Super Marketing Lessons from Last Year’s Super Bowl
By: RJ Licata, Sr. Director of Marketing
As one of the most-watched TV events of the year, the Super Bowl is prime viewing for marketers to study campaigns — those that score big with ROI and those that fumble at the 10-yard line.
According to Nielsen, the 2023 Super Bowl reached 115 million viewers — becoming the most-watched U.S. telecast of all time . Considering this year’s Taylor Swift effect , the 2024 game is shaping up to be even bigger.
With the showing just days away, it’s an opportune time for marketers to review last year’s winners and losers — not just those on the field — so they can watch Sunday’s game with a more insightful eye.
So, what did we learn from the approaches in 2023 that can perfect upcoming plays?
The Marketing Gameplans
From high-flying advertising to user-generated social calls and omnichannel brand plays, the 2023 Super Bowl was certainly one for the marketing books. But how many of the expensive campaigns made a lasting impact?
Considering that many of the ads belonged to legacy brands, it’s likely that the costs were a little too rich for the blood of younger, less stable companies during a budget-tightening year. As a result, the creative approaches were generally on the safe side. Messages were upbeat and nostalgic, including nods to “Grease,” “Clueless,” “Breaking Bad,” and “Scrubs.” And, as always, celebrity cameos abounded.
A few brands that did take risks — like Tubi with its fake-out ad — got longer-lasting consumer attention due to the stark contrast with the rest of the commercials. (More on that outlier in a moment.)?
Another trend was the commitment to cross-channel marketing. Many ads included QR codes to lead viewers to their websites or social platforms, proving that mainstream, high-visibility ads are often best leveraged as gateways to more content. Some brands paid up to $7 million for single 30-second spots , not including the likely $10 million to $15 million spent on production. Costs will only increase for the 2024 faceoff between San Francisco and Kansas City. With these costs, brands must ask themselves: Were their ad spends really worth it in terms of revenue increases? Did they see a sustained increase in branded search??
Takeaways from last year’s advertising could create this year’s MVP.
Campaigns That Scored Points
Let’s take a look at the X’s and O’s that drove last year’s advertising winners and losers.
Takeaway: Attention Is Almost Always Good for Smaller Brands?
Tubi, up against streaming giants like Netflix and Hulu, clearly took risks with its two ad spots . The ads created the illusion that someone was changing the TV channel during the game — and the approach certainly drew attention. But did that attention help or harm their reputation??
Most of the conversation around their commercials was largely positive (after audiences caught on to the joke), but some shared their lingering anger at what they deemed an “annoying” marketing trick. Regardless, the impact of the clutter-busting creative work seems to have helped build brand awareness for the lesser-known service. The ad was featured in next-day advertising round-ups and sustained social media conversations.
Tubi’s Google searches spiked in February, then remained higher than they had been in the previous year. In fact, Tubi’s 2023 Google Trend performance was 21% higher on average than in 2022. Pushing the envelope to get noticed can be a smart play when you’re the less heralded name in a crowded space.
Takeaway: Audience-Centered Messages Win for Big Brands
In contrast to Tubi was Kia, which also performed well, but for different reasons. To stand out as a well-known brand during the Super Bowl, you can’t follow the same playbook as smaller companies. Instead, narrative, research-based approaches with larger-scale campaigns, like Kia’s Binky Dad play , will generate the most consistent touchpoints.
Kia’s campaign spoke to the brand’s target audience of parents. The commercial connected with their consumers’ emotions, reflecting their fears with a sense of humor. It showed the brand knew, understood, and (most importantly) cared about their users. Then, Kia shared additional endings of the ad on TikTok, encouraging people to continue engaging with their brand long after the game.?
The brand supported this audience growth with on-site, owned content around common parent questions (price comparisons, safety features, etc.), bringing and keeping consumers in their controlled ecosystem.
The result? More than a 230% traffic increase in the brand's page on Cars.com and continuous sales growth throughout 2023.
This sustained brand growth indicates that when brands go beyond seeking attention and truly connect with consumers by providing sought-for resources, they will reap the most return.
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Takeaway: Multiple Touchpoints Perform Well When Intentional
Super Bowl ads compete with chaotic environments where game lovers argue about bad calls and turn from the TV to grab more guacamole dip. To grab viewers’ attention, brands need to have established some connection with them ahead of time with intentional touchpoints.
Many brands accomplished this by releasing their spots days or weeks ahead of the game. This is a smart play, when done thoughtfully. Creating multiple, strong consumer touchpoints does not mean adding noise to an already loud event. It means consistently being available to respond to consumer needs or appeal to their concerns, humor, or wants.
Even in an environment where viewers are conditioned to pay attention to the commercials, a? “watch party” atmosphere still competes with complete focus on ads. But when someone has seen a commercial ahead of the game, they are more likely to bring attention to it when it airs.
Brands that successfully took this route established stronger recall with audiences during the actual game. If you remember any ads from last year, it’s likely for that exact reason — think T-Mobile’s John Travolta ad, the “Clueless” nod in Rakuten’s commercial, or Ram’s “premature electrification” spot.
All had multiple consumer touchpoints before and after the game, familiarizing audiences with their message and brand to create a longer-lasting connection.
Takeaway: Disconnected Campaigns Fall Short
Brands that launched campaigns entirely dependent on outside channels rather than linked? to an owned asset didn’t perform as well long-term. Busch Light, for example, created a great video campaign around The Busch Guide , kicking it off with a nostalgic and humorous ad featuring Sarah McLachlan.?
While these videos and subsequent social media engagement were valuable to consumers — either for a laugh or a genuine outdoors tip — they weren’t easily discoverable past the Super Bowl. The ad had a limited release on TV and YouTube with no fully brand-controlled content related to it. This curtailed its ability to bring viewers deeper into the brand’s own ecosystem and drive lasting impact.
In fact, there were no significant branded search changes during or after the ad’s launch. Perhaps if Busch Light had published the guide on its website or created related content like blog posts by outdoor experts, it could have continued the brief brand exposure it captured during the Super Bowl, likely leading to more ROI.
Takeaway: Buzz Generation Works for an Individual’s Brand
Rihanna’s halftime performance started as an exciting return to the stage for the singer. When she surprised the national audience by also using the opportunity to announce her second pregnancy, she created one of 2023’s most iconic pop culture moments. But this buzzworthy highlight took some ramping up before the event.
Ahead of the performance, she generated interest by sharing behind-the-scenes photos and having celeb friends show off meme-worthy T-shirts from her Savage x Fenty “Game Day” collection .
This swell of interest in her personal brand translated to real returns. Her digital song sales increased by 390% and online streams surged directly after the event. Plus, her Instagram following grew by 3 million within one day. This shows that general buzz around a public figure can often translate into more return than it likely would for similar interest in a corporate brand.
Takeaway: One-Time Buzz Isn’t Enough for Sustained Business Growth
While Fenty stirred up visibility and brand awareness, they missed the chance to employ an owned asset optimization (OAO) strategy that would’ve generated real brand value.?
Not only did the visibility amplify both positive and negative content about the brand but the increased awareness also failed to translate to long-term, non-branded impact. This result illustrates the importance of prioritizing relevant owned content to proactively protect a brand during times of higher visibility and expand its network of controlled touchpoints.
Instead of developing and optimizing a network of owned assets to provide long-term value, Fenty’s marketing efforts surrounding the Super Bowl leaned on leveraged and managed assets like online publishers, influencers, and social media to amplify point-in-time reach.?
This OAO approach would have likely translated to more reach, higher trust, and better control over the brand’s online presence. It would have optimized what fans saw when they searched for the brand before, during, and after Rihanna’s halftime performance, turning the massive buzz into meaningful connections rather than aimless, short-term attention.
Looking Ahead: 2024 Super Bowl Marketing Expectations
Since last year’s game, AI has become mainstream, the economy has steadied, and consumer demand for storytelling and connection has skyrocketed.?
How will brands pair last year’s takeaways with today’s market to tackle this year’s game?
No matter what happens, viewers have the chance to gamble on everything from the coin toss to whether Travis Kelce will propose after the game. Meanwhile, marketers will be watching to see what bets big brands are willing to make.