As the creator economy grows, marketers have put new energy into Super Bowl LX outside of the traditional prime-time ad spot \u2014\u00a0from hosting creators at Super Bowl watch parties to pop-up events on the ground. Creators are everywhere except the small screen at this year\u2019s Big Game.<\/p>\n
The U.S. annual creator economy ad spend is set to reach $43.9 billion this year, according to the IAB. But with 30-second Super Bowl spots going for up to $10 million, brands are tapping A-list celebs for commercials and creators to amplify marketing messages. <\/p>\n
\u201c[You\u2019ll see] influencers as a complementary part of the program to get your commercial messaging out into the world,\u201d said Nick Miaritis, VaynerMedia\u2019s chief client officer. \u201cIt used to be Good Morning America would premiere the ad, and that would get you the exposure. Fewer and fewer people are tuning into that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Super Bowl creators on the ground<\/p>\n
The league itself, eager to expand its following beyond traditional fans, is also looking to invest long-term and partner with creators for \u201cmonths or years\u201d beyond the Big Game, said NFL svp of marketing Ian Trombetta.<\/p>\n
He used Druski as an example: The comedian and content creator was a guest referee at last year\u2019s YouTube Flag Football Game, and this year, he\u2019s a team captain, facing Colombian singer J Balvin and playing alongside former NFL player Michael Vick and other creators like Ross Smith, Marlon Garcia, and Deestroying. At the same time, Tequila Don Julio has also tapped Druski for a social series leading up to the Super Bowl.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo many of our partners are now seeing the NFL tied to the creator economy in a much more intentional way,\u201d Trombetta said.<\/p>\n
This week, Santa Clara, California \u2014\u00a0where the Seattle Seahawks will face the New England Patriots on Sunday \u2014\u00a0has already hosted parties and events for creators and celebrities steeped in fashion, music, and culture thanks to the league\u2019s efforts to widen its scope (and the fanbase naturally diversifying thanks to player-creators and their families, who are often also creators).<\/p>\n
\u201cThe whole weekend is about creating moments that feel real and uplifting,\u201d said Dhar Mann, who was named the NFL\u2019s \u201cchief kindness officer\u201d last month ahead of the big event.<\/p>\n
Naturally, the political undertones surrounding the halftime show featuring Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny have made the Super Bowl something of a cultural battleground, with President Trump himself pushing an \u201calternate\u201d halftime show starring Kid Rock.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe creator economy is going to make noise,\u201d said Deneka Dosant, group director at creator management agency Kensington Grey. \u201cBecause there are so many Latinx creators that are going, whether it\u2019s a paid opportunity, a brand opportunity, or not, they are going to go out of their way to make so much content behind it, and so it\u2019s going to be impossible to drown out.\u201d<\/p>\n
This year, especially, has expanded the opportunities available for mid-tier creators, with followers in the 100K\u2013500K range, said Lily Comba, founder of influencer marketing agency Superbloom.<\/p>\n
Bad Bunny\u2019s upcoming performance has already seeped into advertising, including Duolingo\u2019s \u201cBad Bunny 101\u201d Spanish course <\/a>and Melissa McCarthy rolling her Rs in an e.l.f. ad<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cAny increase in Latinx creator presence is less about targeting and more about mirroring the mainstream audiences already engaging with the moment,\u201d said Maria A. Rodriguez, vp of comms and marketing at Open Influence.<\/p>\n Still can\u2019t break the small screen <\/p>\n True, creators are showing up in paid amplification on social media, branded activations, and Super Bowl parties. Where you won\u2019t see them: the small screen during game time.\u00a0<\/p>\n With 30-second Super Bowl ads going for up to $10 million, brands are relying on the old playbook. A-list celebrities are expected to dominate ads. Meanwhile, influencers and creators are leveraged to amplify brand marketing messages before, during, and after the Big Game.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cCreators are still incorrectly viewed as distribution and not as strategic partners,\u201d said Jonathan Chanti, the CEO and co-founder of Reign Maker Group. \u201cI really think it\u2019s just a matter of people playing it safe on a very big moment and playing to a playbook that they already know.\u201d<\/p>\n Any influencer that does show up in an in-game ad has celebrity status themselves, or \u201cthe top most recognizable creators who have built massive audiences,\u201d said Noah Eisemann, global managing director of social and influencer at VML. Think MrBeast with Salesforce or Paige DeSorbo in Kinder Bueno\u2019s ad.<\/p>\n Case in point: Grubhub is partnering with influencers like Bethenny Frankel, Kat Stickler, and San Francisco-based couple The Woods across social media. Rehydration company Liquid I.V. will air its first Super Bowl ad this Sunday, but it\u2019s using creators like Bretman Rock, Allison Kuch, and Vanilla Mace, to extend messaging.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Grubhub\u2019s Super Bowl ad spot features George Clooney.<\/p>\n Pringles is foregoing an influencer activation for its Big Game spot this year. Instead, the Mars-owned snack brand is hanging its hat on its celebrity star Sabrina Carpenter, and her existing fanbase acts as an organic, powerful \u201conline influencer community,\u201d said Diane Sayler, senior director of full funnel marketing for salty snacks at Mars Snacking.<\/p>\n Pressure to do more with fewer dollars continues to loom over marketers. Using celebrities in ads can be a hack.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re really leveraging celebrity for authority,\u201d said Christopher Krautler, director of brand marketing and consumer communications at Grubhub. \u201cThey bring that prestige and credibility, but we also have influencers, because they are really all about creating relatability and utility around this.\u201d<\/p>\n