"The Excess Super Bowl": Brands Are Throwing Caution to the Wind in Vegas
I head to Las Vegas next week to my 13th Super Bowl as a working PR staffer (my first as the co-founder of Gray Wolf) and I'm forecasting three big trends that you'll see on the ground in Las Vegas.
CONTEXT: Super Bowl ads get a lion share of the marketing discussion given the game is considered "The Super Bowl of Advertising." However, with 6,000+ credentialed media expected on-site in Las Vegas this year and with the city expected to host 350-450K visitors during the weekend, there are ample opportunities for PR pros and brands to connect with consumers and media through on-site activation.
Las Vegas' Excessive Celebration Encouraged Campaign - Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson and Tobe Nwigwe. Photos courtesy of the LVCVA
TREND #1 - Pivoting from “caution” to “excess”: The NFL is having a banner year, dominating audience numbers across all American linear and streaming platforms. The US economy has proven resilient against recessionary concerns. There is no need for caution when activating - a far cry from the more cautious environments induced by COVID in ‘21 and ‘22 before last year’s snapback year with SB LVII.
The big takeaway: Brands should be adjusting their playbooks to be bigger and even more fun-loving than before. Need an example of this? The host city has even launched a campaign urging visitors to embrace “excessive celebration.” Now is the time to throw caution to the wind.
Source: Las Vegas Review-Journal - Doritos is first Super Bowl sponsor to wrap a Vegas building. What’s next?
TREND #2 - Bet on big: Large-scale experiences will be king. The Vegas Strip is the perfect real estate to showcase the audacious sights and experiences that made the city famous. A few examples: Michelob Ultra will convert the world’s largest Topgolf into a star-packed “Country Club.” Guy Fieri will unveil his FlavorTown festival behind the High Roller Ferris Wheel. And there is great intrigue to see which brands will utilize The Sphere and its reported $2 million-per-ad inventory.
The big takeaway: From the Bellagio fountains to the Mirage volcano, there are big iconic sights up for sale. Brands will leverage these iconic spots for their advantage, as Las Vegas is a playground for experiential activation and hospitality. (e.g. Doritos is doing a wrap of Luxor's famed pyramid facade).
Source: New York Post: Pat McAfee speaks during his show on Media Row for the Super Bowl LVI at the Los Angeles Convention Center on February 10, 2022 in Los Angeles, California.
TREND #3 - Brands join media as top live broadcasters: The NFL Media Center’s “Radio Row” is a media institution, yet the convention floor at Mandalay Bay will have some non-traditional names occupying the largest stages. The usual suspects will have large broadcast stages: SiriusXM, NFL Network, FOX Sports, CBS Sports and NBC Sports. Yet, joining them in producing dozens of hours of live content are DraftKings, FanDuel and TikTok. Influencers will also flock to Vegas and Super Bowl broadcaster Paramount was wise to take advantage of this by creating the CBS Sports Creator Studio that links brands to creators.
The big takeaway: The lines continue to blur for audiences as brands are now accepted as content creators alongside social media platforms, streamers and traditional linear outlets. Brands - with the right sponsorship assets and content creators are partners - can step into this role at the world’s largest collection of live broadcasters.
Imagine that - I talked about Super Bowl LVIII and didn't even mention a certain famous singer's name, nor did I mention a single player's name. That proves the depth of marketing discussion that surrounds this event. Advertising, sponsorship, endorsements, concerts - there are so many angles to hit. Reply with comments on my LinkedIn post what you think you're expecting - or wanting - to see. And if you're going to Vegas, let me know so we can meet up.
