For brands, the Super Bowl has become more than just an annual sporting event — the Big Game is now a big moment for brands to make a splash and connect with consumers. A game-day ad is the traditional method, but increasingly, brands are thinking outside the 30-second ad spot with activations that lean into the cultural moment surrounding football’s big face-off.
Here are some of the noteworthy brand activations taking place this year as the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs get ready to duke it out at New Orleans’ Caesars Superdome Feb. 9.
Tubi Lets Fans Shop the Game Day Red Carpet
Fox’s free ad-supported streaming (FAST) service Tubi will air a Red Carpet event the afternoon of the Super Bowl hosted by Olivia Culpo, and through a partnership with Shopsense AI, fans watching the red carpet arrivals will have the chance to purchase related products directly on their smartphones.
“Television is rapidly transforming into an interactive marketing platform that can effectively influence consumer behavior from initial awareness to final purchase,” said Glenn Fishback, CEO and Co-founder of Shopsense AI in a statement. “With this partnership, we’re bringing the power of shoppable TV to one of the biggest cultural moments of the year. This is the future of retail, where every entertainment touch point becomes an opportunity for brands to captivate and connect with consumers.”
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The Tubi Red Carpet shoppable experience includes a series of curated digital storefronts inspired by the celebrity, fashion and culture behind America’s biggest sporting event, including game day party essentials, trends inspired by WAGs (the wives and girlfriends of well-known athletes), audio products inspired by music from the Big Game, team apparel and fan gear.
“Tubi’s collaboration with Shopsense AI is an important step forward in blending entertainment and commerce for brands and consumers through retail media CTV partnerships,” said Jeff Lucas, Chief Revenue Officer of Tubi in a statement. “Our commitment to delivering premium entertainment that is free and accessible, combined with an incremental audience that is incredibly passionate about our content, allows us to experiment in ways that are tangible and truly interactive. Shoppable integrations are the next frontier for ad-supported streaming services.”
Revlon to Help Fans ‘Glimmer, Shimmer and Shine’
Sports representation and marketing agency Athletes First will open a 100,000-square-foot hospitality and brand activation pop-up spanning four private mansions in New Orleans for the Big Game, dubbed “The Block,” and beauty brand Revlon is set to take part.
Located within walking distance of the Caesars Superdome, The Block features four interconnected mansions and a 10,000-square-foot courtyard with pools and gardens. From Feb. 6 to 8 the space will host athlete and brand activations, media integrations, private content studios, exclusive partner events, luxury gifting opportunities, an athlete performance center and first-class hospitality accommodations for Athletes First’s clients, their families and business partners.
One of those brand activations will be a “House of Revlon” area, which will feature a Revlon “Glimmer Bar” and an “American Crew Grooming Lounge” offering professional makeup services and hair styling treatments from industry stylists. Juicy Couture and John Varvatos fragrances also will be available for sampling.
“With the House of Revlon activation, we’re providing a unique, elevated experience for our players, coaches and broadcasters, their families and our brand partners, making The Block the most exciting and memorable destination we as an agency have ever created,” said Matt Shulman, Head of Properties at Athletes First in a statement.
“We’re extremely excited to work with Athletes First to glimmer, shimmer and shine at the Big Game,” said Kelly Solomon, Chief Digital Marketing Officer at Revlon in a statement. “We love the intersection of beauty and sports, and our unforgettable history as a beauty trendsetter combined with Athletes First’s incredible reputation in sports have enabled us to create an unexpected and delightful immersive experience.”
Brands Find Some Furry Fun with Puppy Bowl Partnerships
For fans that aren’t as passionate about football but still want to participate in the cultural event that is the Super Bowl, Animal Planet’s Puppy Bowl has become a sweetly satisfying alternative. The Puppy Bowl will return for its 21st year, prior to the human match-up, on Feb. 9 at 2 p.m. ET. This year’s event will feature 142 rescue puppies from 80 shelters across 40 states.
To support the four-legged “athletes,” Animal Planet has teamed up with a host of brands offering fans opportunities to engage and participate in the fun. “This year’s Puppy Bowl has expanded to include more partners than ever before, which helps us reach more consumers and create the maximum impact for pet adoption,” said Josh Kovolenko, SVP of Marketing for Animal Planet in a statement. “From branded rides and tasty treats to immersive events for both humans and pups, every collaboration connects fans to Puppy Bowl while raising awareness for shelters nationwide and helping more pets find their forever homes.”
Puppy Bowl branded activations include:
- Lyft will offer 50% off two Pet rides (up to $20 per ride) as part of their sponsorship with the code PUPPYBOWL;
- 1-800-Flowers is spreading the love to four-legged friends with a limited time Puppy Bowl collaboration that features an exclusive collection of Valentine’s Day gifts for dogs, from themed treats to playful toys.
- As theofficial cosmetics partner of the Puppy Bowl., E.l.f. Cosmetics is reinforcing its commitment to clean, vegan beauty products; and
- Victoria’s Secret Pink, known for its iconic heritage dog, will be sharing its favorite Puppy Players on Instagram to further drive awareness of the call-to-adoption television event.
Abercrombie Pop-up Showcases Popular NFL Collab
Following the success of its licensed product collection with the National Football League (NFL), Abercrombie & Fitch is planning a one-day “Abercrombie House” pop-up in New Orleans on Saturday, Feb. 8.
Abercrombie House will feature merchandise for Super Bowl LIX alongside apparel for the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs as well as hometown team the New Orleans Saints. The shop will be located at The Chicory in downtown New Orleans and also will feature fan favorites from the Abercrombie Spring collection. Additionally, visitors will have the opportunity to personalize items at a custom embroidery station and participate in meet-and-greets with NFL stars.
“At Abercrombie, we’re all about creating moments of surprise and delight for our customers, and Abercrombie House captures that spirit perfectly,” said Carey Collins Krug, Chief Marketing Officer at Abercrombie & Fitch Co. in a statement. “Combining the energy of the game with our high-quality, vintage-inspired gear, we’ve reimagined how fans can celebrate their favorite teams — on and off the field.”
Lids, DoorDash, Urban Outfitters Plan Big Game Offers
While not every brand has the resources to host an on-site pop-up or buy a spot, some are getting creative with smaller activations that still have the chance to make a splash, including:
- DoorDash will offer 50% off one order for fans in the losing team’s city to help ease the pain of disappointment. On Monday, Feb. 10, DashPass members in the runner-up city will get 50% off one order, up to $15.
- Hat retailer Lids and sports lifestyle brand ’47 have partnered with New Orleans’ renowned Café Du Monde for an exclusive collection. Taking inspiration from the café’s striped awning, logo and iconic beignets, the five-piece hat collection will be available exclusively at New Orleans-area Lids locations as well as at a special two-day pop-up at Café du Monde’s Grandad’s General Store.
- Philly-based Urban Outfitters has planned activations at stores in both its hometown, to support the Eagles, as well as on-site in New Orleans. The Urban Outfitters on Walnut Street in Philadelphia will offer signed editions of the Philly Special Vinyl “A Philly Special Christmas” (a passion music project started by key Eagles players and personalities including Jason Kelce). And Philly icon Deitz and Watson’s famous Bird Dog truck will park outside the store on game day to offer free Bird Dogs with any Urban Outfitters purchase. In New Orleans, Urban will host a free Fazit pop-up Feb. 7 to 9 at its NOLA store, where fans can get adorned with red or green Fazit Faux Freckle Makeup for free.
