At three million dollars for a 30 second spot, the TV commercials shown during the Super Bowl, have over the last twenty years become as important to watch and talk about the next day as the game itself. I actually know people who DVR the game and then fast forward to each commercial block in order to watch them instead of the football action. The advertisers know this and have caught on, and over the last few years have begun airing video teasers on sites like YouTube hoping to get you to look specifically for their spot and helping to extend the reach of their extra expensive ads. These teasers function like movie trailers at the theater, and in many cases they are showing high levels of success.

Most of those advertising on the year’s most expensive media buy are no surprise, given they are the same brands that have been dominating the broadcast air time during time-outs and commercial breaks for the past few years. But there are a few companies advertising during the game for the first time ever and some new faces selling it for old brands.

VW has dropped two teasers on YouTube just a few days out. One for the 2012 Passat, and another for the redesigned 2012 Beetle being introduced during the game.

Mercedes Benz USA is advertising in the Super Bowl for the first time this year. To celebrate the 125th anniversary of Karl Benz’s automobile patent, Mercedes will introduce two of their five new models in a 60 second commercial.

Amongst the new companies to the playing field, the mobile phone game Angry Birds, Sketchers shoes featuring Kim Kardashian, Suzuki’s 30 second spot titled “Wicked Weather”, and Faith Hill for Teleflora.

The old guard will be there, you will see spots for Budweiser, Coke, and Pepsi, As well as more Danika Patrick in Go Daddy ads. Career Builder will be bringing back the executive chimps, and eTrade will be using the taking babies for a fourth year straight.

What is interesting is, all of these brands have a web presence as teaser, and in many cases a destination post commercial for additional content. The ad agencies have done there home work and are hoping that they will have successful conversions from web to TV to web again over the next days leading up to the Super Bowl.