• by Karl Greenberg , December 18, 2015

Honda skipped a year in the Super Bowl, but the automaker will be back in February for the 50th anniversary game to tout the new Honda Ridgeline pickup, which debuted at the North American International Auto Show this year and goes on sale in the first half of the year in 2016.

The Torrance, Calif.-based automaker said the 60-second spot in the third quarter of the game kicks off a multiplatform campaign. Said Jeff Conrad, SVP and general manager of the Honda Motor's eponymous division, "Super Bowl 50 is the right time and the right venue to communicate Honda's continued leadership in light trucks. The multiplatform approach will enable Ridgeline to come out of the gate strong in 2016."

So far, automakers ponying up a few million to be in the game include Kia, BMW (which touted the i3 last year in an ad with Bryant Gumbel and Katie Couric), Hyundai, which will likely spotlight the new Elantra, Genesis luxury brand and/or G90 luxury car. Honda sibling Acura will also be in the game.  

In August, Leslie Moonves, CEO of CBS, which will broadcast the game, said 30-second slots would go for upwards of $5 million. This year's game sold for $4.5 million for a 30-second ad. Gone from the game will be Web domain-name company GoDaddy. 

As for Ridgeline, Honda shuttered the first generation in 2014 when the market for mid-size pickups hadn't taken off yet, and brings the second generation back in a hot market, ignited by Chevrolet/GMC siblings, Silverado and Canyon, and Toyota's Tacoma. Although Honda's offering is not technically in the same league as a traditional body-on-frame truck, as Ridgeline is a unibody vehicle, like a crossover, it will still play in that sandbox. The automaker will unveil the truck at the Detroit auto show next month, 

Honda also redid its crossover lineup last year, revamping the CR-V, and introducing the HR-V crossover this year. In addition to the Ridgeline, next year brings a redesigned Odyssey minivan.