Reports suggest that OpenAI is set to usher in a new era for AI marketing with the airing of its first TV ad during Sunday’s Super Bowl.
The surprise move, first reported by the Wall Street Journal, marks the developer of ChatGPT’s first foray into mainstream advertising. Previously, the company has focused on word-of-mouth and product innovation.
Ad space during the NFL’s showpiece event comes at a hefty premium, with a 30-second ad slot costing millions of dollars, therefore, this move signals a shift in mindset as OpenAI faces growing competition in the AI space.
Meta, Microsoft and Google are continuing to integrate AI into their existing products, bringing the technology to the attention of a more mainstream audience, when previously it was the reserve of those linked to the industry.
By running a Super Bowl ad, the OpenAI brand will be featuring in what is consistently the most-watched programme in the US annually. Last year, over 120 million people tuned in to watch the Kansas City Chiefs defeat the San Fransico 49ers in overtime.
Growing ad spend
Though a new frontier for OpenAI, others have not shied away from spending big on promoting AI. According to estimates from ad tracker Mediaradar, AI companies collectively spent $332m on ads last year, up more than double from 2023.
Google, Amazon-backed Anthropic and Microsoft all ran ads during last year’s Super Bowl. Google promoted the AI-powered features of its Pixel camera while Anthropic and Microsoft ran spots highlighting AI assistants, titled Claude and Copilot, respectively.
Perhaps in acknowledgement of the changing tide, late last year OpenAI hired Kate Rouch as its first-ever Chief Marketing Officer.
In her previous role at the cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase Global, Rouch oversaw a concerted marketing push, which included a Super Bowl ad that featured a bouncing QR code for the exchange.
