According to the Wall Street Journal, the average price of a commercial for this year’s Super Bowl is estimated to be between $4.4 million to $4.5 million per 30 seconds. BMW->ke178 just announced that it has purchased a 60-second spot for the Big Game, but before you think that this $9 million investment is for the 2015 M4 or another performance model, the automaker just announced that its latest campaign will focus solely on the electric/range-extended plug-in city car, the 2015 BMW i3.

BMW’s fuel-sipping hatchback has been on sale for a little while now, but such a high-visibility ad will surely get a larger set of eyes to check out the i3. Watching the Super Bowl has become just as much about the commercials (if not more) than the actual game itself these days.

The details behind the commercial are being kept a secret for now, but Trudy Hardy, vice president of marketing for BMW of North America was quoted in an official press release as saying “big ideas like the BMW i3 take a little getting used to” to hint at the possible theme for the ad. The commercial will air during the first quarter of Super Bowl XLIX, which takes place on Feb. 1, 2015.

This commercial will mark BMW’s return to Super Bowl advertising for the first time in four years when it took out two spots for the then-new X3 and the diesel-powered 335d in Super Bowl XLV.

Click past the jump to read more about the BMW i3.

Why it matters

This is an interesting move for BMW as it is choosing such a prime advertising spot to show off the new plug-in 2015 BMW i3, which is available as a full-electric vehicle or as a range-extended EV. Such a commitment of money for a commercial (an estimated $9 million for the 60-second spot) shows the importance that the automaker is putting on such technologies.

BMW i3

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