Fans may anticipate celebrity appearances, lighter-hearted advertisements, and brief appearances by Taylor Swift during Sunday’s Super Bowl, while corporate marketers steer clear of the current trend of utilizing the big game to promote social concerns.
Even though expensive Super Bowl ads frequently aim to make viewers laugh, the extravagant productions may also capture the spirit of the country.
According to Kim Whitler, a professor at the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business and a former marketing executive at Procter & Gamble (PG.N), brands that have historically taken stands on issues like diversity and climate change are realizing that anything perceived as political can be “treacherous to navigate” while trying to market products to all consumers.
“The pendulum swings. First, it was ‘we don’t do enough,’ and now it’s swinging back,” she said.
Budweiser in 2017 used the Super Bowl to depict Anheuser-Busch’s (ABI.BR), opens new tab founder making the journey from Germany to America in 1857, encountering xenophobia and discrimination along the way.
This year, it will bring back the iconic Clydesdale horses to its Super Bowl commercial, while related brands like Michelob Ultra will have a lighthearted ad featuring soccer superstar Lionel Messi.
For brands that want to appeal to a younger demographic during the NFL championship clash between the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs, the romance between Swift and Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, which has dominated social media, could provide inspiration, said Charles R. Taylor, professor of marketing at Villanova University School of Business.
Despite some griping over attention paid to Swift during games she has attended this season, the pop megastar’s appeal has benefited the league and could do the same for brands shelling out millions for a Super Bowl commercial, Taylor said.
