Why McDonald’s Passed on a Super Bowl Ad
Buying a $5 million Super Bowl spot isn’t for every brand. There are some, though, who have made a successful staple 
out of appearing during the highest profile media event of the year, like Doritos and Pepsi.
For others, it’s a big, expensive risk that may or may not pay off. McDonald’s is one of those brands that took the risk, but didn’t get the rewards. It took the restaurant eight years of sitting on the sidelines before it leap into the Super Bowl last year. This year it is sitting on the sidelines.
This article from Forbes.com uses brand examples, in addition to McDonald’s, Pepsi and Doritos, that include Skittles, WeatherTech and MasterLock to make the case for why the Super Bowl is not the right investment for most brands.
