This Sunday, family and friends will gather around the smart TV to check their social media feeds and order meals via their phones. Super Bowl LVIII is the newest iteration of a long-standing American tradition.
While the big screen game will provide new glory to either the Kansas City Chiefs or the San Francisco 49ers, the fan experience — and all those advertisements — will provide internet consumers with nostalgia and interactive delight.
The game is simply the beginning. In the coming months, brands will build campaigns around their large media ad spends. And businesses that did not spend $7 million on a 30-second spot will take advantage of the publicity to engage with customers.
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This year, brands are not forgetting that the Super Bowl is an annual ritual. Budweiser and other major businesses are utilizing their Super Bowl LVIII advertising budgets to capitalize on the game’s rich legacy as well as the larger society.
“Nothing symbolizes Super Bowl tradition like Budweiser’s iconic Clydesdales, especially when you throw a dog in the frame and call it ‘Old-School Delivery,'” according to Gartner marketing analyst Andrew Frank.
He went on to say: “But you can see currents of nostalgia running through many major spots, such as Oreos’ ‘Twist on It’ with Kris Jenner, and BetMGM ‘Tom Has Won Enough’ with Tom Brady and Vince Vaughn.”
With these advertisements, corporations provide their audience comfort and security through renowned icons.
“I think the agencies got it right this year,” Frank stated. “Following a seeming endless wave of disorienting global events, the audience is ripe for a return to traditional symbols and comforting humor.”
Nerds Candy will make its Super Bowl debut with an ad featuring rising actress Addison Rae. Rae, who is now a well-known singer on the Billboard charts and an actor in films, rose to prominence on TikTok thanks to her 88 million fans.
Rae’s participation makes the Super Bowl more relevant to all of the viewers. Surely, marketers are hunting for the next crossover talent to represent their brand on a similar level.
“You’re going to see a lot more influencers and crossover celebrities, particularly Addison Rae for the Nerds brand,” said Tom La Vecchia, president and CEO of digital marketing agency X Factor Media, at MarTech.
For Super Bowl advertisers, it’s more than simply game day; it’s about raising awareness on platforms where people spend their time every day.
“I’m seeing more ‘pre-game’ buzz, which includes teasers and trailers primarily on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube shorts,” La Vecchia told me. “Some firms are launching interactive contests to increase hype and engagement. As in previous years, celebrity influencers are at the top of marketers’ agendas for reaching Gen Y and Z viewers.”
TikTok’s viral nature appeals to both creators and brands, particularly among the important 18-55 demographic, according to La Vecchia.
“There should be some digital, social component to take advantage of the timing,” he went on to say. “The platform you use also important. TikTok is receiving a lot of attention, and it appears to be coming from X (previously Twitter).
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The figures appear to support the perception of a void left by X advertising. According to MediaRadar, advertisers for Super Bowl LVIII spent 55% less on X/Twitter in 2023 than they did in 2022.
This implies that many Super Bowl sponsors will now go elsewhere to generate discussion about their ads.
In contrast, firms that advertised in the Super Bowl in 2023 spent 16% more on X than in 2022.
BetMGM cut their platform spending by 87% in 2023. The 2023 Super Bowl advertisers spent a total of $48.4 million on X. According to MediaRadar, advertisers spent just $21.1 million on this year’s Super Bowl.
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Taylor Swift is pulling out all the stops to get to the game and cheer on her favorite Chiefs tight end, Travis Kelce.
Swift has already had a significant impact on the NFL, increasing ratings and attendance. Swift is flying in from Japan for a concert the night before the game. The superstar is expected to have a huge impact on the audience and the brands she works with. However, despite her popularity in Kansas City, she comes in second to her beau in terms of advertising.
Campbell Soups ads featuring Kelce were 30% more effective in areas with more Chiefs fans than elsewhere, according to adtech measurement firm EDO. Similarly, his ads for Pfizer do well with the home crowd: they were 113% more successful when aired during Chiefs games than when they were not.
Swift advertisements were extremely effective with everyone except Chiefs fans. According to EDO, Capital One’s Swift advertising performed 218% better during non-Chiefs games than during Chiefs games.
“While Kelce has been driving strong ad performance for brands pre-Swift Effect, consumer engagement has been even stronger after their relationship went public,” Kevin Krim, CEO of EDO, said in a statement.
Regardless, Kelce and Swift’s appearance at the Super Bowl will be a huge boost for the brands they work with.
“With his star power on the rise, backed by Swifties everywhere, Kelce has solidified his spot as a celeb athlete who will continue to drive strong performance for TV advertisers,” Krim said in a statement.
Advertisers and consumers are open to new streaming opportunities.
Those looking to stream Super Bowl LVIII will have more options than in prior years. The big game, which will telecast on CBS for linear TV viewers, will also be available to stream on Paramount+ and in packages on Fubo, Hulu, DirecTV Stream, YouTube Live, and SlingTV.
Many of the services offer free trials. Streaming providers will most likely benefit from cord-cutters who are content with their cable-free existence but still want to watch games.
According to a research of 1,000 consumers conducted by software products and services business Amdocs, over half (48%) would be interested if their internet provider offered a special Super Bowl viewing package for a one-time cost. Furthermore, 64% stated live sports are an important consideration when selecting a streaming provider.
“The transition to streaming has opened up new revenue and advertising possibilities for the NFL,” Nuno Andrade, CIO of marketing agency Media Culture, told MarTech. “For example, Peacock’s commercial-free fourth quarter during an NFL game introduced an innovative advertising approach, reducing the overall number of ads while still engaging viewers through branded content from Capital One, Hyundai, and Walmart.”
For the time being, advertisers who want to reach local viewers during the Super Bowl must advertise on linear television. However, this is expected to change soon.
“At this time, Super Bowl in-game is not available locally on CTV due to inventory access points,” Darwin Aguinaldo, media director, linear media for Media Culture, told MarTech. “CTV is sold through a national platform (in this case, Paramount), and they simply do not have the capacity at this time to offer specific markets for the Super Bowl. We’ve witnessed an increase in the number of sports access points over the last year, so we’re keeping an eye on it since we believe it could be another potential in the near future.”
“The NFL’s ability to maintain and expand its audience through streaming platforms reaffirms that the appeal of football goes beyond the medium through which it is delivered,” Andrade added.”Fans’ loyalty to the NFL implies that the medium — whether traditional broadcast or streaming — is secondary to the game itself.”
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