After watching Tom Brady lead the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to victory and securing his seventh Super Bowl title, it was evident that social media played a huge role in the viewing experience this year. In past years, the game would usually be the trending topic on platforms like Twitter and Instagram while numerous stories from Super Bowl parties could be seen across Snapchat. This year, however, with the lack of parties, social media stole the show in a different way and multiple brands utilized social media campaigns tied into ads that aired during the game.



One of the many social media tie-ins was between Scotts Miracle-Gro, as mentioned in our preview blog, and Tik Tok. The ad featured multiple celebrity cameos, including Kyle Busch and Leslie Baker from “The Office,” showing off their ideal backyards. The commercial was also a raffle that gave viewers a chance to call in and enter for a chance to win “the backyard of their dreams.” The end of the commercial featured actor John Travolta and his daughter doing a Tik Tok dance in their backyard. Leading up to game day, Scotts Miracle-Gro started their campaign on Tik Tok and Instagram with a sweepstakes message which was then amplified to a large audience during the game.

Another popular tie in this year was Mountain Dew’s ad for their new watermelon flavored soda that featured pro wrestler turned actor John Cena. The commercial showed John Cena driving through a town covered in bottles of Mountain Dew’s new drink which leads him to tell viewers that anyone that correctly guesses the number of Mountain Dew bottles in the ad will have a chance to win $1 million. Viewers entered the sweepstakes through Twitter and had to use the branded hashtag, a clever way to get the brand and new flavor to trend. Mountain Dew not only teased the campaign and sweeps leading up to the game, but took their game-day commentary a step further by tying in the fan who managed to run across the field.



Twitter also launched their fourth annual Brand Bowl, judging which brands managed to garner the most buzz. This year's Brand Bowl MVP was Pepsi, whose tweet regarding the Halftime Show they sponsored drew the largest share of conversation on Twitter during the game. It is important to note that Pepsi did not air a brand related spot this year. Another winner during the Brand Bowl was Budweiser, who also notably opted out of airing a nationally televised ad. They simply posted a short twenty second clip on Twitter advertising a new sweepstakes that they're running. This tweet ended up being the most popular campaign without having to spend on a nationally televised spot.

Snapchat also generated some buzz this past Sunday. Alongside their usual Super Bowl themed filters, this year viewers had a chance to win free Cheetos just by holding up their camera to the screen during Cheetos’ ad that featured Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunis, and Shaggy.

Overall, brands are continuing year after year to maximize the power of social media when executing campaigns for the big game. Although many have continued to invest in airing televised spots, it is evident that this is not the only vertical that can generate brand awareness and keep consumers engaged. Whether it be through sweepstakes, celebrity appearances, or other clever tactics to get consumers talking, social media marketing is a powerful strategy that when paired with a commercial or even launched as a standalone campaign, can reach consumers in a compelling way.

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