'Seinfeld' Ads Go For $1.7M

May 13, 1998 / 6:19 PM EDT / AP

Advertisers paid record prices for a chance to pitch products that range from trendy clothes to meatless burgers to the millions of folks expected to watch Thursday night's final episode of Seinfeld.

The advertisers include two brewers, two movie studios, two cars and at least two two credit card providers.

NBC said more than 20 advertisers bought network commercial time in the 75-minute finale. A spot or two from the 12-minute national ad pool was said to be available on the eve of the show.

Network officials declined to say what it charged, but people familiar with the sales said the average price is about $1.7 million for a 30-second ad, setting a new benchmark for TV commercial costs.

That is about triple the rate for ads on other episodes of the popular comedy and 31 percent higher that the previous record of $1.3 million set on the Super Bowl football telecast in January also carried on NBC.

"This pricing proves advertisers still have confidence in broadcast television," Larry Hoffner, head of NBC's television network sales, said in a statement issued Wednesday.

That has been an issue as the ratings for the four broadcast networks has shrunk while cable TV's collective share has risen in recent years.

Media buyers say NBC has skillfully fanned anticipation for the show, keeping the plot secret and scheduling a 45-minute program that will feature clips from earlier episodes just before the finale and the season finale of the highly rated E.R. afterwards.

They say that has helped make the evening an event that people will plan to watch, creating a Super Bowl-like platform for advertisers who want to reach a big audience including an elusive group that doesn't watch much TV.

"It's a smart, funny show that we know a lot of our customers watch," said Rebecca Weill, a spokeswoman for the Gap brand which will run an ad for its khakis pants. Sister clothes brand Old Navy is also on the show.

The advertisers have been told to expect that as many as 90 million people will tune in for at least part of the show. That would put the program among the top five entertainment shows of all time.

Credit card rivals Visa USA and MasterCard International each have ads on the finale. One source said American Express was considering making a last-minute purchase although the ad was unlikely to feature the show's star, who has been in 18 ads for the card since November 1992.

Elizabeth Silver, vice president of advertising for Visa, wasn't deterred from buying time by Seinfeld's role for a rival card.

"I don't think his association with American Express is something viewers are carrying around in their heads as they view the episode," she said.

The company with possibly the most riding on its commercial is Gardenburger Inc., a Portland, Ore.-based maker of vegetable patties that resemble hamburgers. The ad is the centerpiece of five-week commercial blitz that will consume its entire $14 million ad budget