CHICAGO — Online auto retailer Cars.com has announced plans to kick off its 2009 marketing campaign by once again advertising during the Super Bowl. This is the second year that Cars.com will advertise in the Big Game. Super Bowl XLIII will air on NBC on Feb. 1, 2009.

“We made significant strides in moving our brand forward through our Super Bowl ads and our overall marketing campaign in 2008,” said Mitch Golub, president of Cars.com. “We want to keep that momentum moving forward in 2009, and advertising on the Super Bowl — which was seen by a record 97.5 million viewers — gives Cars.com a way to kick off that campaign in a big way."

Cars.com will air one 60-second commercial during the second quarter of the game. The spot will feature a new twist on the company's 2008 “Confidence Comes Standard” campaign. The campaign features car shoppers who are confident in their new car purchase because of the preparation they did on Cars.com. Their preparation keeps them from resorting to an outrageous “Plan B” scenario they initially thought they would need to get the deal they wanted from the dealer.

The Cars.com 2009 plan will be a national, integrated media campaign that will run throughout the year and will be backed by the local promotional power of Cars.com's affiliate network, which includes hundreds of leading newspapers, TV stations and their websites.

Since Cars.com launched its first national media campaign in May 2004, the company has continued to set records in the number of monthly unique visitors to the site. Today, more than 10 million people visit Cars.com each month.

"Cars.com’s media campaigns have always been about reaching high-quality, ready-to-buy customers and delivering them, ultimately, to our dealer partners," Golub said. “As we roll out our national media campaign for 2009, we will continue to drive recognition of the Cars.com brand and further establish the site as a leading car shopping destination so, as consumers begin looking for a new car, Cars.com is top of mind.”