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To kick things off this week, let’s get two things straight. First, Kendrick Lamar is a genius—full stop. Love or hate his Super Bowl halftime performance, it’s already cemented as one of the most dissected, debated, and downright brilliant shows in history. The layers, the symbolism, the sheer intentionality of it all? Next level. Tell me I'm wrong!
Second, the real post-Super Bowl MVP? Duolingo. That little green owl just ran a masterclass in hijacking cultural moments. Their unhinged, chaotic, borderline feral content is what every marketer dreams of pulling off. If you’re not taking notes, you’re already behind. ??
Here's what else you'll find in this week's MAXtape:
- ?? Best and Worst Super Bowl Ads: Music Edition
- ?? NAACP Artist Partner Nominations
- ?? 1 recent campaign launch
Read all the words please.
Craig Rector, Marketing Director / MAXtape Editor
Roses are red, violets are blue… if your Super Bowl ad flopped, that’s on you. ????
Valentine’s Day is all about memorable moments—just like an $8M Super Bowl ad should be. Some brands made us swoon, others left us with the ick. So, in the spirit of the day, we’re handing out love letters and breakup texts to the best (and worst) music-fueled ads. ??
Why it Matters: When you’re dropping $8 million on a Super Bowl ad, you better go big. Not swing for the fences...wrong sport. Not a Hail Mary...feels too desperate. Let’s call it a bold, game-winning 4th down play. ?? Because this isn’t just about ROI—it’s about brand momentum. One misstep, and you’re not just eating a bad investment, you’re battling a PR nightmare on the world’s biggest stage.
?The goal isn’t to make a good or even great ad, it’s to make a memorable one. If your ad isn’t the talk of Monday morning, you might as well have run it during reruns of a canceled sitcom and boosted it with some paid media. You’d get better reach for a fraction of the cost.
?There are plenty of rankings out there, but as a leader in artist x brand partnerships, we’re here to break down the best and worst Super Bowl ads that featured a music element—from artist cameos to sync placements and everything in between.
The 10 Super Bowl ads featuring a music element that made our list:
- Take Me Home: Rocket ???? Music Tie-In: a cover of “Country Roads” sung by Nashville musician Michaela Anne. Summary: The ad itself was great. A great message about what home means across cultural divides. But coming back from commercial break to hear a full stadium singing the song from the commercial I just watched? Stroke of genius!
- Knock Out: Pfizer ???? Music Tie-In: used “Mama Said Knock You Out” by LL Cool J. Summary: If you didn’t at least well up or get misty-eyed, your heart might just be two sizes too small…looking at you, Grinch.
- The Fans: Taco Bell ???? Music Tie-In: Doja Cat cameo. Summary: This is how you do celebrity cameos! And I love the nod to the viral Doja Cat / Mexican Pizza movement. Brilliant!
- Turn Back Time: Uber Eats ???? Music Tie-In: featured Cher and “If I Could Turn Back Time. Summary: ”Hahahaha..."She's both young and old at the same time." A hilarious, self-aware ad...just...yes! lol
- It’s a Wonderful World: Nerds Gummies ???? Music Tie-In: feature Shaboozey and a cover of "What a Wonderful World." Summary: I love Shaboozey, and I hate most people only know him for "A Bar Song." This was just a solid, fun ad. But seriously, go listen to Shaboozey's full catalog.
- Salty Club: Ritz ???? Music Tie-In: Bad Bunny cameo. Summary: Great example of ad creative that leans into the celebrity persona. A smart, relatable, and well-executed spot.
- You Got Cirkul: Cirkul ?? Music Tie-In: featured Adam Devine...Pitch Perfect. ?? Summary: Yeah...I liked it...it was just a fun ad with clever product giveaway integration, reinforcing the brand’s playful identity.
- Kiss From A Lime: Mountain Dew Baja Blast ?? Music Tie-In: featured neither Seal nor “Kiss From a Rose” as we know them—just bizarre, distorted versions of both. Summary: It was more than weird—it was a crime against Seal. Turning his iconic song into a product jingle and making the man himself sing it as a CGI seal? That’s not clever. It's just bad.
- Coffee mate Cold Foam: Coffee mate ???? Just...gross. Summary: We're certainly talking about it...just not sure it'll translate into anything positive, especially ROI.
- Hims & Hers Weight Loss ??????Music Tie-In: used “This is America” by Childish Gambino. Summary: The Ick Award goes to...don't turn a complex health crisis into a sales pitch. Who thought Childish Gambino’s “This Is America” was the right soundtrack for it... Exploitive? Tone-deaf? Try both.
