Don't forget the signaling value: Northrop Grumman is not a small shop, and wants to show these officials and congressman that they're the real deal and have plenty of money to spend on flashy and super expensive things like Super Bowl ads.

I think this is completely PR - they want to create buzz and excitement in the public for the "hot new spy plane" such that its politically impossible for congress to cancel the program/cut the budget.

I doubt it. There is a ton of war-weariness these days, and expensive military projects aren't very popular. Especially considering the utter fiasco that is the F-35 program, I really doubt the public is in the mental or emotional state to support another pricey project.

You say that like the public opinion matters at all.

Not unusual.

I live near Washington, DC, and have worked in the area several times.

Companies that solicit work from the government regularly run TV and radio ads. I'll be listening to the traffic report on WTOP only to be interrupted by a commercial telling me how great Lockheed-Martin is and how many jobs it provides.

The amount of money flowing through DC has made it into a surreal place. Not unusual to walk by a homeless person warming themselves on a steam grate on the way to work -- and then come across a demonstration against some policy or another. Demonstrators are purchase d a la carte online: we need somebody for six hours today willing to carry a picket sign outside treasury. If you're upset about something you purchase some demonstrators, brief them on what to say, then arrange media coverage.

DC was its own little bizarre cloistered world 60 years ago when Eisenhower talked about the military-industrial complex. It's only gone several levels past that in the ensuing decades.

My guess is it's political - they want the public to also be excited about the mysterious new plane, and approve the budget.

It could also be targeted at recruiting rather than customers. Someone might watch that and think "damn, I could work on some cool projects there!"

A superbowl ad is not going to inspire the people you want to start working on advanced aircraft. The people you want are already working on advanced aircraft or are trying to get into the advanced aircraft business. You need people that know what they're doing, not the "dang that's cool" crowd.

You're also targeting future engineers. If you can make a highschool kid get into aeronautical engineering who otherwise wouldn't have, that's a strategic win. Younger people are very much in the "dang that's cool" crowd.

Look at most of the modern military commercials. They very much appeal to young people who grew up playing Call of Duty and whatnot.

Typically ads like this are intended to buttress the companies stock price. You see them for similar companies like ADM or Monsanto that also don't sell to the general public. The intended audience is most likely investors.

Northrop and a whole bunch of contractors advertize on the DC subway line that runs to the pentagon. It's pretty funny.

The article says the ad wasn't national and it only aired in the Washington and florida markets where their target demographics, politicians and employees of the contracting command reside.

It's not about buying air time. It's about buying influence with the TV network.

I had to laugh when Lockheed bragged that their expertise with the F35 qualified them for this new contract. Apparently failure of a program does not occur as long as funding is secured.

A lot of money could be saved by folding one or two branches together or removing duplicate functions. As in, if it flies its Air Force, if it floats its Navy, otherwise its Army.