It’s no secret that airing a commercial during the biggest football game of the year is a major undertaking. Brands compete in the ultimate commercial showdown, telling their best standout stories in a lineup of ads clamoring to be remembered.

Consumers have high expectations for Super Bowl ads. After all, this is the one time when people actually tune into a program for the commercials just as much as for the program itself, says Wil Boudreau, who leads BBDO Atlanta’s creative department and is involved in producing four of the spots that will air during the Big Game on Sunday.

“When it comes down to it, what makes for a great Super Bowl ad is similar to what makes for a great ad anytime – a well-told story we can relate to with people or characters that we care about,” Boudreau said. “The biggest difference between a Super Bowl ad and any other advertisement is the platform itself including the popularity of the game, the expectations that accompany that and the chance to provide immediate feedback on how ads did.”

Giving consumers the opportunity to view, review, comment and interact with the ad is part of a winning formula, Boudreau says. This is why virtually every Super Bowl advertiser posts work on YouTube, and this year some are posting on Facebook as well.

In addition, viewers should look for brands to invite audience participation leading up to game day; companies such as the cruise company Carnival Corporation will be allowing consumers to weigh in on which of the company’s commercials options they’d like to see during the game and into the rest of 2015.

As part of its big game debut, Carnival is giving consumers across North America the chance to provide input on its commercial concepts. In exchange for taking part in the interactive crowdsourcing contest, consumers have the chance to win a grand prize of a yearly cruise for life.

"There is no bigger stage than the Big Game for telling our story to the masses, and we’re excited about starting a new dialogue with consumers about cruising and involving the public in helping us pick the creative concepts," said Arnold Donald, CEO of Carnival Corporation.

BBDO collaborated with Academy Award-winning® cinematographer and Hollywood director Wally Pfister – best known for his work on “Transcendence,” “Inception” and “The Dark Knight” trilogy – to develop Carnival Corporation’s first-ever Super Bowl commercial.

Through late January, consumers can visit YouTube’s "Ad Blitz" channel to view teasers of four Carnival Corporation ad concepts and follow links to the company’s recently launched “World’s Leading Cruise Line Marketing Challenge,” where they can vote on their favorite commercials. Hosted by Cedric the Entertainer, this crowdsourcing contest lets consumers “join the marketing team” and provide input on Carnival Corporation’s new advertising creative.

To cast your vote for the Carnival Corporation ad you’d like to see on game day -- and enter for a chance to win a free cruise for life -- visit www.carnivalmarketingchallenge.com.

Sponsored by Carnival Corporations