Top takeaways on Super Bowl advertising from the world’s best brands

The Zappi team was live in New Orleans for an unforgettable day with Adweek, where we partnered on the session “Winning Hearts and Minds: The Art of Super Bowl Advertising.”

I had the pleasure of moderating the session with Will Lee, CEO of AdWeek. This event brought together top marketing leaders to discuss the power of Super Bowl ads, long-term brand impact, and the evolving media landscape.

Here are my key takeaways from the discussions and what I learned from some of the world’s best marketers.

Sherina Smith, Chief Marketing Officer at American Family Insurance, emphasized that marketers must think not just about the ads that run during the Super Bowl, but also on how they engage with the NFL more broadly. With American Family Insurance being headquartered in Wisconsin, Smith discussed their partnership with Green Bay Packers quarterback and rising star Jordan Love as a brand ambassador – a great example of how brands can do this.

It was fascinating to hear Sharon Price John, President and CEO of Build-A-Bear Workshop, speak about their longstanding partnership with the Kansas City Chiefs. She emphasized that when you partner with a local sports team, you never know when they’ll take off and have a great season, so the partnership has to be looked at for the long haul. Their longstanding partnership has allowed them to create localized and highly relevant Super Bowl activations as the Chiefs have risen to new heights in recent years. 

In a country as large as the United States, these types of local partnerships are so important for brands to give them a strong anchor in a local market as well as connecting back to the roots of a brand. Not only does Missouri-based Build-a-Bear tap into the authentic identify of their brand, but in the context of the Super Bowl, they tap into the “hometown” spirit and community aspect of local fans cheering together for their favorite local sports team.

The convergence of sports and pop culture has never been more present in the lives of consumers than it is today, with Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce as a prime example. With so many young girls who are fans of Taylor Swift, Build-a-Bear is in a perfect crossroads with their partnerships with the Chiefs at this intersection between entertainment and football. Sharon Price John explained to the group that their demographics are not just children and parents but many others who are buying their products as gifts or collectibles, highlighting the connectedness between different generations.

Sherina Smith, in her role leading marketing at American Family Insurance, similarly highlighted that you have to decide as a marketing leader which cultural moments you want to align with to generate the greatest ROI. She highlighted the Captain America movie, which is coming out the week after the Super Bowl on February 14th. With such a big Hollywood blockbuster launch, brands must choose which one is most relevant and will be the most strategic investment for their brand. In this case, the Captain America launch makes a perfect tie-in for American Family Insurance.

Nancy Gold, Vice President, Brand Strategy at the New Orleans Saints and New Orleans Pelicans, raised an important point: female sports fans are often overlooked in advertising. She emphasized that too many ads still target women as if their only connection to the sport is as game-day hosts, rather than true fans who engage deeply with the sport. Brands that shift this narrative have a major opportunity to connect more authentically with this audience.

Julian Ahye, Head of Brand Partnerships at The Athletic, also reminded us that Super Bowl advertising is no longer just about CPG brands. Today, fashion, music, and entertainment all play a role, expanding the reach and influence of the event beyond traditional categories.

Randell Nuguid, Head of Partnerships at The Boiling Crab, underscored the importance of experiential marketing, explaining how brands like theirs leverage the Super Bowl moment to get products directly into consumers’ hands. He highlighted that while ads matter, tactile brand experiences drive deeper engagement.

Desiree Sanchis, Vice President, Marketing at Beliv, shared her perspective on local brand growth strategies. The Beliv portfolio includes 28 beverage brands in 30 countries, but their acquisition of the New Orleans-based brand Big Easy allows them to capitalize on the Super Bowl’s presence in New Orleans. Beliv is leveraging the hype of the event to build a stronger local brand footprint before scaling nationally.

Sarah Reinecke, Vice President, Marketing, Salty Snacks at Kellanova, gave an inside look into Pringles' evolving brand mascot strategy. She explained how their Super Bowl campaigns use character-driven storytelling to entertain and create anticipation each year. Using pre-released ads and teasers combined with characters, brands can really have fun and keep consumers engaged and entertained, but create a lasting connection from year to year.

Gabrielle Wesley, Chief Marketing Officer at Mars Wrigley North America, reminded marketers to think beyond just one ad. She reminded us that 72 of the 100 most watched live events to capture sports viewership are NFL games. The brands—Snickers, M&M’s, and Twix—strategically build campaigns that extend far beyond the Super Bowl itself.

She also pointed out that for many of the brands she oversees, which are 70+ years old or older, brands need to stay relevant and tapped into consumer trends in order to stay top of mind. Snickers, for example, is 93 years old, so while there is already high awareness of the brand, it’s important to link the brand and the product directly into the experience itself. She gave the example of people entertaining for the Super Bowl and planning their buffalo wings and salty snacks, but how important it is not to forget to cater to the guests who have a sweet tooth when families and friends gather together for the game.

Erin Albertson, Brand Marketing Director at NerdWallet, highlighted their first-ever Super Bowl ad and the importance of balancing brand awareness with relevance. NerdWallet’s new ad featuring a beluga whale ties into many other strategies underway, such as a lookalike contest on social media, and a partnership with influencer Tank Sinatra.

Keyana Kashfi, Global Senior Director and Head of Experiential & Content Production at Spotify, reminded us all that the cost of a Super Bowl ad is not just the media buy, but rather all the other costs too, from agency fees to production costs. She also spoke about leveraging real-time data at Spotify to optimize ad placement and maximize impact.

Mark Kirkham, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Pepsi & Sparkling Brands at PepsiCo North America, shared an enlightening perspective: Super Bowl ad success isn’t just about testing—it’s about optimization. He emphasized how brands need a clear goal behind every ad, giving the example of their Baja Blast campaign, which introduces an already successful beverage to new audiences who might not have actually tried it yet, while reinforcing brand affinity among younger consumers.

Jessica Grigoriou, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Condiments at Unilever North America, shared how Hellmann’s ensured their Super Bowl spot resonated across generations too. By conducting research in advance, they confirmed the “When Harry Met Sally” moment would connect with a broad audience. With beloved actors Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal appealing to many generations, but by also introducing Sydney Sweeney into the mix, Hellmann’s successfully combined brand storytelling, nostalgia, and humor to create a truly memorable ad.

Elizabell Marquez, Chief Marketing Officer at Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream, and Laura Petruccelli, Co-Founder & Chief Creative Officer at nice&frank, spoke about the power of strong agency partnerships in crafting standout campaigns, using the Häagen-Dazs Super Bowl ad as a prime example.

Laura Jones, Chief Marketing Officer at Instacart, shared how their Super Bowl campaign is redefining consumer perceptions of their own brand. By integrating household brands and beloved characters like the Energizer Bunny and Mr. Clean, Instacart is reinforcing that it’s not just about groceries—but about everyday essentials too—which can help increase the average purchase.

Megan Ramm, Director, Americas at Uber Advertising, emphasized the importance of leveraging local and global data to shape advertising strategies. Uber’s Super Bowl campaign not only taps into local activations but ties back to broader global engagement, making it a smart example of cross-market branding.

Suzanne Salas, Executive Vice President, Marketing, eCommerce & Sales at MSC Cruises USA, shared how their Super Bowl ad seeks to help them stand out in the competitive cruise industry by avoiding the “sea of sameness.” She emphasized the importance of aligning ads with key KPIs and how CMOs must work closely with CEOs and CFOs to ensure their advertising investments drive tangible business results.

Avery Akkineni, Chief Marketing Officer at VaynerX, challenged brands to rethink their media spend. While the Super Bowl remains a strong investment, she noted that social media can sometimes provide a bigger, more measurable impact for the same spend, or as a way to boost other strategies.

Gary Vaynerchuk, Chairman of VaynerX and CEO of VaynerMedia, doubled down on this, stating that Super Bowl ads are still undervalued. He stressed the importance of a “surround sound strategy” that builds momentum before, during, and after the game.

Damaune Journey, Global Chief Growth Officer at 72andSunny, hosted a compelling fireside chat with television icon Jaleel White. White shared how he evolved beyond his breakout role in the ‘90s to build a dynamic personal brand, drawing parallels to how athletes and brands must continually reinvent themselves to stay relevant, which picked up on the same theme Gabrielle Wesley from MARS had shared earlier in the day.

It was an incredible day of insights and inspiration at the Adweek House in New Orleans. Will Lee, CEO of Adweek, and his team did a phenomenal job curating a dynamic event that brought together the best minds in marketing.

As brands continue to push creative boundaries and maximize the Super Bowl’s impact, one thing is clear—the future of advertising is about agility, authenticity, and audience connection. How brands show up during and around the Super Bowl requires them to connect data and insights not just from this massive cultural moment, but in the rest of their ongoing advertising campaigns, indefinitely, to stay relevant and top of mind.