The Super Bowl has become a high-stakes bet for brands looking to market during a premier sporting event.
In exchange for Fox’s 2023 asking price of $7 million per 30-second slot, advertisers can reach an audience that averages more than 100 million people. Last year’s Super Bowl drew an estimated 208 million viewers.
With so much investment in attending the Super Bowl, brands need to make a splash to be remembered by viewers. One way to achieve this was through the use of celebrities.
According to The Super Poll, a survey conducted in October 2022 among a representative sample of over 1,000 people from different regions, nearly two in three viewers (64%) believe that people are more likely to buy a product if it is endorsed by a celebrity , Genders, Ages, and Ethnicities from Omnicom agency The Marketing Arm. That number jumps to 70% for Gen Z participants.
“[The Super Bowl] has become a cultural touchpoint,” Megan McMahon, SVP of The Marketing Arm, told Adweek. “There’s a lot thrown at consumers, and the power of celebrity really helps brands assert themselves. When you have this moment, it’s a great way to get recognition and break the clutter.
Charles R. Taylor, a professor of marketing at Villanova University, says that over the past 25 years, about a third of ads have come from celebrities. Recently, there has been an upward trend in recent years, well over 50% and almost two-thirds of Super Bowl advertising has celebrities in it. Brands don’t stop at just one celebrity either. In recent years, the number of Super Bowl ads featuring multiple celebrities has increased.
“A big part of what’s behind it [the rise in celebrity-filled ads] The Super Bowl has this big event vibe and people are watching together, they’re watching a lot of commercials,” Taylor added. “It’s so important that the ad stands out and is remembered in that context. A celebrity is a really good way to get your ad noticed.”
influencing the masses
Although celebrities are a clear advertising option, social media influencers are still a mixed result. Only 40% of respondents said they would be interested in seeing social media influencers in Big Game ads, although that number jumps to 67% for participants under 25, 67% for African Americans, and 58% for Hispanics .
Brands have started including influencers in their Super Bowl plans, but they rarely take center stage. For example, TikTok star Charli D’Amelio appeared in Sabra’s 2020 ad with 18 other celebrities.
“It’s that instant recognizability,” McMahon said. “Often you have 30 seconds, 45 seconds and you have to make sure that several celebrities get into an ad. The recognizability of traditional celebrities is still far beyond what people are looking for.”
McMahon said some clients have had success creating effective campaigns that use both a more traditional celebrity in the ad, as well as digital content extensions of the ad featuring other celebrities or influencers.
Planet Fitness’ Super Bowl commercial earlier this year featured Lindsay Lohan as the lead, but TikTok creator @AngryReactionsGuy appeared in the ad as a background character.
The spectators are waiting for the experience
52% of respondents said they watch the Super Bowl for the commercial or the game specifically. With many viewers treating the event like a vacation, the focus is on enjoying the show with family and friends while being entertained.
The Super Poll also looked at what viewers perceived as their favorite ad over the past year. The five best open-ended ads were Doritos, Budweiser, Pepsi (which had no place in the game but sponsored the halftime show), Bud Light, and Amazon.
All five ads were from brands that had a consistent marketing presence at the Super Bowl, resulting in their in-game presence being more memorable.
Impact of Economic Uncertainty
During last year’s Super Bowl, crypto brands like Coinbase, FTX, and Crypto.com ran ads. Brands in this category will likely shy away from advertising in Super Bowl 2023, according to Taylor, given the recent bankruptcy news surrounding FTX and the economic downturn for the cryptocurrency market.
The overall economic downturn could impact the themes of Super Bowl commercials.
According to Taylor, brands are already focusing on nostalgic marketing for the holidays, like Budweiser, which is releasing holiday-themed beers and sweaters featuring the Clydesdales.
“I think we’re going to have a good bit of nostalgia this year because of the tough economy and high inflation,” he said. “We’re going to see a big focus on good feelings this year. Brands are well advised to focus on what is essential and happy.”
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