estimated $200 million global marketing spend for 2001.

Industry observers generally tag Monster.com’s Super Bowl XXXIV spot, “The Road Not Taken,” and 1999’s popular “When I Grow Up,” as among the most memorable ads of either game. According to the company, the two spots also generated record-breaking site traffic in the days following the events.

Last year, Monster.com spent $3.2 million on two in-game and three pre-game spots.

“Over the past two years, advertising on the Super Bowl has been a proven vehicle for success, helping to bring a record number of job searches and resume submissions to the site,” said Monster.com vice president of marketing Peter Blacklow.

“Next January, we hope to continue to build momentum around the Monster.com brand and make more people aware of the tremendous opportunities that exist through Monster.com.”

The company declined to elaborate on what direction the creatives might take.

Boston-based Arnold Communications, Monster.com’s newly-appointed agency of record, will develop the spots. Arnold is a unit of Snyder Communications, currently being purchased by France’s Havas Advertising.

The agency’s credits include Volkswagen’s 1998 “Da Da Da” television spot and the American Legacy Foundation‘s controversial The Truth anti-smoking campaign.

Monster.com is one of a shrinking group of Internet companies having advertised on the Super Bowl who aren’t suffering financial difficulties. The casualties include: viral e-mail marketer Epidemic Marketing, which closed up shop just months after a $1.6 million ad buy in Super Bowl XXXIV; Pets.com, which could face possible delisting if its stock doesn’t climb above the $1 mark; and cable and Web property Oxygen Media, which last month saw the departures of several top editoral staffers.

Fellow online recruiter kforce said it hasn’t decided whether to make another Super Bowl buy this season after a buy of four spots during the last game.

“What we did last year at the Super Bowl was we transitioned our name from ‘Romac.’ It was really just an opportunity to reach a large audience quickly,” said kforce marketing manager Nicole LeBeau. “We were flooded with resumes [after the spots], and were definitely pleased. But it’s still up in the air.”

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