Audi is hosting the Audi Inner Circle social-media contest rewarding 10 of its "most active" social-media fans before the Super Bowl with "glitzy trips" and other prizes. Audi has been seeking out those owners whose social-media posts are the most original and most numerous. "We're trying to use social media to glue everything together," say Scott Keough, chief marketing officer at Audi of America.

Audi holds a prime spot in this year's big game for the fourth consecutive year, with a bold ad set to air in the first break after kick off. The car maker is also airing a TV commercial prior to the Super Bowl called “Goodnight,” which is about the trappings of luxury. It is inspired by the the 1947 children’s book by Margaret Wise Brown, one of the best-selling children’s books of all time. The 60-second spot says goodnight to the age of old luxury, defined by gluttony and excess, and features the all-new 2011 Audi A8 flagship sedan. Check it out:

Mercedes-Benz has launched "The World's First Twitter-Fueled Race," which awards two, 2012 C-Class Coupes to the two-person team of social-media wizards that accumulates for Mercedes-Benz the most social-media MB-Tweet-Racecurrency by game day in the form of tweets and Facebook "likes". "We're using the 2011 Super Bowl as our head-long plunge into committing to social media," says Stephen Cannon, marketing vice president at Mercedes-Benz. "It's our strategic leap of faith."

Back in December Mercedes-Benz USA issued a casting call on its Facebook page for social-media users who wanted to compete in its Twitter-Fueled Race. The four two-person teams have now been chosen and will embark on Feb. 2 from one of four cities — New York, L.A., Chicago or Tampa — in specially outfitted Mercedes-Benz vehicles, headed to Dallas. Fans can learn more by "Liking" the MB Tweet Race Facebook tab page and following the race here on Twitter.

The Super Bowl ad debut for Mercedes-Benz will have a humorous cameo appearance by hip-hop star Diddy, aka Sean Combs.

BMW--X3 I've saved my favorite for last since I am a long-time BMW owner. BMW will get its messages out both in TV spots during the Super Bowl broadcast and via an associated social-media push. "The X3 Matchup" campaign offers a two-year lease on its new X3 vehicle to the person who gets the exact configuration of the X3 featured in the spot. The program will run through Feb. 10 directing consumers to BMW's USA Facebook page, where the X3 MatchUp tab page invites them to "Like" the page in order to play the game. Participants can upload one configuration try per day.

I started off my Super Bowl XLV posts a couple of weeks ago with this post Super Bowl XLV predicted to be the Digital Social Super Bowl which it is definitely shaping up to be. Stay tuned for more posts on how marketers are integrating social media into their Super Bowl campaigns this year.