Outside of the game itself, the big spectacle at the Super Bowl is thought to be the commercials, but throughout the week leading up to the big game, there are actually a number of opportunities for brands to showcase the best they have to offer.

One of those brands is Starter, which is releasing a limited-edition collection for the Super Bowl and will have a presence at a number of activations in Las Vegas, including a pop-up experience store at Mandalay Bay from Feb. 7 though Feb. 10.

• Starter isn’t a stranger to the Super Bowl, but the big event is just an example of the brand’s evolution in the 21st century, which is being spearheaded by Carl Banks, former New York Giants linebacker and president of G-iii Sports.
• The two-time Super Bowl champion explained that Starter’s legacy hinges on how it stays relevant in spaces that go beyond sports.
• During Super Bowl week, Starter is also hosting a Pride event in partnership with the NFL and GLAAD, and a store takeover of Lids the Saturday before the game.

“As all things evolve—people’s sizes [and] style—we want to stay true to the DNA of who we are, but we look for smart ways to stay relevant,” Banks told Retail Brew.

Keep reading here.—KM

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There are a lot of reasons to get excited for Sunday’s Super Bowl: the fashion, the promise of spotting Taylor Swift or a bare-chested Jason Kelce, and oh yeah, the actual football game. But as fanatics of all things retail, we’re zeroing in on the snacks—particularly, the ads food and bev brands will air during the big game. We’ve rounded up some notable spots that have already debuted ahead of the championship, including a few first-timers.

• After a tough year for Bud Light, the beer brand debuted a lighthearted ad featuring a genie granting beer drinkers’ wishes. With the ad, VP Todd Allen told CNN, Bud Light aimed to “get back to the humor the brand has been known for.” Beer brands Coors Light, Michelob Ultra, and Budweiser have also debuted ads ahead of the game.
• Oreo brought in Kris Jenner to star in its first Super Bowl ad in a decade, using the phrase “Twist on it” (what side of the cookie the cream is on when it’s twisted, like the flip of a coin) to make major decisions throughout history.
• Actor Chris Pratt grew a mustache for his Pringles Super Bowl ad, in which he stars as a convenience-store clerk who evolves into the chip brand’s mascot, Mr. P.

Keep reading here.—EC

E.l.f. Cosmetics is betting that there will be demand for beauty content at this year’s Super Bowl. And that was even before the Kansas City Chiefs—and, therefore, Taylor Swift—secured their spot in the game.

The two-decade-old beauty brand, known for its repeated TikTok virality, ran its first regional Super Bowl campaign last year with a spot starring Jennifer Coolidge. That ad performed “way outside of our expectations,” according to CMO Kory Marchisotto, so this year, e.l.f. opted for a national buy—and an even bigger cast of celebrities.

“The reason we showed up at the Big Game last year is because we had a hypothesis that women were being underserved,” even though they represent a substantial share of Super Bowl viewers, Marchisotto told Marketing Brew. “After the game, we said, ‘How did we do on that hypothesis?’...Not only did people want us there, but they wanted more entertainment from e.l.f. They wanted us to put more people like Jennifer Coolidge on a big stage.”

While Coolidge isn’t in e.l.f.’s 2024 ad, another cultural powerhouse is: Judge Judy Sheindlin, aka Judge Judy.

Keep reading here on Marketing Brew.—AM