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Super Bowl Ads "Leak" Online, Bark Side Racks up Views

Who needs the Super Bowl?

For the ads, that is.

They’re all online in advance. Okay, not all of them. But enough to get the buzz going. And I’m calling it — “The Bark Side” is the best commercial this year. Volkswagen pre-released it Jan. 18 and had earned more 8 million views after just one week. The video features a chorus of dogs barking Darth Vader’s Imperial March. Volkswagen has said this viral video is a teaser to the spot it’ll air in the game.

Ads are leaking and that’s just the way it goes. Except they’re not really leaks. Brands releasing SuperBowl ads online before the game is a tangible indicator that online video can absolutely amplify a TV message. Fine, we’re talking about the Super Bowl, the biggest ad venue all year. Even so, it’s impressive for videos to rack up millions of views, and even more impressive when they do so before they are water cooler talk in front of millions of TV viewers on the biggest TV day of the year. GoDaddy also “leaked” its Super Bowl spot, a sexy number showing Danica Patrick and Jillian Michaels painting a nude model.

What’s more, Hulu launched its Super Bowl ad section earlier this week with AdZone 2012. Billed as a spot to watch the commercials, vote for favorites and share them, the section features the leaked, banned and preview ads  from this year as well as some of the best ads over the years.

Hulu said Super Bowl Sunday is one of Hulu’s biggest days of the year, generating millions of views and social activity. More than 250 Super Bowl ads are on the Ad Zone hub.

 

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