SHERIDAN, WYOMING – Feb. 10, 2025 – Booking.com is making a splash with its Super Bowl marketing efforts, including a unique "Iconic Madden Cruiser Experience" and a return to the Super Bowl commercial lineup.
The Iconic Madden Cruiser Experience
Taking inspiration from Airbnb's celebrity-driven "Icons" campaign, Booking.com offered one lucky booker and a guest a VIP road trip to New Orleans for the Big Game. The experience centered around "The Iconic Madden Cruiser," the customized bus used by the late NFL announcer John Madden. The package, priced at $19.87 (the year Madden commissioned his first cruiser), included a meet-and-greet with NFL legend Terrell Owens and Emmy Award-winning personality Rocsi Diaz.
A Booking.com spokesperson clarified that the company has a history of offering exclusive bookable stays, citing examples like overnights in the Empire State Building and American Airlines Arena, as well as access to the Nick Jonas tour bus.
Booking.com’s Super Bowl Ad
Booking.com will air a 30-second commercial during the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl, marking its fourth consecutive year as a Super Bowl advertiser. The spot, featuring the Muppets, promotes Booking.com's range of accommodations and the ability for travelers to "get exactly what you're booking for." The commercial will also be available on YouTube and social media.
According to iSpot.tv, 30-second Super Bowl ads are costing between $7.5 million and $8 million this year. Booking.com's previous Super Bowl commercials, featuring Tina Fey and Glenn Close, were highly successful, with one spot being 6% more likable than the norm, according to iSpot.tv. The company invested heavily in the Fey-Close campaign, with three versions of the ad ranking among the most-seen travel website ads on TV last year.
MSC Cruises Enters the Super Bowl Arena
MSC Cruises is also joining the Super Bowl advertising scene with a 15-second teaser featuring Orlando Bloom, Drew Barrymore, and the Madonna song "Holiday." This marks MSC Cruises' Super Bowl debut, and like Booking.com, the company plans to extend its Super Bowl campaign across other channels.
Other Super Bowl Advertising Trends
The article notes that many Super Bowl advertisers are leveraging celebrity endorsements. It also highlights the high cost of Super Bowl ads and the trend of extending campaigns beyond the game itself.