Super Bowl Ads 2013: Importance of Social Media and YouTube Takes Center Stage

In an age when social media and YouTube are king, it's only logical that companies would turn to them leading up to the Super Bowl this year.

In recent years, companies have been sharing Super Bowl ads in advance. According to YouTube, via Mashable.com, 34 ads made there way online before the Super Bowl last year, compared to about half a dozen in 2011.

VW, for example, has made a habit out of airing its Super Bowl commercial before the Big Game. In 2011, the car manufacturer featured "The Force" ad on YouTube. It has since become the most-shared ad of all time.

VW was at it again this year, showing off its new commercial for the 2013 Volkswagen Beetle. The YouTube video had about 146,000 views as of 2 a.m. ET on Tuesday.

Mercedes-Benz features supermodel Kate Upton washing its new CLA, which has already generated an astounding 5.3 million hits as of 2 a.m. ET on Tuesday.

It's no wonder why companies are going this route. According to YouTube, via the Mashable.com report, Super Bowl ads shown before the Big Game generate 600 percent more views. 

Some companies have opted to show a teaser of their ads before the Super Bowl, generating early views while building anticipation at the same time. Audi has been fairly successful at this. In 2011, about 2 million people viewed Audi's teaser, according to USA Today. In 2012, that number jumped to 4 million.

It's not just YouTube, though. As social media has grown, so have companies' interests in spreading the word through such mediums as Facebook or Twitter. For example, after Mercedes-Benz' ad featuring Upton, viewers are invited to go to Facebook or Mercedes-Benz's website to see more.

The days of waiting for a Super Bowl ad to air on television appear to almost be extinct. Super Bowl ads have become more like full-scale productions these days, complete with previews.