Another year, another Big Game behind us. This time, we saw Seattle take home the trophy, heard a fresh batch of shat jokes (iykyk), and also saw the POV from an entourage of dancers disguised as lush, green foliage. Now, there’s a sentence that wouldn’t have made sense a few weeks ago!
To be expected, we saw a lot of online conversation, but one of the topics on everybody’s mind was the advertisements. As our CEO Gary Vaynerchuk puts it, “attention is what everyone is seeking.” So when we say that $10 million for the price of attention is inexpensive, we mean it. Whether a spot was a crowd-favorite or a head-scratcher, there’s no denying the energy of Super Sunday. For a brand today, this is a rare, high-stakes window to actually move the needle and tap into culture.
And it doesn’t have to be an $8 million+ 30 second spot. There are hundreds of ways to earn attention and become a part of culture, whether it’s through a traditional TV commercial, socials, or a tailored event. This year, we were grateful to have a hand in that for some of our favorite brands, from the technical heavy lifting of producing Super Bowl commercials to the nuanced work of building out premium online content that keeps the conversation going long after the weekend is over.
So here’s our VM roundup of the Big Game 2026, and everything we learned to make next year even better:
1. Shooting the Shat with Kellogg’s Raisin Bran 🥣
There’s a lot of debate surrounding the value of SB commercials, but the truth is, the Big Game is the best advertising media deal in the world. It secures billions of views plus undivided attention, something social and other linear TV spots can’t guarantee. That’s what actually makes it an underpriced moment. So for a legacy brand like Kelloggs, we couldn’t think of a better way to get the fiber revolution started than by launching Raisin Bran into their Big Game debut.
Now here’s the caveat: a spot is only worth it if you have a really great piece of creative to showcase. It’s about bringing something memorable to the screen, leaving boredom at the door, and taking a risk. For us, we knew we wanted to bring humor into the mix, and that took the shape of Will Shat. Incorporating legendary actor William Shatner, we played into the punnyness of his name, and tied it into a fiber journey.
Once we had a concept, it was about more than making and premiering a commercial. The buildup happened weeks beforehand, and required months of strategic planning and ideation. For example, you may have seen a certain pap shot of William Shatner 📸, chowing down on a bowl of Raisin Bran in his car. Coincidence? Definitely not. Our PR team coordinated the viral moment, and created an internet sensation weeks before anyone even knew about the Shatner/RB crossover.
We continued building pre-kickoff hype by releasing our commercial on the TODAY Show, days before its Sunday release. This gave audiences a sneak peek of the ad while producing online buzz. When the night finally came, we already had built momentum that was further emphasized by the game day hype. In total, through press hits and online coverage, Will Shat earned 18 BILLION impressions (yes you read that right! With a capital B!)
2. JCP’s True MVPS ❤️
A successful campaign doesn’t need a primetime spot to make it big or have a major impact. JCPenney proves that. To become a part of the Big Game convo, JCPenney highlighted the true game day MVPs…the Moms! Bringing together Lisa Dawkins, Martha Thomas, and Culetta Beachum, the JCP team treated the moms to a glam session and shopping spree before their sons award ceremony. Not only was the concept true to the JCPenney brand, but it capitalized a major cultural moment by taking over social.
To pull it off, it was all about speed. While most brands spend months putting together a campaign, JCPenney filmed and produced their hero spot in just 36 hours. Then, they launched a series of social content just four days before kickoff. We helped capture on-the-ground BTS and social content that helped build hype, intrigue, and most importantly, engagement and conversation.
3. Ulta Beauty Everywhere 💄
Ulta Beauty showed us how a brand can be (fabulously) seen both on and off the field during the Big Game. Another campaign that set out weeks before the game (are we sensing a pattern here?), we developed a multi-touch point strategy, combining creator and talent partnerships, must-have merch, and real time social content.
We were also on the scene at their TikTok Clubhouse event, which invited talent and influencers to a glam-ified kickoff party.
It was all beauty, all the time, and it confirmed Ulta Beauty as the defining beauty voice of game day weekend.
4. The Lumify x GCH Dream Team 👀📸
Weeks before the Big Game, our friends at ChukMedia worked with Lumify to create a three tiered, high-volume social campaign. First, the team coordinated a series of paparazzi shots following football legend Devonta Smith in Lumify-purple suits. After stirring a bit of online intrigue, Lumify put the rumors to rest, revealing Devonta as their latest partner through a witty press conference ad. Following shortly afterwards, phase two consisted of Lumify introducing a second hero video, including WAG stars Anna Hall, Christen Goff, and Mya Danielle. To keep momentum going all the way until game day, the ChukMedia team created over 120+ pieces of social content to surround sound their campaign.
The idea culminated into one final, big moment during SB weekend. In collaboration with Gallery Club House, the brands teamed up to throw a special event, hosted by Chanen Johnson and Juwan Johnson. Bringing together over 300 athletes and influencers, Lumify and GCH threw the ultimate kickoff party slash wellness retreat. With plenty of eye drops at the ready, as well as a portrait studio and massage spa center, the collab served as a perfect example of how to keep gameday buzz alive, while creating additional social opportunities.
Takeaways 🤔
Five different brands, with Five very different approaches, but each found success by using the football season to their advantage. By implementing social throughout every step of the process, and creating campaigns that lasted before and after the game, we saw our clients define their spaces, and make noise during the biggest weekend of the year.
So…same time next year? 🏈📣