Alex Mashrabov didn’t set out to build another AI company promising to revolutionize marketing.

At Snap, a company popularly known for its flagship Snapchat product, Mashrabov led the company’s generative AI efforts. He had a front-row seat to how quickly culture now moves online—and how often marketing shows up just after the moment has passed. A song goes viral, a format takes off, a meme mutates into something new, and by the time a campaign clears approvals, the internet has already moved on. For younger audiences that lag often meant irrelevance.

“For a marketing team, it’s very difficult to figure out every day what’s actually worth attention for younger demographics,” Mashrabov told ADWEEK. 

That disconnect became the premise behind Higgsfield. Founded in October 2023, the company positions itself as an end‑to‑end AI platform for social video creation that is explicitly built for marketers.

Unlike companies racing to dispatch a single best video model almost every week, Higgsfield positions itself as an orchestration layer. The platform offers access to a growing roster of generative video tools—including models from Google, Freepik and others—allowing people to choose which system makes the most sense for a given prompt or creative goal. 

Mashrabov borrows the company’s name from quantum physics, where the Higgs field is the invisible force that gives particles their mass. In marketing, he sees a similar problem where brands and creators may have ideas and stories, but video is the only way those ideas gain weight online. Higgsfield’s pitch is simple—turn fast‑moving trends into tangible, on‑brand video before the moment passes. 

Once on Higgsfield, the workflow is deliberately simple. People can generate images, turn stills into video, animate presets, or build AI influencers. Brands can start with an image or prompt, chooses a preset designed for a specific social format, and renders a video already sized for platforms like TikTok or Instagram. Qatar Airways, for instance, used Higgsfield to produce a 2026 New Year post on Instagram, turning static brand assets into short-form video. 

The platform’s early adoption skewed heavily toward creators. Musicians including Snoop Dog, Madonna and Will Smith used Higgsfield to augment existing content, experimenting with camera controls and visual effects, Mashrabov said. Over time, that experimentation evolved a creative guidance for marketers, moving from storyboards to finished video.

Today, about 85% of activity on Higgsfield is tied to brand campaigns, according to the company. Mashrabov said the platform has amassed more than 15 million creators in the past year and surpassed $250 million in annual recurring revenue, most of it driven by subscriptions. This comes as its most recent $80 million Series A extension, bringing the total funding to $130 million and values the startup at more than $1.3 billion, ADWEEK previously reported. 

“We’re not designing a platform just for prompt engineers or technical users,” Mashrabov said. “We want it to be accessible to a regular social media marketer.”

Higgsfield does not train its own foundation models from scratch. Pre-training is handled by the underlying models it integrates with, the company said, while Higgsfield post-trains and fine-tunes its systems using proprietary data sources.

Notably, Mashrabov doesn’t see Higgsfield competing most directly with companies like OpenAI or Adobe. Instead, he points to ByteDance—the global tech giant behind TikTok—as the real benchmark. Beyond the social platform itself, ByteDance operates a growing stack of video and marketing tools, from CapCut to its marketing cloud platform BytePlus.

“When I looked at CapCut, it’s way more suited for marketers and creators, than any other incumbent software, including Adobe and other giants,” he said. 

That philosophy extends to how Higgsfield differentiates itself from consumer‑facing AI tools such as Sora. Mashrabov draws a sharp line between platforms built for mass experimentation and those designed for professional production. Consumer products must drive generation costs toward zero to support scale, he said. Higgsfield, by contrast, is built for teams with budgets and deadlines, where speed and throughput are the real constraints.

“The key unlock is definitely the cost of the production, but also the velocity,” Mashrabov said. “On Higgsfield one person can easily produce 30 to 40 seconds of content every day. This velocity is important to stay on trend.”

Where Higgsfield fits—and where it doesn’t 

That focus on velocity has caught the attention of ad agencies experimenting with how AI fits into modern production workflows. 

“Higgsfield is a rapid prototyping engine for us–it lets our ideas become visible very fast. And for clients, that’s been a big game changer,” said Alex Foster, head of creative studio, Code and Theory. Higgsfield sits within the agency’s broader Creative Studios as is used for storyboard frames and making animatics with camera movements. Some of those prototypes ultimately graduate into final executions, after concepts are pressure‑tested before committing traditional production budgets.

“The fidelity [has] not always quite been there, but we saw the creative potential to it,” said David Dorsey, associate director, motion,  Code and Theory. Features like the lips sync function or camera controls, such as dolly zoom presets, offer more creative direction than text prompting alone, he noted. 

Still, Code and Theory doesn’t attempt to replace the entire production ecosystem with Higgsfield. 

“AI is still not at a stage where it’s perfectly indistinguishable from live action or real motion, both in physics, in human reaction and emotion,” Foster said. Legal risks, such as copyright infringement, also shape how agencies choose which AI tools to use: Platforms like Adobe Firefly, which are designed to be safer for commercial use, are often used to develop characters or brand assets early, while tools like Higgsfield are brought in later for creative control and developing campaigns faster.

A director from WPP’s innovation team who wasn’t authorized to speak to media told ADWEEK that Higgsfield appeals to teams without deep prompt‑engineering expertise. The platform’s stylistic presets reduce guesswork, allowing people to generate editorial‑style visuals—high‑contrast lighting, wide cinematic angles—without crafting complex prompts. In practice, the executive said, Higgsfield is often used internally or presented to clients as conceptual groundwork for larger campaigns rather than final output.

In internal testing, WPP often runs identical prompts across competing systems, finding that results vary based on how each model has been trained. The question becomes less about which model is seen as “the best” and more about which produces the right creative outcome with the least friction.

Zero production tax

For Mashrabov, that flexibility is the point. He isn’t interested in the AI slop currently clogging feeds—those repetitive, uncanny-valley ads that feel like cheap replicas of a mid-2000s infomercial. Instead, he’s betting that the next era of advertising will be won net‑new concepts that are only possible with AI, making it easier to localize and adapt content across demographics and languages.

“We decrease production tax to zero with AI,” Mashrabov said.

Looking ahead, Higgsfield has plans to expand into performance marketing, allowing performance data to feed back into the content generation process and guide which variations are worth producing. 

In an increasingly crowded AI video market—one that has pulled in more than $500 million in new funding in 2025 alone—Mashrabov is betting that marketers don’t need another black box but a system that helps ideas gain mass fast enough to matter.

“Marketing technology obviously has not been very popular across Silicon Valley venture firms,” Mashrabov said. “AI is going to create this renaissance opportunity specifically with the companies who advertise on social media.” 

Lady Gaga is lending her voice to Rocket and Redfin’s Super Bowl 60 campaign. The pop star appears in a teaser spot, released Tuesday, that offers an early look at the brands’ upcoming Big Game commercial.

The black-and-white, nearly four-minute video features Lady Gaga singing a reimagined version of “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?”—the iconic theme from Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood—in an intimate, behind-the-scenes studio performance.

The teaser leans into restraint rather than spectacle, capturing Gaga as she records a stripped-down, emotionally charged version of the song.

The candid and unpolished spot, shot with handheld camera work, gives the performance a sense of closeness that mirrors the song’s message of kindness and connection. Gaga makes the familiar tune unmistakably her own, reshaping it with warmth and subtlety.

The teaser marks the start of a larger campaign from Rocket and Redfin, anchored by a 60-second Super Bowl spot set to air during the Big Game.

The work builds on Rocket’s “Own the Dream” campaign from last year, which focused on the idea of finding home, and expands that message toward neighborliness and building strong communities.

Even if you’re not an NBA fan, you may have heard of the Kardashian Kurse: the fantastical yet consistent phenomenon in which NBA players who date Kardashians or Jenners lose their careers in the process.

Even if it can’t be proven, the curse has been fodder for Reddit debates and even serious statistical analysis.

Now, it’s the theme of Fanatics Sportsbook’s Super Bowl 60 ad starring Kendall Jenner, released on Tuesday.

The 30-second ad—the betting platform’s first in the Big Game—is the work of Fanatics Studios, an in-house venture between the brand and entertainment studio OBB media.

If part of the Kardashian women’s cultural endurance stems from their ability to poke fun at themselves, then the power of self effacement is in full effect here.

“Haven’t you heard the internet says I’m cursed? Any basketball player who dates me kinda hits a… rough patch,” says Jenner in the mock-instructional spot about “betting on the right guy.”

The 30-year-old model gives viewers a tour of various big-ticket toys—swimming pool, classic car, private jet—all amassed via her former boyfriends. Not by dating them, but by betting on them—or, perhaps, against them. 

In the spot, Jenner explains “how she’s turned her rumored effect on men into winning bets on Fanatics Sportsbook,” according to a press release.

After Jenner announces that she’s diversified her wagering into football, the ad touts an adjacent promotion called “Bet on Kendall,” which will let fans follow Jenner’s Super Bowl picks and then bet with or against her. The feature goes live after she discloses her choice team at midnight on January 28.

Getting back to that Kurse, believers point to the career stumbles of James Harden and Rashad McCants following their romances with Khloe Kardashian. Kendall Jenner has been romantically linked to no fewer than seven NBA stars, including Ben Simmons, Devin Booker, and Blake Griffin—but in the Super Bowl ad, she refers only to boyfriend numbers 1, 2, and 3. 

Considering that Lamar Odom, married to Khloe Kardashian from 2009 to 2016, battled serious drug addiction and was discovered unconscious in a Nevada brothel in 2015, the curse isn’t always good joke material. Fortunately, the ebullience of the Super Bowl can suspend conventions for a night. 

In a statement, Fanatics Betting and Gaming CMO Selena Kalvaria lauded Jenner’s ironic humor, saying she “transforms the lore of the Kardashian Kurse into something playful, participatory, and unmistakenly of the moment.”

The ad may also represent something of a redemption for Jenner, who starred in a disastrous 2017 ad, in which she singlehandedly relieves America’s racial tensions with a can of Pepsi.

Hellmann’s recently teased that it would be bringing a hot new mystery act dubbed Meal Diamond to Super Bowl 60. Now the man behind the sequins has been revealed as Lonely Island frontman and SNL alum Andy Samberg.

The comedian and actor channels his inner Neil Diamond in the brand’s 30-second Big Game commercial, “Sweet Sandwich Time.”

Like Hellmann’s 2025 Super Bowl spot, the ad is set in a deli and sees Samberg adapt the lyrics to Diamond’s 1969 hit “Sweet Caroline,” startling diners — including actor Elle Fanning — with a high-energy performance dedicated to his pre-show ritual: eating a sandwich made with Hellmann’s mayonnaise.

“I’ve long been known as a great lover of all things sandwich,” said Samberg, who helped write the lyrics for the ad, in a statement.

He added: “One could almost say it’s been my life’s great calling. So, when I was asked to take part in singing the sandwich gospel atop the highest peak of all monoculture, there was but one answer, and that answer was a simple, ‘Yes, I will do that with aplomb and joy upon this glorious day, and yes, please and thank you, and all praise to Neil Diamond.”

The ad was created by VML, WPP Unite, and Edelman, and directed by Tom Kuntz, who is famous for reinvigorating Old Spice through the iconic “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” 2010 Super Bowl campaign.  

Meal Diamond’s Time to Shine

The hero ad will be supported by creative across Hellmann’s social media platforms.

Hellmann’s is further spreading “Sweet Sandwich Time” beyond the screen with a trio of fan-facing activations.

The Unilever-owned brand has teamed up with Jimmy John’s on a limited-time Meal Diamond Deal, featuring a ham-and-cheese melt. It’s also taking the song to the streets with a one-day “Sing for a Sandwich” karaoke truck in New York, where fans can belt out the tune in exchange for a free meal.

For those at home, a shoppable karaoke experience with Amazon Fire TV will invite viewers to sing along from their sofa and unlock instant Hellmann’s discounts, whether they’re vocally gifted or not.

As part of its ongoing commitment to reducing food waste, Hellmann’s has also partnered with Food Recovery Network for the Big Game in San Francisco’s Bay Area to recover and redistribute surplus food to local charities and individuals.

“The Big Game is a stage for unforgettable moments and iconic performances, and for our sixth year, we’re bringing that same energy,” said Jessica Grigoriou, Unilever’s svp of condiments marketing in North America.

“Music, nostalgia, and food all have a unique way of creating shared moments, and ‘Sweet Sandwich Time’ is a catchy reminder that Hellmann’s can be the star of any sandwich — or any game day celebration.”

In 2025, Hellmann’s tapped into the nostalgia around the 1989 film When Harry Met Sally, recreating the iconic diner scene at New York’s Katz’s Deli with Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal.

In 2024, Unilever’s condiments business, led by Hellmann’s, generated roughly $3.25 billion in sales.

VML is reshaping its North American leadership bench, naming Jason Xenopoulos CEO of its New York office while elevating longtime creative leader Mel Routhier to North America chief creative officer, the agency told ADWEEK. The appointments are effective immediately.

The moves mark VML’s first major U.S. executive appointments of 2026 and follow a period of leadership transition in New York after the departure of Beth Ann Kaminkow and the retirement of Audrey Melofchik last year.

Xenopoulos will take on a dual role as CEO of VML New York and chief creative officer for global accounts, overseeing the agency’s flagship office while continuing to lead creative work for major multinational clients including Ford and Colgate.

For Xenopoulos, the combined remit reflects a long-held belief that creative leadership and business leadership shouldn’t be separated. He previously led VMLY&R’s New York office from 2018 to 2021 and most recently served as U.S. co-chief creative officer following the merger of VMLY&R and Wunderman Thompson.

“I’ve always thought of agencies as creative companies,” Xenopoulos told ADWEEK. “You can do one or two pieces of great creative work by just rolling up your sleeves and diving into the brief, but in order to do great creative work consistently and repeatedly, you have to build a truly creative company.”

Xenopoulos, who previously served as North America CCO at VML alongside Tom Murphy and has led the Ford account globally, said the timing of the dual role makes sense as agencies navigate rapid technological disruption and shifting client expectations.

“I think it’s even more vital that we keep that creative spirit at the heart of what the agency is today as we go through all of the technological changes around us,” he said.

VML New York, he added, is being positioned as more than just a large U.S. office. Xenopoulos outlined five priorities for the office this year: capability, creativity, growth, innovation, and culture.

“New York has an opportunity to really spearhead the future of VML, and in many ways, the future of the industry,” he said.

That includes pushing the agency’s breadth of offerings—spanning creative, experience design, commerce, and technology—while continuing to invest in creative ideas, even as performance marketing and AI-driven efficiency dominate more client conversations.

Alongside Xenopoulos’ appointment, VML promoted Routhier to North America chief creative officer, where she will partner with Tom Murphy to oversee creative across the region. Routhier joined VML during the pandemic to help build the Walgreens Boots Alliance business globally and later led the Chicago office, most recently holding senior creative leadership roles across both VML’s health practice and its global creative organization.

“I feel like I’m just joining a friend and working on a bigger stage to collectively kind of bear hug North America and help elevate the work,” Routhier said.

Creative leadership responsibilities will be split largely by geography, with Murphy focused on New York and the East Coast and Routhier overseeing the Midwest through the West, while global accounts cut across both leaders’ teams.

Routhier’s immediate focus is on presence and continuity rather than disruption. “I hope they just feel my presence first—as a human,” she said. “I lead with a lot of empathy. I lead with the mentality of ‘hire incredible people, then get out of the way.’”

She also addressed how VML’s “human-first” creative philosophy fits into a moment when AI tools are becoming more embedded in agency workflows. “Human-first doesn’t mean in the absence of technology,” Routhier said. “It just reminds us that people are the heartbeat of it all. The ideas come from people, and we make sure all those people sit at the center of it.”

The leadership changes come as WPP continues to reorganize parts of its global production and technology infrastructure, including the recent consolidation of production operations into WPP Production.

According to Routhier, the shift wouldn’t dilute creative craft or creative-production partnerships. “There’s no change in our commitment to craft and how we make great ideas,” she said.

Both leaders emphasized stability and collaboration following the New York leadership transition. Xenopoulos called Routhier “the right person” to step into the North America role, adding: “I honestly couldn’t think of anyone better. She has my full support and trust.”

Lay’s is betting its chips on the Big Game once again.

Today, Lay’s released a teaser for its upcoming Super Bowl 60 ad, showcasing a tiny, mysterious glimpse at what the chip brand has in store.

In a six-second teaser, a hand shoots up from a field, holding a potato. However, Lay’s is deliberately vague in its announcement of the ad, asking the audience to wonder whose hand is ultimately holding the spud.

“You’ll just have to keep your eyes peeled for the full ad leading up to the Super Bowl,” the brand’s press release teases.

The Super Bowl ad marks the second year in a row that the chip brand has appeared in the Big Game. And like last year’s “The Little Farmer,” this year’s ad takes viewers back to the farm and the potatoes that ultimately lead to Lay’s chips.

“There’s no better moment than the Super Bowl to continue the Lay’s story as we kick off our largest brand refresh in our history,” Hernán Tantardini, CMO, PepsiCo Foods U.S., said in a statement. “We’re taking fans back to the farm with ‘Last Harvest’ to show a glimpse of what makes America’s favorite chip so special. It’s a legacy built from the farm up, and we’re proud to share it on the biggest stage.” 

Last year’s “The Little Farmer,” brought to life by Academy Award-winning director Taika Waititi, told the story of one of the company’s more than 100 farms in the U.S. and Canada. The ad followed a young farmer as she plants a small potato that bounced from the back of a truck, raising it to be worthy of Lay’s chips.

The enterprise software firm Rippling will make its Super Bowl debut this year with a 30-second spot starring Tim Robinson, marking the SaaS company’s largest brand campaign to date and its first appearance during the Big Game.

The ad, which will run during Super Bowl LX in the third quarter, introduces a new campaign called “Rule Your Business.” The spot, created in partnership with the agency Tombras, features Robinson as a would-be corporate mastermind whose grand plans are repeatedly undone by clunky, fragmented business software. 

The Super Bowl ad is one of five planned spots starring Robinson, which will roll out across television, streaming services, social, and other channels throughout the year, according to vice president of brand Nick Wiesner. Rippling will also air the campaign during the Olympics, using the same creative framework to reach a broad, mainstream audience.

For Rippling, the Super Bowl marks a shift from performance-driven marketing toward mass awareness, according to Wiesner. The goal is to introduce Rippling to a wider set of businesses beyond its core tech audience.

“We’re at a stage now where we think the whole world should be operating on Rippling,” Wiesner said. “This is our opportunity to meet a bigger audience on a bigger stage and share that story.”

In the ad, Robinson’s character is positioned as an obsessive, increasingly unhinged executive whose vision is sabotaged not by competitors or market forces, but by basic operational failures: onboarding delays, laptop provisioning issues, and disconnected finance and benefits systems. The setup mirrors the frustrations Rippling is designed to solve by consolidating HR, IT, and finance tools into a single platform.

Robinson was a natural fit for the role, according to Wiesner, given his reputation for portraying characters pushed to the brink by minor but maddening problems. “When you imagine that mastermind being at his absolute wit’s end, the only answer was [Robinson],” he said.

“That visceral frustration is something business leaders really relate to,” Wiesner added.

While the Super Bowl spot introduces Rippling’s most broadly relatable products, including onboarding and benefits, later ads will focus more narrowly on offerings like payroll, IT management, and global HR. 

The campaign will also extend into out-of-home advertising, events, and social media, where Rippling plans to lean into Robinson’s cultural resonance. The actor, famous for cult comedies including I Think You Should Leave and HBO’s The Chair Company, previously starred in Totino’s’ 2025 Super Bowl spot, “Chazmo Finally Goes Home.”

The ad will air nationally during the Super Bowl, with additional linear placements in select markets including San Francisco, San Diego, Atlanta, and Minneapolis, alongside runs on Peacock.

“This is very intentionally about awareness and reach,” Wiesner said. “We’re not expecting someone to sign up the next day, but we want Rippling to be top of mind when they’re ready.”

You don’t need to be chronically online to have your social media feeds overtaken by TV’s Heated Rivalry. My 21-year-old niece, multiple work Teams chats, Donatella Versace, hetero hockey podcasters, Helen Hunt, the NYC mayor’s Snow Day counsel, the Olympic torch relay committee and Naomi Fry in The New Yorker have all declared their intention to “come to the cottage.”  

As a gay Canadian who never fully got into hockey but has devoured more than two dozen (mainly hockey-based) MM romances (receipts in my Goodreads), my excitement began with the first announcement last year. (Full disclosure: I attended the same Montreal high school as the show’s writer/director, Jacob Tierney, though our paths since our star turns in a senior production of Fiddler on the Roof have diverged significantly.)

The show’s virality is staggering. Across Youtube, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook, there have been more than 6,000 dedicated videos uploaded between Nov 15 and Jan 12 averaging 80,000 views each, with more than 6,200 engagements, according to research from the Weber Shandwick Analytics & Insights team using Tubular. A New York Times headline calls the “popularity of ‘Heated Rivalry’ a surprise even to TV executives.” Hits like these also often surprise marketers, who are left flat-footed. Case in point: no one at Harlequin Books foresaw the uptick in demand for Rachel Reid’s Game Changers novels, which are still frustratingly backordered on Amazon until the end of January.

It can be tempting to dismiss such cultural phenomena as flukes, but marketers have much to learn from successes like Heated Rivalry. Here are eight key lessons:

1. Community insights over trends

“What is the point of IP if you’re not respecting the people that made the IP valuable, which is the fans?” – Jacob Tierney (Writer/Director)

To say Heated Rivalry came out of nowhere is to ignore its foundation: a devoted fanbase. The six-novel series sold 650,000 copies before the show premiered, bolstered by active message boards, online reviews, and fan fiction. Tierney, who DMed author Rachel Reid directly to acquire the rights, recognized not just the quality of the material but the fervor of its fans. Marketers too often chase trends instead of tapping into communities with deep engagement. Niche stories can ignite mainstream excitement when handled with care. Heated Rivalry fans have been rewarded for their loyalty, creating a cycle of excitement between long-time readers and new viewers.

2. Passions, not demographics

“You’d never think it, but the baked-in audience for this is women. It’s wine moms. They love this stuff.” – Jacob Tierney

Streaming minutes for Heated Rivalry exploded from 30 million at launch to 327 million during its finale. This growth was driven by cisgender heterosexual women, who make up two-thirds of its audience. This shouldn’t be shocking. Female readers have always dominated the male/male (MM) romance book genre, citing its ability to equalize relationship dynamics and remove patriarchal tropes. Marketers often assume audiences must see themselves in characters. Instead, we must focus on connecting with their values, passions, and interests — not just gender or demographics.

3. Take more shots

“It is clearly a word-of-mouth sensation.” – Casey Bloys, chairman and CEO of HBO and HBO Max 

Heated Rivalry was made on a modest budget with relatively unknown actors, filmed in Canada, and supported by limited marketing. Its success proves cultural momentum and fan engagement outweigh flashy spending. Marketers often aim for “too big to fail” projects, diluting creativity to “hit every quadrant.” But taking more creative risks on smaller, targeted stories allows for authentic content with universal appeal.

4. Trust your creators

“They clearly know what they’re doing.” – Casey Bloys

Tierney credits Crave’s Canadian executives for funding the series without “death by a thousand studio notes.” And rightfully so. One potential collaborator reportedly suggested adding a female protagonist to broaden appeal. Too often, marketers micromanage creators instead of trusting their expertise. Tierney has proven success with Letterkenny and Shoresy.  It’s also a two-way street, and Tierney has confirmed that Heated Rivalry’s Season 2 budget will remain modest, ensuring he can retain creative control.

5. Real, complex inclusion

“Heated Rivalry’s Shane is autistic. If you didn’t notice, that’s the point.” – CBC Headline

Heated Rivalry doesn’t just focus on LGBTQ+ themes—it reflects intersectional stories. It portrays a Russian immigrant’s struggles, the lack of Asian representation in hockey, and includes Black, trans, and Latinx characters. The main character Shane is coded as autistic, but it’s never explicitly stated. For some, it’s deeply resonant; for others, it goes unnoticed. Inclusion feels natural, not performative—a model for marketers looking to connect with wider audiences. And it’s effective: one out of every dozen comments on Twitter/Reddit (via Tubular/WS A&I) includes a mention of “inclusion,” “representation,” and “feeling seen.”

6. Provoke, but follow through

“Come for the hot sex, stay for the warm love.” – Hudson Williams (Actor)

Headlines have underlined the show’s spice and nudity level, but it’s hardly racier than Bridgerton, Industry, or Outlander. It’s just different. Importantly, intimacy is not gratuitous but central to a plot that culminates in a satisfying happily ever after. Similarly, in marketing, you can lead with bold or provocative elements, but meaningful substance and a connection to your story is what drives long-term engagement.

7. The need for — and value of — joy

“This show is queer joy for adults.” – Jacob Tierney

In a bleak world, Heated Rivalry has been a balm for audiences, unabashedly embracing love and joy. Marketers often see value as transactional—solving problems—but joy itself is a value that enriches lives and strengthens emotional connections with brands.

8. Embrace the memes

“It’s very flattering to be on the receiving end of so much copyright infringement.” – Jacob Tierney

Fans have embraced Heated Rivalry with hilarious memes, song remixes, watch parties, fan edits, and homemade merch. Even the Canadian Olympic team is weighing in. Rather than shut it down, its creators are leaning into it, amplifying fandom instead of policing it. For marketers, co-creating with fans and empowering them to evangelize your brand is the way forward.

My genuine fear is that networks and producers are focused on replicating a ‘gay sports-themed show’ rather than uncovering the next underrepresented niche, where not just the quantity of people talking but the quality and intensity of their conversation have the power to fuel mainstream excitement and a viral hit. Marketers too have a similar chance to rethink how we approach culture, creativity, and community. Ignore these lessons, and you risk being frozen out—or stuck in the penalty box. 

Bosch released a teaser on Monday for its upcoming Super Bowl ad, revealing that celebrity chef Guy Fieri will star in the brand’s second consecutive Big Game appearance, albeit in an unexpectedly stripped-down fashion.

The teaser shows Fieri moments before a stylist shaves off his signature spiked blond hair and goatee, transforming him into what Bosch dubs “Just a Guy.” Following his trim, the clean-shaven, brown-haired version of the Food Network star looks almost aggressively ordinary. 

The short video ends before the makeover is complete, cutting to the Super Bowl airdate of Feb. 8 and positioning the transformation as the creative hook of Bosch’s in-game spot.

The reveal follows an unbranded social media tease from last week, when Fieri posted photos of himself sporting the subdued look without explanation. 

The move sparked confusion—and jokes—from fans and creators alike, including a comment from his son Hunter asking whether his dad had “started selling insurance.” Bosch will presumably connect the dots between Fieri’s transformation and the brand’s products in the Super Bowl spot itself.

The creative centers on Bosch’s ongoing effort to spotlight its home appliances and power tools under a unified consumer-facing message, using humor and celebrity to broaden awareness of the 139-year-old German brand in the U.S. market. The creative agency behind the ad is Droga5.

While Bosch has not disclosed which specific products will feature in the spot, the “Just a Guy” concept appears designed to play against Fieri’s outsized personality, suggesting that Bosch products can make everyday people feel more confident.

The campaign builds on Bosch’s broader Super Bowl strategy following its Big Game debut last year, when the brand ran an in-game ad starring Antonio Banderas alongside a “Macho Man” Randy Savage lookalike. That 2025 spot introduced a transformation-driven creative approach tied to Bosch’s long-running “Like a Bosch” platform, which emphasizes how the brand’s products can elevate everyday moments.

Bosch confirmed in December that it would return to the Super Bowl for a second straight year, citing early momentum from its debut and stronger brand awareness among U.S. consumers. The company has framed the Big Game as a cornerstone investment in its push to become a more familiar household name.