Companies hope ads get pre-Super Bowl buzz

A 30-second spot for this year's Super Bowl costs $3.5 million, putting a lot of pressure on marketers to develop a clever commercial.

While the stakes are higher, the philosophy behind each ad should be the same as it is for any other commercial, according to Rachel Kerestes, strategy director for MiresBall, West Coast-based brand agency.

"It's got to be true to your brand," she said. "It's not just about being the funniest or the most outrageous. It has to connect with the audience -- the right audience -- and be authentic to who you are or otherwise none of it matters."

And Kerestes said there is such a thing as bad publicity.

"If you're offending your audience, that's not good," she said. "An ad is a paid way of promoting yourself. You want to do that in a way that's going to be helpful."