• by Richard Whitman , Columnist, December 26, 2017

Happy Boxing Day! 

With the 2018 Super Bowl just around the corner, marketers are deciding whether to plunk down $5 million (give or take) for a mere 30 seconds of time in the big game. 

One of the companies opting to place a bet is online marketplace Groupon, whose last appearance in the game back in 2011 was, um, memorable. And not in a particularly good way. 

Remember? The company ran a spot with Timothy Hutton called “Tibet” that the firm insisted was an exercise in self-deprecating humor but that many viewers felt was tone deaf and dismissive of the Tibetan independence movement or just plain confusing. According to some polls the spot, from CP+B, was the least liked ad in the game. 

So far, no details on the creative for the upcoming Groupon Super Bowl spot, which is being developed by the firm’s current AOR O’Keefe Reinhard & Paul. 

Well, there is one small detail—the company notes it will have a “celebrity component.” OK, that’s not exactly a big differentiator, but we’ll see what else they come up with this time. 

A Groupon spokesman said the SB ad “will build on the message of our recent ad campaigns that Groupon saves people money on what they do every day and helps small businesses grow.” 

Well that makes sense. Hopefully the upcoming ad will too.