Hyundai Dithering On Two Superbowl Spots

First-time Super Bowl advertiser Hyundai is getting cold feet and considering pulling its two spots, citing weakness in the economy. With Fox getting $2.7 million, on average, per spot, Hyundai had committed about $5.4 million to the big game. A Hyundai spokesman told Automotive News (via Adage) the automaker is wondering, "is this the best thing to do with our advertising in the first quarter?"

The good news for Fox is Hyundai wants to keep its money in TV, but redistribute it to more spots on the networks other shows. The bad news: It may not be able to accommodate Hyundai's wishes. With the Academy Awards and much of network primetime under threat from the writers strike, advertisers expect that network audiences will shrink, which means that networks will have less inventory to sell.

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