The middle-aged worker might be forced to put up with the monkeys for a bit longer, given the tenuous nature of the job market in the US.
In previous advertising campaigns for CareerBuilder.com, aired during the Super Bowl, a middle-management Everyman finds himself in the office "cubicle farm" surrounded by apes. These animals plant whoopee cushions in his conference room chair and brush off his suggestions that buying lottery tickets may not be the best way to boost the bottom line. As the monkeys howl with laughter, a voice-over asks: "Want a new job?"
The Chicago-based jobs website unveiled the "monkeys" campaign four years ago in one of the most expensive advertising slots in the world: the US National Football League's championship game. The light-hearted approach to finding a new job made sense in a booming economy, and was a hit with viewers.
But this year, the chill from Wall Street is being felt on Madison Avenue. A drinks maker is airing a recession-friendly one-second advertisement, while a small clothes manufacturer has proposed dividing the cost of a half-minute spot with 10 other companies.
But other executives, fearful that spending millions on a commercial might turn off customers and employees, will be missing this year. "In the ultimate medium where the message is king, being in the game simply sends the wrong message both to employees and other FedEx constituents," says Steve Pacheco, the director of advertising for FedEx, which has bowed out of this year's campaign.
The Kentucky-based logistics services company had made 18 appearances since 1989. Another no-show this year is the struggling US car maker General Motors, which had booked advertising slots for 16 straight Super Bowls.
In the past 25 years, the adverts during the game have become a cultural phenomenon, sometimes remembered more than the event itself. And with the help of YouTube they have gained a following around the world. That sort of audience does not come cheaply. Today's adverts cost US$3 million (Dh11.01m) for 30 seconds, up from $2.7m last year, making them among the few areas of the US economy where there is inflation.
The payoff is exposure to more than 90 million Americans. And that reach is why, despite the worst economic climate in a generation, CareerBuilder.com and other companies believe the price is worth it.
For the network broadcasting today's game, Super Bowl advertising spending is a big boost to revenue. In 1967, NBC charged $37,500 per 30-second spot for the first Bowl. Advertising passed the $1m mark in 1995, and hit $2m in 2000.
Despite the recession, NBC says more than 90 per cent of the 67 slots have been sold, and that sales compare favourably with those from last year's game. Today, the average cost of a commercial has soared more than 6,000 per cent and is 12 times the rate of the average network's prime time inflation in advertising costs between 1967 and 2004.
In the Middle East, the Super Bowl is not quite the money maker it is in the US. The game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Steelers will be aired live on the Arab Radio and Television (ART) Network and on Tuesday at peak viewing time by Showtime Arabia. Although Showtime Arabia will sell advertising around the game, it is "not at all the same phenomenon that you see in the US", says Marc-Antoine d'Halluin, the president and chief executive at the network.
Those joining this year's party in the US include recession-proof drinks makers. In fact, Anheuser-Busch, the beer giant, has bought four-and-a-half minutes this year, 30 seconds more than last year. The online brokerage E-Trade will return with its "Talking Baby" campaign, which featured an infant who spoke like an adult, and told viewers how easy it was to make stock trades. While the company would not reveal details of today's adverts, it said they would reflect consumer sentiment about the economy.
The exposure, the company believes, is worth the money. In the week after last year's game, E-Trade reported that the number of newly opened brokerage accounts jumped by 32 per cent.
In the three months following last year's Super Bowl, CareerBuilder said job applications jumped by 68 per cent compared with 2007. While the apes are back, this year's slogan will probably feature less monkey business.
Last year's promise of "a better job awaits" gives way to advice to help employees "start building" their way to better careers. "We know there are a lot of people out there who are feeling anxious about the job market," says Richard Castellini, the company's chief marketing officer. "We're connecting workers with those opportunities and offering advice, with a wink and a nod."
* with agencies and additional
reporting by Keach Hagey
ashah@thenational.ae
Explainer: Tanween Design Programme
Non-profit arts studio Tashkeel launched this annual initiative with the intention of supporting budding designers in the UAE. This year, three talents were chosen from hundreds of applicants to be a part of the sixth creative development programme. These are architect Abdulla Al Mulla, interior designer Lana El Samman and graphic designer Yara Habib.
The trio have been guided by experts from the industry over the course of nine months, as they developed their own products that merge their unique styles with traditional elements of Emirati design. This includes laboratory sessions, experimental and collaborative practice, investigation of new business models and evaluation.
It is led by British contemporary design project specialist Helen Voce and mentor Kevin Badni, and offers participants access to experts from across the world, including the likes of UK designer Gareth Neal and multidisciplinary designer and entrepreneur, Sheikh Salem Al Qassimi.
The final pieces are being revealed in a worldwide limited-edition release on the first day of Downtown Designs at Dubai Design Week 2019. Tashkeel will be at stand E31 at the exhibition.
Lisa Ball-Lechgar, deputy director of Tashkeel, said: “The diversity and calibre of the applicants this year … is reflective of the dynamic change that the UAE art and design industry is witnessing, with young creators resolute in making their bold design ideas a reality.”
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Tuesday's fixtures
Kyrgyzstan v Qatar, 5.45pm
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
Zombieland: Double Tap
Director: Ruben Fleischer
Stars: Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone
Four out of five stars
How it works
Each player begins with one of the great empires of history, from Julius Caesar's Rome to Ramses of Egypt, spread over Europe and the Middle East.
Round by round, the player expands their empire. The more land they have, the more money they can take from their coffers for each go.
As unruled land and soldiers are acquired, players must feed them. When a player comes up against land held by another army, they can choose to battle for supremacy.
A dice-based battle system is used and players can get the edge on their enemy with by deploying a renowned hero on the battlefield.
Players that lose battles and land will find their coffers dwindle and troops go hungry. The end goal? Global domination of course.
'Nope'
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Rooney's club record
At Everton Appearances: 77; Goals: 17
At Manchester United Appearances: 559; Goals: 253
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The specs: 2018 Ducati SuperSport S
Price, base / as tested: Dh74,900 / Dh85,900
Engine: 937cc
Transmission: Six-speed gearbox
Power: 110hp @ 9,000rpm
Torque: 93Nm @ 6,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 5.9L / 100km
Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
THE SPECS
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: seven-speed dual clutch
Power: 710bhp
Torque: 770Nm
Speed: 0-100km/h 2.9 seconds
Top Speed: 340km/h
Price: Dh1,000,885
On sale: now
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
UAE players with central contracts
Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Chirag Suri, Rameez Shahzad, Shaiman Anwar, Adnan Mufti, Mohammed Usman, Ghulam Shabbir, Ahmed Raza, Qadeer Ahmed, Amir Hayat, Mohammed Naveed and Imran Haider.
The specs: 2019 Mini Cooper
Price, base: Dh141,740 (three-door) / Dh165,900 (five-door)
Engine: 1.5-litre four-cylinder (Cooper) / 2.0-litre four-cylinder (Cooper S)
Power: 136hp @ 4,500rpm (Cooper) / 192hp @ 5,000rpm (Cooper S)
Torque: 220Nm @ 1,480rpm (Cooper) / 280Nm @ 1,350rpm (Cooper S)
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 4.8L to 5.4L / 100km
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
THE BIO
Favourite place to go to in the UAE: The desert sand dunes, just after some rain
Who inspires you: Anybody with new and smart ideas, challenging questions, an open mind and a positive attitude
Where would you like to retire: Most probably in my home country, Hungary, but with frequent returns to the UAE
Favorite book: A book by Transilvanian author, Albert Wass, entitled ‘Sword and Reap’ (Kard es Kasza) - not really known internationally
Favourite subjects in school: Mathematics and science
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Small Victories: The True Story of Faith No More by Adrian Harte
Jawbone Press
