Annually the Super Bowl is the largest televised sporting event nationwide, costing advertisers millions of dollars to produce and run 30-second commercial spots. These Super Bowl advertisements resonate with consumers weeks after the game and have proven to be great fodder for the water cooler and typically appear as the greatest trending topic and most shared items on social media sites.

But what is the publicity value of the media attention that the advertisements garner one to two weeks prior to the big game? For envelope-pushing or edgy ads, is the advanced public relations blitz a risk or a benefit?

According to Solveig Thorsrud-Allen, president and CEO of The Firm Public Relations & Marketing, "In most cases, these advertisers understand the power of public relations. They are savvy and have incorporated the advanced media roll out into their integrated marketing strategy. If they do not have a well thought out game plan, however, their positive public relations efforts could be overshadowed by controversy detracting from the intended messages."

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