Super Bowl 2025 Campaign Trends: What’s Hot in Advertising This Year!

Introduction

The latest Super Bowl introduced 17 new brands to its advertising lineup, while welcoming back two-thirds of the previous year’s advertisers. More than a mere advertising showcase, the Super Bowl serves as a significant cultural occasion. In 2024, American consumers spent approximately $17.3 billion on festivities, often splurging on food, clothing, new television sets, and furniture, according to the National Retail Federation.

Advertising Insights

This year, a 30-second commercial slot at the Super Bowl cost advertisers $8 million, a significant increase from $7 million the previous year, as reported by Statista.

Humor was a key component of the advertising strategy at this year’s Super Bowl, with the most memorable ads featuring elements of surrealism and nostalgia. These tactics, including clever retellings and “kidult” marketing, were effective in capturing viewers’ attention and sparking discussions online. According to The Drum, 90% of consumers are more likely to remember ads that make them laugh, highlighting humor’s growing role in bridging divides during polarizing times.

As the sponsor of the Halftime Show, Apple Music utilized Kendrick Lamar’s performance to create “Glimmers” of moments, underlining the power of music and sports in fostering unity and national pride among Americans. Lamar’s show also triggered a spike in social media activity, with his name topping the U.S. Twitter/X trends momentarily that night, according to Forbes.

Here, we discuss two of the six key strategies and insights derived from this year’s Super Bowl to keep in mind for the future.

Engage New Audiences via the Creator Economy

Tap into the influence of content creators by partnering with them across different platforms to access their dedicated followers and boost sales. Sprout Social notes that 49% of consumers in the US and UK are influenced by creators to make purchases on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. Effective collaborations can transform advertisements into revenue drivers.

During this Super Bowl, notable ads featured creators, and the NFL invited 150 creators to produce exclusive content at the event. Poppi showcased influencers Alix Earle and Jake Shane in its Super Bowl commercial, marketing the beverage as a healthy, low-sugar soda with prebiotic advantages.

Snapchat and the NFL initiated the official NFL x Snapchat Creator Program, bringing in prominent Snap Stars like Katie Austin, Ross Smith, and Treasure Wilson to the Super Bowl. This partnership also featured new AR Lenses, offering fans a novel, immersive way to enjoy the game.

Target ‘Kidults’ with Mascots

Amidst increasing societal divides, reintroduce beloved mascots to connect with the ‘kidult’ demographic and leverage nostalgia in marketing.

This year, Nerds rolled out a digital mascot in its Super Bowl commercial, which celebrated New Orleans and its diverse music scene with artist Shaboozey.

Instacart’s Super Bowl advertisement capitalized on kidult and nostalgic marketing by featuring nine well-known mascots, including the Old Spice Guy and the Pillsbury Doughboy, who appeared riding a Heinz Wiener Dog.