Someone recently asked me if the Super Bowl is the Oscars of the Advertising world. In a way, it is – sans the golden trophies. Right now the Internet is buzzing with reports of who made a Super Bowl buy and at what jaw-dropping price. Soon we’ll get to dissect it all, much the way Joan Rivers talks about the red carpet’s best- and worst-dressed list.

Best Buy, Audi, Career Builder and Dannon Yogurt are among the 2012 advertisers that have spent an average of $3.5 million – as well as staggering production costs - for 30 seconds of Super Bowl glory.

But what’s a media gal like me (and most of us, really) to do when there aren’t a few million dollars lying around the shop?

Plenty. Here are my principles for creatively planning and buying media without breaking the bank:

1. Set sights on success, wherever that may be.

Don’t focus on what you can’t buy because it’s too expensive. Get more creative and buy in places that “the other guys” forgot. Can’t buy the premium TV spot? Try video pre-roll on sites that will replay the content.

2. Play nice, aggressively

Be transparent with vendors instead of playing hardball. Set up some good ol’ face time with your sales rep and brainstorm a game plan for your budget. Perhaps you can substitute top inventory for more frequency and a great added-value campaign. Vendors are willing to work with any budget and want to customize the perfect plan for the client. Transparency may yield more than you thought you could bargain for.

3. Act now

Stay on your toes and take advantage of last-minute or introductory deals. Buying the right “hot sale” ad space is as gratifying as an overtime interception. When someone drops out of the back cover glossy space on the day creative is due, seize it. As such, work with your client to have an opportunistic fund for this very situation.

4. Work as a team

You never know when a cool creative execution will spark an idea. (Think rich media or print ads cleverly integrated into editorial.) One of my favorite things here at CTP is working with a relentlessly creative design team. Helps keep us from falling into the habit of buying the same media.

All of us aren’t in the market for that first Super Bowl ad pod, but plenty of opportunities exist for any budget - if you’re on your game. While we’re all cheering on the Pats next weekend, devouring the ads in between, you’ll find me on the sidelines, plotting a client’s next big media plan, CTP style – innovative and, most importantly, on budget.