Sunday's Super Bowl XLV from Dallas features the E*Trade "Talking Babies" which, according E*Trade marketing chief Nick Utton, can draw perhaps 100-110 million, a number that's "very definitely within reach."  Not surprising E*Trade has brought the ensemble back for a 4th time. 

    Two Commercials, And...   E*Trade intends to run a commercial in the 3rd quarter of the game and another immediately after the game ends.  Plans also call for a baby to “talk” with Fox Sports during a segment of the pregame show.  The firm is deciding between two commercials for the two slots.

• One spot features a baby who does well enough investing through E*trade.com that he can afford a tailor — and the tailor is not doing too badly, either.
• The other spot presents “a very educated baby,” Mr. Utton said, “discussing the merits of E*Trade” with a character that he declined to identify until next week, when the cat may be let out of the bag.

The commercials are part of an elaborate campaign that also includes social media like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube; commercials in movie theaters; and a redesigned version of BabyMail, an e-mail service introduced last year.

The baby was introduced for the 2008 Super Bowl to illustrate that using E*trade.com is “so easy, a baby can do it,” Mr. Utton said, and for Year Four the message is “that we empower investors through technology, so they can take control.”

“With the baby, we created a celebrity,” Mr. Myhren said, rather than borrowing the fame “from someone else.”

    Demand for Superbowl Spots.   Fox, part of the News Corporation, has sold all the available commercial time during Super Bowl XLV  - estimated to cost $2.8-3 million for each 30 seconds.  Demand was stronger than usual, reflecting the recovery of the ad market along with the record ratings last year.

Among the brands and companies to appear in the game, in addition to E*Trade, are Anheuser-Busch InBev, Audi, Best Buy, BMW, Bridgestone, CareerBuilder, CarMax, Chrysler, Coca-Cola, General Motors, GoDaddy.com, HomeAway, Hyundai, Kia, Mars, Mercedes-Benz, PepsiCo, Pizza Hut, Skechers, Teleflora and Volkswagen.   [NYTimes, 1/21]