In this recent spotlight, VaynerMedia’s creative prowess is front and center as Gary Vaynerchuk discusses the agency’s viral “Will Shat” campaign for Kellogg’s Raisin Bran. The campaign, which made its Big Game debut features the legendary William Shatner in a bold, humor-forward mission to tackle America’s “fiber gap.”
The article highlights how VaynerMedia successfully modernized a legacy brand by leaning into “shat-tastic” wordplay and cultural relevance. By pairing the 94-year-old icon’s “Star Trek” legacy with a cheeky conversation about gut health, the agency transformed a functional health discussion into a trending social moment. Gary emphasizes that the campaign’s success was rooted in a social-first strategy, beginning with staged “paparazzi” teasers of Shatner eating cereal in his car to build organic hype before the commercial even aired.
VaynerMedia didn’t just buy an ad; they created a multi touch point strategy that bridged the gap between traditional linear TV and digital engagement. By using wit to address the post-party digestive needs of Super Bowl viewers, the agency proved that even serious health topics can drive massive brand affinity when executed with daring creativity and strategic precision.
When you hear the mountains calling…you pick up. And that’s exactly what we did. 🏔️✨
Last week, VaynerX headed to Montana, where we spent 3.5 unforgettable days immersed in the Big Sky Country. Between thought leadership breakout sessions, horseback riding through the valley, and unreal views on the ski slopes, our marketers got to try their hand at everything our Montana Future CMO Summit had to offer.
Secluded in one of Montana’s most pristine valleys at The Ranch at Rock Creek, we couldn’t have imagined a better place to unwind, get to know one another, and really tune in to some great conversations and experiences. I mean, even Gary Vaynerchuk called The Ranch at Rock Creek his favorite place on Earth…that’s a pretty high compliment! Now, we’re excited to make this unforgettable trip a tradition.
The 3 W’s Behind our FCMO Summit
First, let’s get one thing straight: this trip isn’t just an excuse to visit Gary V’s favorite vacay spots (we promise.) So if it’s not that…what is it? Where is it? And why do we do it?
Our Future CMO Summit is an opportunity to connect with an incredible group of rising, next-gen leaders who are shaping their industries. It’s more than networking. It’s our way of learning from one another, and building the future of marketing leadership on strategy, culture, human connection, and relevance.
The great thing about our FCMO Summit is that the location is constantly changing. Our last event was hosted at the stunning Calamigos Ranch in Malibu, California. With each location, we seek out places remote from our day-to-day lives, which foster creativity and innovation.
It’s all about connection. Our FCMO Summit is designed to spark genuine conversation and lifelong career lessons IRL. It’s about taking small talk and elevating it into roundtable discussions that leave us feeling inspired.
Getting Outside & Touching Some Grass
It’s simple but it’s true. Sometimes you really just have to go outside and touch some grass (or snow in this case.) We believe that the best way to spark creativity is by stepping into a new environment. And more importantly, ditching the online world every once in a while. Instead of Zoom meetings and email threads, we swap our usual routine for real time one-on-ones, in settings that foster innovation while being unplugged.
For us, that took the shape of spending time outdoors, and then coming back together for in-depth discussions and collaboration. Throughout the week, we set aside time to reflect on key learnings, like what it takes to succeed as marketers, and the day-to-day challenges affecting brands. To kick things off, Sherilyn Shackell from The Marketing Academy gave a presentation on leadership, packed with ninety minutes of wisdom on what it takes to be an inspirational leader.
The next day, we heard from Gary V and Peter Chun (VaynerX EVP & Global Head of PAC) on what relevance means for brands in 2026, and how social is (of course) the key to staying ahead. Gary led two Q&A sessions on the future of marketing, and joined each of our marketers for a personal one on one session. After an afternoon hitting the slopes, our group returned to the ranch and divided into breakout sessions. We discussed our roles as marketing leaders, and chatted about brand strategy for 2026.
Although every FCMO Summit looks and feels different, our time in Montana left us feeling energized, yet ready for that next big project. We got to talking about big topics like tech, AI, and what powerful leadership really looks like, all while being disconnected from the very things we were discussing, allowing our marketers to really step back and fully absorb the experience.
Onto The Next…
We’ll surely be missing the Montana mountainscapes, the unreal hospitality from the team at The Ranch at Rock Creek, and the many friends we made along the way (yes we’re talking about our fellow marketers but also the many horses we met.)
We’re excited to say we’re already thinking about our next FCMO Summit, and excited to see where the wind takes us next. Until next time..? 🌎
In a recent Bloomberg interview, VaynerMedia founder Gary Vaynerchuk offered a counter-intuitive take on the high cost of Big Game advertising. Despite the record-breaking price tags for 30-second spots, Vaynerchuk argues that Super Sunday ads remain the most “underpriced” media buy in the world.
While traditional linear TV commercials are often ignored as viewers pivot to their phones, the Super Bowl is the only event where the audience remains captured, actively anticipating and discussing the ads. For VaynerMedia, this represents a unique opportunity to achieve massive reach and cultural relevance.
However, Gary also issued a warning. Outside of this event, most linear TV advertising is significantly overpriced and inefficient, especially if the creative is off. He emphasized that VaynerMedia’s success, including this year’s standout “Will Shat” spot for Kellogg’s Raisin Bran, stems from a “social-first” strategy. By utilizing the Super Bowl as a launchpad for digital conversation, rather than just a one-off broadcast moment, the agency continues to prove that the true value of an ad is measured by the depth of consumer engagement.
VaynerMedia is proud to highlight our high-impact Big Game campaign for Kellogg’s Raisin Bran, starring the legendary William Shatner. As featured in Adweek, this exclusive initiative marks Raisin Bran’s first-ever Big Game appearance and centers the conversation around digestive health.
The campaign launched with a VaynerMedia-orchestrated viral stunt. “Staged paparazzi” photos began to circulate online of William Shatner casually enjoying a bowl of Raisin Bran in his car during Los Angeles traffic. The images ignited social media buzz, blurring the lines between celebrity gossip and brand storytelling. This stunt served as a strategic teaser for the cinematic commercial, which features Shatner in a spaceship, embarking on a “fiber mission.”
By leaning into self-aware humor and the cheeky “Will Shat” wordplay, VaynerMedia transformed a legacy breakfast staple into a trending cultural moment. This multi-phase rollout successfully captured pre-game momentum, proving that legacy brands can break through the noise by combining iconic star power with disruptive, social-first creative strategy.
VaynerMedia is proud to highlight our latest creative triumph: a high-impact Big Game campaign for Kellogg’s Raisin Bran starring the legendary William Shatner. As reported by People, the exclusive sci-fi themed commercial marks Raisin Bran’s first-ever Big Game appearance, utilizing a bold mix of humor and nostalgia to tackle the importance of digestive health.
The campaign kicked off with a viral, VaynerMedia-orchestrated “staged paparazzi” stunt featuring the 94-year-old Star Trek icon casually eating cereal in his car. This evolved into a spot where Shatner (dubbed “Will Shat”) traverses the country on a “fiber mission.” From a high-tech spaceship to a crowded sports bar and a football tailgate, Shatner delivers the message that “Shat’s about to get real,” reminding Americans that Raisin Bran provides the necessary fiber for a “post-game day reset.”
By blending self-aware humor with a strategic multi-phase rollout, VaynerMedia successfully positioned a legacy breakfast staple at the center of the Big Game conversation. The campaign proves that even “serious” health benefits can be marketed with wit, cultural relevance, and iconic star power to capture the attention of millions.
VaynerMedia’s latest creative endeavor has taken the internet by storm, featuring the legendary William Shatner in a bold Big Game debut for Kellogg’s Raisin Bran. The campaign debuted this morning on TODAY, after weeks of a stealth-marketing PR stunt. Highlighting the importance of a fiber-ful diet, the ad leans into the conversation of gut health with plenty of tongue-in-cheek jokes.
The commercial itself leans into Shatner’s iconic sci-fi persona, featuring him aboard a spaceship, a nod to his most notable role. By combining bathroom humor with self-aware wit, the ad transforms the conversation around digestive health and fiber into a lighthearted, cultural moment.
As noted by TODAY, this campaign marks Kellogg’s return to the Big Game after a 15-year hiatus. Developed by VaynerMedia, the project demonstrates our agency’s expertise in navigating the modern “ecosystem of screens” by utilizing social activations to generate earned media. The result is a memorable, high-impact campaign that makes fiber fashionable and ensures Raisin Bran is the talk of the town for The Big Game.
We’re entering a “bran-new” era with Kellogg’s Raisin Bran as Raisin Bran makes its first-ever Super Bowl appearance and the Kellogg’s company returns to the Big Game after a 15-year hiatus. The campaign features 94-year-old Star Trek legend William Shatner, utilizing a strategic “stealth marketing” approach to build massive pre-game momentum.
The campaign went viral following a series of staged “paparazzi” photos showing Shatner casually enjoying Raisin Bran in his car during Los Angeles traffic. These “candid” moments, designed to spark social conversation and tabloid coverage, successfully blurred the lines between celebrity gossip and brand storytelling. Shatner later confirmed to media outlets that the stunts were teasers for the upcoming spot, which will feature the icon in a spaceship—a nod to his real-life voyage to the stars.
With Shatner as the star of the campaign, the conversation around digestive health is being transformed into a lighthearted, self-aware narrative. The campaign emphasizes how easy it is to incorporate fiber into a daily routine, using a multi-screen ecosystem to reach audiences before, during, and after the broadcast. This innovative rollout has already secured Raisin Bran a dominant position in the Big Game conversation well before the first whistle.
We’re officially in the midst of the playoffs, and with that, there’s one thing on everybody’s mind. Something big, something exciting, something…super. 😉
For us marketers, we know that the real show is what happens in between the game. We laugh, we cry, we take notes on some of the most impressive commercials of the year. And the best part? Everybody’s watching!
And we mean…everybody. According to the NFL, the average record audience for last year’s big game was 127 MILLION people. That’s a lot of views 👀.
That’s why we believe this is actuallyan underpriced moment (yes, even at $8 million per spot.) Yes we know that might sound crazy, but hear us out: not only does the Big Game guarantee millions of views, but it offers opportunities that outlive its release.
So, that means if you’ve secured your spot, the biggest challenge is ensuring that your brand’s thirty seconds of fame is engineered for maximum social reach. And luckily we’ve created the ultimate cheatsheet for you (and trust us, the end result is better than any trophy).
👉Here are 4 of our ultimate tips, just in time for kickoff and here to help you win the Big Game:
Architect Your Advertising Spot For Brandformance
The first step to winning the game is understanding that ads are an opportunity. Interaction is crucial, and the brands using their spots to leverage more than just views are the ones that will see a major impact.
Your spot should not only entertain, it should also drive a measurable call to action. Start by collecting consumer data through QR codes or SMS opt-ins during your commercial, like in the Scott’s Miracle Gro 2021 “Keep Growing” campaign.
Studded with celeb cameos and gardenscapes, this spot was not only a hit, but it collected one million texts for first party data during the Big Game, successfully enabling audiences to partake and learn more.
Surround Sound Your Brand Messaging
When prepping your message, don’t treat it as a one time thing. Your spot shouldn’t start during gametime, it should already be set in action, and continue to build momentum after the Big Game.
Instead of treating a spot as a one-off, brands should create an integrated campaign that combines pre-game hype, in-game ads, and post-game engagement. With this approach, brands can ensure continuous audience interaction that results in a significant increase of impressions and engagement.
For example, this Reese’s spot with football legend Jason Kelce. Two weeks in market earned Reese’s more impressions than their past two years on social, turning a moment into a movement.
Break the Feed & Format
To create something memorable, we encourage brands to flip the script, and try something that they’ve never done before.
Consider including interactive elements or unique storytelling methods that drive additional content viewership and engagement long after the Big Game.
Take Planters “The Roast of Mr. Peanut” commercial. Not only did Mr. Peanut grace our screens during the game, but he continued the program with a full length comedy special that hit streaming. In total, this campaign drove 10k+ additional hours of content viewership post the Big Game.
Focus on Underpriced Attention for Talent & Media Buys
Finally, we’re ending on an important one, so no skipping! Recognize who and what is underpriced, and use that to build conversation. For a spot as monumental as this one, we recommend adopting the same approach.
Here’s what we mean. Brands need to leverage underpricedtalent and strategic media buys to maximize reach and ROI. By identifying cost-effective opportunities, brands can amplify their message across multiple channels efficiently.
That’s exactly what we did with Sabra’s 2020 spot. 67% of viewers who saw TVC saw Sabra content on 3+ channels. That means a whole lot more exposure, plus significant reach and engagement.
Time For Your Next Gametime Decision
With 12 Super Bowl spots in the last 6 years (and more to come this year…stay tuned 😉), we live and breathe for this time of year.
We believe the Big Game is one of the biggest opportunities for brand-building that transcends social media strategies.
That’s why, following the Big Game on February 9th, we’ll be live streaming a virtual podcast MFTN After Party hosted by Jim Stengel and our very own Gary Vaynerchuk. They’ll be diving into all of the marketing moments you won’t be able to stop talking about from the night before. Tune in on our VaynerX YouTube channel.
At Vayner, social is at the center of everything we do. We see what challenges brand marketers are navigating every day and that’s the pressure to create content that’s relevant, high-quality, and truly platform-native…at speed and at scale…and doesn’t make someone want to scroll past it.
This is why we’ve been working on something a little different recently with the launch of our new product offering, SMASH. And yes, it’s sort of exactly what the name entails…but more on that in a second. Here’s everything you need to know, and what to expect from SMASH:
What Is SMASH?
SMASH is a flexible way to fuel your brand’s biggest priorities. Essentially, a means of creating high volume content (that actually gets views) without sacrificing quality or effectiveness. When brands implement SMASH with us, they can prioritize whatever is most important to them at the time, whether it be one brand defining announcement or a strategic creative concept for a cultural moment.
In the past, Vayner has worked with brands in the more traditional sense, acting as a client’s social or creative AOR. With SMASH, we’re offering an alternative method, where we work with brands on a campaign basis, and maximize relevant, timely content.
This past holiday season, we joined our friends at Lovesac where they hosted a pop up and staged a comfy cozy winter wonderland inside their showroom in Flatiron in NYC. Lovesac spread the love by gifting free holiday photos with a professional photographer, a complimentary Footsac, and even surprised three longtime, deserving customers with their very own Lovesac sofas.
Here’s where SMASH came in. Our team delivered the on-the-ground strategy, content & execution for Lovesac, and the campaign was delivered quickly and efficiently.
Why SMASH?
SMASH is our way of ensuring that brands don’t need to choose between a great TV commercial or a body of online content. From the initial strategy to finding the right creators, we handle the high-volume production side of things.
When you choose SMASH, you’re choosing a team of platform & algorithm experts, who have a deep understanding of what drives impressions, and conversations, and can be counted on to achieve and document that success. It’s all of the Vayner firepower, minus any of the red tape.
So…Who’s Ready for SMASH? 🌟
For those diving into their 2026 marketing strategy, or ready to deliver your next viral campaign, we’re here to help you smash it. 😉
Another year, another successful CES in the Vayner books. This year, we wrapped up CES with A LOT to think about…and more importantly? A game plan for the new year.
On the ground at Las Vegas, we had VaynerMedia’s Director of Video Activation Jordan Bilfeld on the scene, absorbing every big trend marketers can expect to see in 2026 and beyond. It’s hard to condense everything into one list, but Jordan helped us compile the spark notes version of the major breakthroughs from the week.
Marketers, for those of you who couldn’t make it, or maybe just need a refresh, we have the Vayner scoop on everything you should know about. Here are our 3 main takeaways from CES:
Retail and TV Are Merging – AKA The Live Shopping Renaissance Is Here
At Vayner, we’ve been pretty passionate about the surge of live shopping, and CES gave us confirmation that we’re headed in the right direction. We’re seeing how some of the biggest retail ecosystems are embedding commerce data and purchase signals directly into their ad strategies.
Amazon announced new ad tech capabilities for Prime Video, Prime Sports, and Twitch. With this, they’re tightening the line between retail, streaming, and CTV performance ads, turning their DSP into a hub for TV planners.
Walmart consolidated Vizio into its own TV & retail strategy, blending retail media directly into SmartCast and CTV ad opportunities.
These updates go to show that the line between retail and TV doesn’t exist anymore, and as these two worlds merge into one, marketers will be seeing more and more shoppable TV formats.
AI Is Everywhere (And Everything)
This one doesn’t come as much of a surprise, but the extent and reach of AI is something that marketers really need to take note of. AI is no longer a buzzword or curiosity–it’s the foundation behind every major announcement.
Disney announced a new vertical video experience called VERTS, a Vertical Social Video platform powered by AI. Essentially, viewers can experience a personalized Disney content feed based on user behavior.
Amazon shared that they’ll be continuing to push authenticated reach and AI-powered solutions to simplify TV planning and drive ad awareness and sales.
Samsung launched their new “Vision AI Companion” across its 2026 TV lineup. An AI assistant meant to interact conversationally with users (suggesting what to watch or even what music/food fits a mood) and deliver personalized recommendations, bringing TVs one step closer to acting more like mobile devices.
Clearly, agentic AI will be having a major moment this year, finding its way into automating workflow, personalizing content and ad experiences, and so much more. Going forward, marketers can expect AI poised to automate everything from media buys to optimization and creative deployment.
CTV is Shifting to Focus On Outcome Driven Results
CES showed us that CTV buying is shifting, and falling into a new approach. Advertisers are shifting their focus from impressions to actual outcomes and lower-funnel attribution. We’re seeing this through new partnerships and measurement integrations, like how:
Roku and iSpot brought outcome-based integration to streaming, elevating CTV from impression-centric KPIs to results-based optimization for brands.
NBCUniversal introduced their Performance Insights Hub, providing unified, in-flight campaign metrics and audience insights across platforms for deeper measurement, beyond post-campaign reporting.
CTV is becoming its very own ‘go-to’ foundational channel. The sooner marketers build up plans from a CTV-first mindset the sooner they will realize rapid performance-driven results are ready at scale – and the better outcomes will be.
The Consensus
Here’s the TLDR: 2026 is going to be a big year for marketers. But what’s most important here is being flexible, open-minded, and rolling with the punches as they come.
As trends develop and tech evolves, we’re here to figure out the best way forward for you and your brand.
CES, as always, thanks for a great time and here’s to embracing the new. 🥂
