It's time to learn the history of Super Bowl advertising. Social media war rooms, football hashtags, memes and online teasers in TV ads have all been part of the moment for years. Now it's Taylor Swift's turn in the spotlight.
The pop star is inseparable from this year's big game as a result of his relationship with one of the players, Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs. The media attention that has been focused on the relationship and its impact on advertisers will culminate in this Sunday's game between the Chiefs and 49ers.
As of Jan. 22, Swift has generated a staggering $331.5 million in brand value for the Kansas City Chiefs and the NFL, according to Front Office Sports, citing data from Apex Marketing Group. This number takes into account Swift's mentions on various media channels, including: Going all the way back to his first appearance at an NFL game on September 24th, and all the way back to his media in print, digital, radio, TV, highlights and social.
This is called the Swift effect, and advertisers like Elf Cosmetics and Fireball have successfully tapped into just that. They were faced with a clear choice. Either start a campaign now if you have the resources, or risk missing out on what could be a defining moment in pop culture, especially if the Chiefs secure the championship.
Baruch Labunsky, CEO of digital marketing firm Rank Secure, explains: New trends will emerge in the coming months, so it's best to put more talent and creativity into this type of marketing instead of money. ”
Brands have had mixed reactions to incorporating Swift into Las Vegas pre- and post-Super Bowl activities. American Airlines, one of the more overt brands, changed its flight numbers from Kansas City to Las Vegas, where this year's Super Bowl will be held, in honor of Swift and Kelsey. The airline launched Flight 1989, a nod to Swift's popular album, and Flight 87, a nod to her partner Kelce.
Kansas City-based nail brand HOOPLA went one step further and created an entire social media series centered around Swift and Kelsea. Ahead of the game, Nail also released a “LOVE” polish set, which a brand spokesperson said was a hit with customers, with only 13 sets remaining. Not stopping there, the nail brand sent out an email yesterday (January 6) offering customers a free surprise when they enter the code 'TAYVIS'. ”
According to a spokesperson, HOOPLA has focused its marketing efforts on Swift ever since news of her relationship with Tavis broke. “As you can imagine, being known as the place to get a manicure or pedicure when Taylor is in town will be revolutionary for this small, female-owned (and PETA-certified) nail polish brand and salon. ”
At the national level, even giants like L'Oréal and NYX Cosmetics are buying their first national spots during the games. Dove will also return to the event as an advertiser for the first time in 18 years. While none of these brands explicitly attribute their moves solely to Swift, it's hard to ignore the important role her newfound involvement with the sport played.
The overlap between Swift's audience and the NFL gives marketers the opportunity to expand their reach on both television and social media. This especially opens the door for companies like L'Oréal and NYX Cosmetics to connect directly with the Super Bowl's large female audience and the legion of Swift fans interested in football.
“Given the limited overlap between Taylor Swift's large audience and the NFL's audience, this year's Super Bowl would not have been watched without Travis Kelce's play. It has the potential to significantly add 'new' viewers,” said Jill Nicholson, CMO of Tubular Labs.
But once it was released, some of those advertisers seized the opportunity to run more ads to capitalize on his high profile, according to the Wall Street Journal. In many ways, it was a no-brainer. Especially considering he's one of the most accessible and influential NFL athletes right now. Take a look at his social media following. CreatorIQ points out that over 44% of Kelce's Instagram audience are women. Additionally, in the past year alone, Kelce's Instagram and his TikTok follower counts have grown by a whopping 309%, bringing his total follower count on both platforms to his 10.6 million.
His tremendous influence, thoughtful media presence, and relatable public persona make him a trusted choice for many marketers. And to be honest, he's probably a more cost-effective option than Swift.
His profile has some marketing people wondering if he himself will appear in an ad during this Super Bowl.
“The use of celebrity talent in Super Bowl ads in recent years has reached an all-time high, appearing in more than 65% of spots in each of the past four games,” said Peter Daboll, Chief Strategy and Insights Officer at iSpot. ” “Given Travis Kelce's wide popularity and being one of the most-watched endorsers in the NFL, he will definitely appear in a Super Bowl ad this year. Of course, he will appear in ads while playing. That could potentially cause a polarizing backlash among his 49er fans.”
But advertisers didn't stop there. In addition to asking Kelsey's mother, Donna, to promote the Ziploc bags ahead of the game, the team also worked with Kylie, Kelsey's sister-in-law, Travis' brother, and wife of fellow NFL star Jason, who will be the face of the Dove's return to the game. I requested it. This year's Super Bowl featured a TV spot promoting support for the Body Confident Sport Program, a global program aimed at preventing girls from leaving sports due to body image concerns. appeared in.
The same trend holds true for other NFL couples. For example, San Francisco player Christian McCaffrey and his wife, model Olivia Culpo, as well as McCaffrey's teammate Kyle Juschuk and his wife Kristin, were among the first to receive attention after the down jacket Kristin designed for Swift went viral. As a result, they have signed a licensing agreement with the NFL.
“As a result of these efforts, the NFL has significantly increased awareness and engagement of social content featuring NFL couples,” said Alex Rawitz, director of research and insights at CreatorIQ.
