Super Bowl Ads and The Hard of Hearing

[Macfistowannabe]

From: http://www.captions.com/

February 6, 2005

Super Bowl commercials seem to receive more hype than the game. Millions of dollars are spent by companies promoting their product. The exposure they receive, and the money they make, is tremendous. This year - 2005 - a 30 second commercial during the game costs 2.4 million dollars.
Each year, Captions.Com monitors the commercials during the game to see which are captioned for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. We then display those that captioned and those that did not.

A 30 second ad during the Super Bowl is 2.4 million dollars - ($2,400,000.00). The cost to caption that ad is approximately $250. Check back to see how many sponsors were willing to spend the extra money to make their ad accessible.


Captioned:
Miller Brewing Co
Miller Brewing Co
NFL/FOX
Tostitos
Ford
Ford
Ford
Ford
McDonalds
Pizza Hut
Anheuser Busch
Anheuser Busch
Anheuser Busch
O2OPTIX
Pepsi
Pepsi
Pepsi
Pepsi
Bubblicious
GoDaddy.com
Visa Check Card
Quiznos Sub
Subway
Cadillac
Qwest Communications
Best Buy
Cadillac


Not Captioned:
Kentucky Fried Chicken
Kentucky Fried Chicken
Great Clips
Leaf Guard
Direct TV
Block Buster
Block Buster
Block Buster
California Milk Advisory Board
NFL - www.jointheteam.com
NFL
NFL Network
Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless
Fox Movie/Television Trailers
Olympus
Olympus
FedEx
Anheuser Busch
Anheuser Busch
Anheuser Busch
Anheuser Busch
Anheuser Busch
Anheuser Busch
Volvo
McDonalds
McDonalds
Ameriquest Mortgage Company
Ameriquest Mortgage Company
MBNA
Honda
Honda Ridgeline
Frito Lays
Pepsi
Degree for Men
CareerBuilder.com
CareerBuilder.com
CareerBuilder.com
Taco Bell
Diana Pearl - Silestone
Michelob
United Way
Arbys
Texas Instruments Technology
Cialis
Dairy Queen
QuitPlan
Tabasco
Napster
Staples
Lifetime Fitness
Ford Northland Dealer
Toyota
Mastercard
Emerald of California
Cadillac
Napster
Subway
NFL Shop
Cingluar
Citi Cards

 

[melon]

I sometimes watch TV with the closed captioning on while listening to my iPod (I like the visual stimulation... ). I find that most ads just really aren't captioned...period. It's disappointing, but I also don't need audio to know what they're selling. It's pretty obvious.

However, I'm looking at some of those ads that didn't. Correct me if I'm wrong, but what are the hard of hearing going to do with Napster (sells music) or Cingular/Verizon Wireless (sells cell phones)? But that's besides the point. The vast majority of these ads are products that can be perfectly utilized by the hard of hearing.

I find it interesting that three Anheuser-Busch commercials were closed captioned. What that tends to tell me is that it is not something generally pushed by the companies, and some ad agencies just tend to do it by default.

Melon

 

[Macfistowannabe]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but what are the hard of hearing going to do with Napster (sells music) or Cingular/Verizon Wireless (sells cell phones)? But that's besides the point. The vast majority of these ads are products that can be perfectly utilized by the hard of hearing.

I would be considered hard of hearing - not anywhere near deaf, but below average hearing. I use a cell phone, listen to music, and often use closed-caption. The products can be utilized in the sense that you know what they are advertising, but if I have to have the sound down, I'd like to enjoy the commercial just as much as the next guy. Really, they spend millions upon millions to advertise, a few hundred isn't going to kill them to make a better appeal to some 5-10% of the population.

From http://www.hearingusa.com/hearingcare.htm#Hearing Loss

Hearing problems are very common. About 1 person in 10 experiences some degree of hearing impairment and about 1 person in 100 experience extreme difficulty understanding speech.

 

[MrsSpringsteen]

corporate greed and insensitivity

 

[melon]

I would be considered hard of hearing - not anywhere near deaf, but below average hearing. I use a cell phone, listen to music, and often use closed-caption. The products can be utilized in the sense that you know what they are advertising, but if I have to have the sound down, I'd like to enjoy the commercial just as much as the next guy. Really, they spend millions upon millions to advertise, a few hundred isn't going to kill them to make a better appeal to some 5-10% of the population.

Thanks for the clarification. I earnestly didn't know.

Melon

 

[Macfistowannabe]

corporate greed and insensitivity

Not to mention a lack of awareness.