Super Bowl LVIII
For those who aren’t experts in roman numerals, last night’s Super Bowl, was in fact the 58th edition of the sports and entertainment extravaganza! Rolling into new territory at the sumptuously named Paradise, Nevada, the Allegiant Stadium hosted the Super Bowl for the first time in Las Vegas territory, presumably because the combination of Las Vegas and the Superbowl would be sensory overload to 90% of human beings! But as we know in 2024, anything is possible! Usually home to the Las Vegas Raiders, 61,000 fans were packed into the stadium affectionately known as “The Death Star” and “The Roomba” due to its sleek and stealthy appearance for the “greatest show on earth” (said mainly by Americans).
Stage is set in Las Vegas
US Airforce wish the teams well
With the stage set, the US Air Force’s Thunderbird display team, consisting of six F-16 Fighting Falcons, delivered the customary pre-game fly-over in the USA’s red, white, and blue colours.
Mahomes lifts the Super Bowl 58 trophy
This year’s game saw the Kansas City Chiefs looking for their third Super Bowl triumph in three seasons. Standing in their way were the famous San Francisco 49ers, who already had five Super Bowl titles to their name, stretching back to their first title win in 1982. Super Bowl 58 was, in fact, a rematch of the 2020 Super Bowl, which the Chiefs won 31-20, leaving the 49ers looking for revenge and their first title since 1995. In a tightly contested game the Chiefs emerged victorious, defeating the 49ers 25-22 that extended into overtime. The win cemented their modern-day legacy, marking a second consecutive Super Bowl victory and a place in NFL history. Quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, was the star of the show, playing a pivotal role in the Chiefs’ win, which saw him lead a superb overtime touchdown drive to seal the win.
Post Malone sings “America the beautiful”
But if you hadn’t already noticed, the Super Bowl is far more than just a game of football (or American Football for the rest of the world). Part of the events’ global appeal and wide demographic audience is also down to the famous Super Bowl Halftime Show, which rolls out global superstars from the world of music and entertainment. US rapper, Post Malone, warmed up the crowd ahead of American country music icon, Reba McEntire, who performed the full version of the USA’s star-spangled banner national anthem.
Usher & Keys star in half time show
Usher headlined this year’s “Apple Music Halftime Show”, bringing his signature R&B style to the Super Bowl stage, and coinciding with the release of his new album, “Coming Home,” on the same day. As ever, the main act was joined by a host of guests, this year including a powerful performance from Alisha Keys, and with additional support coming in the way of Ludacris, Lil Jon, Jermaine Dupri, and will.i.am.
TV Commercials
With a global TV audience of around 115m, the event is a broadcaster’s dream, with the world’s leading brands vying for advertising spots to run their specially created Super Bowl content. This year’s Super Bowl ads featured a range of stars from Hollywood and Europe, with the majority of the half time show cast featuring across the numerous ads that aired in some respect. As with Usher, Beyonce also promoted her forthcoming new music in her ad for Verizon, which resulted in a two-way benefit for brand and musician alike.
Here are some of our favourites from the night:
(L) Swift & Mahomes, (R) Juszczyk
Taylor Swift was also in attendance with her much publicised relationship with Chiefs player, Travis Kelce, said to have brought new audiences to the NFL this year. Her presence at games throughout the season has driven new interest in the game and has brought dads and daughters together, a theme that skincare brand, Cetaphil leverage in their Super Bowl commercial. It’s a clever ad that doesn’t feature Swift herself but instead uses her favourite number and subtle nods that relate to the global stars’ relevance to her young female fans (Swifties) and their interest in the NFL this year.
Another Chiefs player’s wife, Kristin Juszczyk, was also making headlines for securing a licencing deal with the NFL after she made Taylor Swift’s coat (featuring her boyfriend’s team number, 87), which went viral on social media. The NFL confirmed to Forbes on 30 January that Juszczyk, who is the wife of the San Francisco 49er’s full back, has received a licencing deal that allows her to use the league’s official branding on her men’s and women’s apparel. The news comes after Swift made headlines for wearing one of Juszczyk’s jackets while out with Brittany Mahomes (wife of Patrick), which paid homage to the singer’s boyfriend, who ended up on the winning Super Bowl team.
Swift & Lively watch Super Bowl 58
Swift was pictured watching the game with Hollywood actress, Blake Lively, who is wife to actor, Ryan Reynolds. Reynolds is also co-owner of Wrexham Football Club in the UK and the star of Amazon’s ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ documentary that has received global success on both sides of the pond! Fittingly, STōK Cold Brew, aired a Super Bowl commercial featuring Anthony Hopkins as the mascot of…you guessed it….Wrexham FC, in another clever marketing move by one the team’s new partners.
Outside of the action on the field, the one thing as an advertiser or marketer that can be observed is that nothing is by coincidence at the Super Bowl. The relationship between media, broadcasters, sponsors, performers, and even guests is carefully curated to drive maximum interest, fan engagement, and commercial returns across the board in a world that queues up for bigger and better each year.
Ok, so bring on Super Bowl #59 in 2025 already!