First new Super Bowl advertiser: Mophie

Mophie, a tech company that specializes in on-the-go charging for mobile devices, will announce Tuesday plans to advertise on NBC’s broadcast of the Super Bowl. It is the first new advertiser to sign up since the National Football League was widely seen as mishandling domestic violence charges against some players.

Like most new advertisers, the little-known company hopes to use the Super Bowl as an expensive megaphone that broadcasts to the world who it is and what it makes. Beyond Mophie, the announcement may be no less critical to the NFL and NBC, the network broadcasting the game. For an event where advertisers pay upward of $4 million for each 30-second slot, the usual network braggadocio about ad sales has been mostly absent since the NFL’s image issues took center stage more than a month ago.

But all that may change now that a new advertiser – albeit a little-known one – has officially announced that it’s in the game. “Most observers feel we are through the worst of it — unless something else happens,” says Paul Swangard, managing director at the Warsaw Sports Marketing Center at the University of Oregon.”Advertisers and sponsors may be more willing now to create or establish associations.”

NBC sent this statement to USA TODAY: “Super Bowl ad sales are pacing consistently with prior years. We continue to close deals and engage potential advertisers,” said Seth Winter, EVP of sales and sales marketing for NBC Sports Group.