Photo Credit: Reuters  Britney Spears as featured in a previous-year's Super Bowl Ad

This is the first year ever that I'm more interested in the Super Bowl than I am the commercials during the game. I'm one of those people. You know — the ones who mill around being social, only paying attention once the television goes to break. But this year, I'll be sitting with rapt attention watching football, because I want The Saints too win. This time it's long-time Super Bowl advertiser, Pepsi that will be social without paying attention to the game.

This gets my inner media student's attention.

It seems the rise of social media has helped end a 23-year streak in Super Bowl history. Instead of spending big bucks on the Big Game, Pepsi is pouring resources into new media. The brand has launched an online social-media campaign called "Refresh Everything." The project will dole out $20 million in grants for user-submitted ideas that make an impact on society. It's social, so the thirty-two overall grant recipients will be decided by online vote. They want to leverage the power of forums like blogs to influence participation.

As an Internet content creator, I'm all for it. That's why the proposal from Deb On the Rocks got my attention. She calls for a fund, like those available to other artists, to support and develop blogging as an art form. Her project refresh overview:

Important contributions to our world's art and literary development are made every day by diverse networks of writers who publish memoir, essay, documentary and creative works online. Unfortunately, like other artists, bloggers often don't have access to financial support or benefits such as health care, despite the great contributions they make to society. Borrowing the successful model of foundations that support artists, poets, authors and musicians, the Foundation for Quality Blogging Arts will establish a necessary resource in support of online contemporary publishing. Action Plan and Deliverables Establish an advisory board of business and arts leaders, and a foundational structure to guide long-term support of quality blogging arts; Implement emergency mini-grant program to assist writers in health or life crises; and Conduct fund raising activities to ensure long-term success as a resource and champion of quality. Click Here to Vote for this "Refresh Everything" proposal through February 28, 2010!

Since a social media campaign like "Refresh Everything" depends heavily on the very writers this proposal aims to support, it seems to me that Pepsi has already bet pretty big on bloggers. But it's votes from the public that count — up to the people social media forums like blogs are able to influence. So while you're watching the game tomorrow — or even just the commercials — remember what will be missing. Instead of buying the most expensive television advertising that exists, Pepsi is supporting good works with that ad money by counting significantly on the contributions of online publishers.