hey now, you're an all-star (2.7.25)

This Sunday, you’re going to see a lot of expensive commercials—and apparently, there will also be a football game interspersed between them, along with plenty of inevitable opinions about the ads. Super Bowl LIX’s advertisements, which cost $8 million per 30-second spot, will undoubtedly evoke a range of emotions—from nostalgia and Americana to humor and even the bizarre. What all these ads have in common is their desire to break through the noise, capture your attention, and keep the conversation going long after airtime.

The commercials you see during the big game won’t be the only brand investments. Many brands will be active in New Orleans during the game and online, tapping into cultural conversations and real-time reactions. Given that consumers are living in an increasingly fragmented and ad-free landscape, it’s no wonder that brands are seeking new ways to engage with consumers—both around tentpole events like the Super Bowl and on an everyday basis. As consumers are presented with ad-supported versus ad-free options, retailers and brands are looking for innovative approaches to drive brand affinity, including loyalty programs, apps, gaming, and other forms of engagement-focused content.

For example, gamification is becoming a significant trend, with loyalty programs and branded games increasingly integrated into brand-owned assets (e.g., websites, apps, in-store experiences) as well as across partner platforms. The growth of owned and operated digital platforms—as hubs for not only brand products and services but also entertainment-driven content—is set to continue. Take Chick-fil-A’s Play app, for instance; it features a variety of video, audio, and gaming content designed for families with young children.

To meet the demand for timely and culturally relevant content, more brands and retailers are investing in their own production companies, enabling them to stay on top of cultural trends and deliver real-time content. For example, e.l.f. Beauty’s e.l.f. entertainment division focuses on producing content rapidly in response to cultural shifts. These efforts illustrate how some brands are leveraging in-house production capabilities to strengthen their connection with consumers and stay competitive in an evolving media landscape.

While these initiatives may not all launch this weekend during the Super Bowl, marketers should remember that this year you’ll see more brands launching production companies, further blurring the line between branded content and entertainment. Retailers will likely leverage their owned and operated channels in new ways to keep audiences engaged, while episodic content and daily games will become key drivers of engagement on apps and websites—bringing consumers back at least once a day. Now is the time to assess which platforms, sites, and apps you have—or may need—to build your own branded spaces with culturally relevant content (e.g., games, quizzes, podcasts) that keeps consumers engaged with your brand and products, even in moments when your brand is not top of mind.