The X’s and O’s of Advertising During the Big Game

Key Takeaways:

The Big Game is still as important as ever, but real results are measured after the game ends.
Celebrity matters, but authenticity is stronger than star power.
The emotion of live sports allows for a deeper connection with audiences.

The Super Bowl is a cultural event that marketers have been using to reach consumers for decades. But as the advertising landscape continues to fragment, audibles must be called.

During an ADWEEK House: The Big Game group chat, industry leaders gathered to discuss the continued relevance—and evolving strategies—of advertising during the sporting event.

A powerful launchpad

The marketers on the panel agreed that the Super Bowl has evolved from a singular event to a day that can tell a brand’s story and lay a foundation for long-term relationships with consumers.

Denise Campbell, VP of marketing strategy, U.S. oncology, and enterprise partnerships at Novartis, spoke about using the Big Game to increase prostate cancer awareness and then drive engagement through a larger campaign, especially because health decisions take time to make.

“For us, the Super Bowl is really about trying to disrupt the conversation [about health] and get people to take that first micro-step versus going all the way to purchase,” she said. [17:45] The full campaign includes an online educational hub and screenings with NFL teams.

J.P. Bittencourt, SVP of marketing for sparkling beverages at PepsiCo, agreed and added that while a Big Game spot feels like a culmination of a lot of work, it’s really just the beginning.

“The brands that are able to have the courage and focus to continue to support the campaign past the Super Bowl is really where I think you’ve seen the evolution in the last couple of years, and certainly that’s where we’ve seen our success,” he said. [4:40]

Authentic celebrity partnerships

Since 2018, the majority of Super Bowl ads have featured at least one celebrity. It’s a tried-and-true strategy, but authenticity has become more important than pure star power.

Olympia Portale, senior director of crackers marketing and portfolio strategy at Mondelez International, shared the decision to use a trio of celebrities—Bowen Yang, Jon Hamm, and Scarlett Johansson—in the 2026 spot for Ritz.

“Ritz is on a modernization journey,” she said. “So, the way we thought about celebrities was really about who is going to tap into different components of the cultural conversation,” she said. [6:47] The trio were intentional choices aimed to make the classic cracker feel like a “modern savory icon” and introduce it to a new generation of consumers.

Garrett Smith, agent of endorsements and voiceover at UTA, said celebrities pick brands that feel like a “fit” and want to be involved.

“Bowen was very much involved in the creative process,” he said. [8:20] “The talent takes these [spots] seriously. They want them to succeed. They want them to do well.” [27:52]

“I think the authenticity piece is super important, especially if you’re targeting a younger audience,” said Margaret Johnson, CCO and partner at Goodby, Silverstein & Partners. [9:12] Johnson highlighted building a Cheetos campaign with rapper and actress Megan Thee Stallion, who is very public about it being her favorite snack. It was an authentic fit that made sense for the brand and Stallion. [9:25]

The unique connection of sports

While the Super Bowl pulls in the biggest audience of any sporting event (124.9 million viewers in 2026), the panelist agreed that live sports offer marketers strong platforms to reach consumers.

Lauren Griewski, head of Chase Media Solutions at JPMorgan Chase, talked about the emotional connection audiences have with sports. “The emotion around live sports is very high,” she said. “In highly emotive moments, people are more likely to remember a relationship that they have with a brand.” [23:14] The tension and drama of sports create a focused audience that brands can leverage.

For Indy Khabra, co-founder and co-CEO of Livewire, he sees sports as IP that can be used in other media. Livewire, a global gaming marketing company, recently teamed with the NFL to release a 21-episode docuseries on the NFL’s YouTube channel called “NFL Race to the End Zone.”

Because gaming has become so immersed in culture, it’s an authentic way for marketers to engage audiences. “From an integrated marketing perspective, whether that’s a retail media network or whether that’s a brand, we’re seeing gaming showing up as that extension, but also within the ecosystem there’s multiple different ways to play,” Khabra said. [31:56]

• JP Bittencourt, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Sparkling Beverages, PepsiCo
• Denise Campbell, Vice President, Marketing Strategy, US Oncology and Enterprise Partnerships, Novartis
• Margaret Johnson, Chief Creative Officer and Partner, Goodby Silverstein & Partners
• Lauren Griewski, Head of Chase Media Solutions, JPMorganChase
• Indy Khabra, Co-Founder and Co-CEO, Livewire
• Olympia Portale, Senior Director, Crackers Marketing & Portfolio Strategy, Mondelez International
• Garrett Smith, Agent, Endorsements and Voice Over, United Talent Agency
• Will Lee, Chief Executive Officer, ADWEEK

The article has been written in partnership with ADWEEK House events.