Super-Sized Trailers

When advertising specialists, and just your average Superbowl viewers, analyze the year's advertisements they generally focus on those paid for by businesses looking to sell a particular brand (Anheuser Busch, Doritos, Monster.com, etc.). Snuck between these product placements are a another-less talked about-but equally important brand of Superbowl advertising: The movie trailer.
This year audiences were treated to trailers for films of all genres. In the dramatic department Sony dropped more than a pretty penny to give viewers the chance to look at Angels & Demons, a Tom Hanks film based on the popular Dan Brown (The DaVinci Code) novel. The theatrical trailer prior to the Superbowl had offered little in the way of actual movie footage, and instead used a voice over to narrate the basic premise of the film. The Superbowl trailer, however, spoke to the male audience with the inclusion of some of the film's action sequences, the female audience with more emphasis on Tom Hanks' leading role, and moviegoers in general with the hint of a controversy that had made The DaVinci Code so popular just a few years ago.

The Superbowl was all about touting the big stars and the big budgets, which is why trailers for the film Year One-featuring Jack Black-G.I. Joe:The Rise of the Cobra, and The Proposal-starring Sandra Bullock- were given prime airtime.
The shame in all of this is that the movie industry, unlike other superbowl advertisers, don't make an effort to provide a unique viewer experience. Trailers that air during the Superbowl may be first time releases, but they are generic enough that they can appear everywhere in the months following until the movie actually is released. Viewers remember Superbowl advertisements that cater specifically to that event. It makes you feel special knowing you've watched something that is unique, not a recycled piece of material you can see everyday for the rest of the year. I think Hollywood would be better suited if they took advantage of this unique audience to offer special behind the scenes clips, or Superbowl themed trailers. If audiences think they've seen something "special" they may be more inclined to recall that particular film.
As it stands the industry has once again missed the mark and as a result is also missing out on the buzz that surrounds the rest of the commercials airing during the big game.