The Bowl Afterglow: Maintaining Momentum Once the “Big Game” Is in the Rearview
For those in the advertising industry, Super Bowl ads are as big as the game itself, representing the zenith of capitalistic creativity. For the average viewer, they offer an entertaining interlude regardless of fan status.
A Huge Opportunity, But Not Without Risk
But for the brands investing in 15 or 30-second TV spots during the game, these ads represent an enormous opportunity to reach a live global audience, one that doesn’t come around often if ever. With that multi-million-dollar investment comes the risk that the ad falls flat, or worse, is forgotten soon after it airs.
A Short-Lived Buzz
The good news is that studies suggest there is strong increase in total word-of-mouth brand mentions for those who do take the plunge. A 2019 study from the University of Minnesota showed that Super Bowl advertisers see an increase in total word-of-mouth (both online and offline conversations) for about a month, with a 16% increase the month of the game.
“Overall, Super Bowl ads bring a big boost in word-of-mouth impressions, but it’s short-lived.” Said Linli Xu, Associate Professor at the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management and one of the co-authors of the study.
Winning From the Sidelines
In other words, even if an ad is well-received and generates buzz via word-of-mouth and online searches, the impact tends to wane after one month. The key challenge for brands is how to maintain momentum in the months that follow, capitalizing on the early buzz from the game to drive further consideration and purchase intent from those consumers who watched or attended the game. So what tools can digital marketers employ to ensure the afterglow of their investment doesn’t fade during the post-game comedown?
One recent strategy that’s recently emerged was not advertising during the game at all, but “surrounding” the game with marketing tailored to the audience engaging with related content. On a local level, car dealerships and restaurants host watch parties to attract new and return customers, while global brands such as Verizon run “FanFests” that bring local NFL stars and businesses to stadiums, and Starbucks famously offered up free coffee to its reward members on the Monday after the game to fight “fatigue.”
Other brands heavy up on social media with an assist from AI, such as Avocados from Mexico with their AI “Guac Generator,” which kicked off the first wave of a slew of AI powered social media activations during the Super Bowl that’s sure to grow rapidly in 2026.
Extend the Super Bowl Halo with CTV
Connected TV is also a great equalizer for brands looking for the impact of television without the upfront commitment and cost of the Super Bowl (or any live sport, for that matter). Local and national activations can now be activated seamlessly through programmatic ad buying and building multiple variants of creative, all with the inherent measurability advantage that digital media has over linear methods.
What’s more, the latest demographic cohort to come of age, Gen Z, favors on-demand access to content vs. the “appointment viewing” native to linear. According to Samsung Ads, CTV advertising also boosts brand favorability among Gen Z by 9.1% and increases purchase intent by 8.5%.
True Follow-On Strategy: ACR to Mobile
Other tactics worth testing include activating Automatic Content Recognition (ACR) data on viewers of the Super Bowl and following up with a household-targeted CTV campaign, adding additional engagement opportunities by re-messaging that same household across desktop and mobile devices with interactive video related to the same products featured during the game itself.
Mobile location data can also identify fans that have attended the game, adding another layer of authentication to the re-messaging effect.
Designing for the Afterglow, Not Just the Moment
For brands lucky enough to afford a Super Bowl spot, the opportunity of re-engaging viewers and attendees ensures your investment won’t fade away as soon as its over. And for those brands who choose an alternate route to engage with fans outside of the game itself, it serves as an opportunity to leverage the afterglow of the “Big Game” as a springboard for engagement…once fans have had their free coffee of course!
[Editor's note: This is a contributed article from VDX.tv. Streaming Media accepts vendor bylines based solely on their value to our readers.]
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