LivingSocial hired Richmond, Virginia-based ad shop The Martin Agency back in November, but hadn't previously announced the relationship. The 30-second ad will feature a guy who uses LivingSocial and "goes through a deal addiction." Further details are not available. LivingSocial's pre-game Super Bowl buy will be augmented with the purchase of three Academy Award-related spots.
The move comes after Groupon earlier this week confirmed that it had bought a spot during this year's Super Bowl and is running ads before and after the game. Groupon is working with Crispin Porter & Bogusky, the agency perhaps best known for its Burger King ads.
The infusion of ad dollars signals the latest front between the two biggest players in the fast-growing online group buying category. Groupon currently claims more than 44 million subscribers, while LivingSocial's
are in the range of 16 million. Update: A LivingSocial rep says the number is now around 20 million.
But LivingSocial, which received a $175 million investment from Amazon in December, is a feisty competitor. Last month, the company leveraged its Amazon relationship by offering a $20 Amazon gift card for $10. After that, LivingSocial's traffic jumped 80%.