America's Game
Advertising during the Super Bowl is no longer just about buying a thirty-second spot; it’s about delivering a branded experience fans can’t get anywhere else.
Last year’s Super Bowl had a record 127.7 viewers with nearly half of viewers most interested in the ads. Knowing this, retailers have some unique opportunities to engage with a wide spectrum of shoppers, which is why the modern 30-second ad spot costs a record $8 million.
Retailers are looking for additional ways to participate beyond a single ad buy. For retailers, that shift from “ad placement” to “experience design” has major implications for how they show up during football season, both at the stadium and in‑store.
Big‑League Partnerships Reshaping Retail
Abercrombie & Fitch signed a multi-year NFL fashion partnership, becoming the league’s first ever fashion partner. As Daniel-Yaw Miller writes for SportsVerse, the deal is a smart move for both parties and marks a sharp turn from Abercrombie’s “most hated retailer” days to a full‑fledged comeback story. For the NFL, the partnership brings fashion credibility; for Abercrombie, it offers a lifestyle platform that stretches from the stadium tunnel to the store fitting room, with curated collections that are cocreated with NFL players instead of just another run of logo tees.
Players like Amon-Ra St. Brown, Fred Warner, and CeeDee Lamb are some of the latest NFL stars to model and promote Abercrombie’s new apparel.
A usual suspect, Nike Signed a Megadeal to Supply Uniforms to the NFL through 2038. Recognized as the largest sponsorship in apparel across sports, it highlights how league partnerships deliver not just exposure but legitimacy. The Nike deal highlights how league partnerships deliver not just exposure but legitimacy. Building on 12 years as the exclusive on‑field provider, Nike is doubling down on being part of every game rather than competing for a single Super Bowl ad spot, sending a long‑term credibility and trust signal that no one‑off commercial can match.
Regional Activations
Regional activations like the one between Whataburger x Academy Sports + Outdoors, football-season tailgate collection show how even local players see football as a “must-have” marketing channel. The exclusive tailgating line of merch includes jerseys hats and shoes, as well as chairs, tables, and blankets, turning fandom into a full‑body, full‑house expression that can live in parking lots, living rooms, and store aisles alike. These collaborations prove football is no longer just a national media moment; it’s a local, omnichannel season brands can build into merchandising, promotions, and in‑store storytelling.
From Tailgates to Sailgates
In the week leading up to the Super Bowl, big brands are sponsoring pre‑bowl events from a Pro Bowl flag football game sponsored by Verizon to an Innovation Summit sponsored by YouTube.
Across NFL markets, brands are experimenting with sailgates, tailgate trucks, and luxury bathrooms, proving that creativity and not just logo placement is what wins attention and social shares. The Inner Harbor Marina in Baltimore offers a Ravens “sailgate” experience where boaters can dock for pre‑game fun from their boats, enjoying all the tailgate energy without the game‑day traffic, just a short walk from Camden Yards and M&T Bank Stadium. In Seattle, the Seahawks’ partnership with FRS Clipper as the official travel partner of Seahawks Canada turns the journey itself into part of the experience, helping thousands of Canadian fans make the trip in a way that feels coordinated, branded, and memorable.
Smirnoff challenged the status quo of the standard tailgate last year by combining tailgating and fashion into an experiential event designed to reflect the changing demographics of NFL fans. Toyota, an official NFL partner, unveiled its Ultimate Tailgate Tundra, “an audio-visual powerhouse for sports fans and adventurers” including five 55-inch weatherproof outdoor screens..
Building Brand Memories
When Even the Bathroom Becomes a Brand Touchpoint
Lipton Hard Iced Tea partnered with Founders Agency to replace standard, dismal portable restrooms with V.I.PEE, a luxury restroom activation that turned a basic necessity into the main attraction. The experience delivered clean, high‑touch bathrooms that had fans lining up, snapping selfies, and sharing content instead of getting aggravated in long porta‑potty queues.
At the Super Bowl level, hospitality programs and VIP clubs now tout dedicated, private, or upgraded restrooms as part of their premium offer, alongside better seats, lounges, and food, to signal comfort, exclusivity, and care for the fan experience. When even the bathroom becomes a branded moment, it quietly raises the bar for what fans expect from every touchpoint, from stadium concourses to in‑store fitting rooms, mall restrooms, and the overall retail environment.
From Game‑Day Buzz to Year‑Round Experience
The Super Bowl is not just a sporting event; it’s a cultural phenomenon that shapes conversations, fashion, and branding far beyond football, in the U.S. and globally. As brands transform every part of the fan journey, from sailgates and tailgate trucks to luxury bathrooms, consumers start to expect that same level of thoughtfulness and entertainment in stores, online, and everywhere they encounter a brand.
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