Why Your Super Bowl Ad Should Be an Experience

Four Marketing Tactics to Stretch Big Game Investments Well Beyond the Pricey 30- or 60-second Tv Spot. 
 

- ED Horne

Over the next few weeks, football fans across the country will debate the nuances of this year’s Super Bowl ads. Get tips on how to make the best nacho dip. Weigh in on social media and relive game highlights from Super Bowls past. All of which can be done from the comfort of their homes and offices.

But a select (well, roughly a million) few are preparing for the experience of a lifetime. A nine-day extravaganza of sports, music, food, and even fashion rolled into one. And while the power of a well-crafted Big Game Ad is undeniable, the Big Game Activation is on the rise. The Super Bowl has become the ultimate proving ground for unique brand experiences.

Take, for example, (our client) Marriott International. Now in its sixth year as an NFL partner, the world’s largest hospitality company will transform The Grove in Houston into the “Texans House presented by Courtyard,” a uniquely Texan hospitality venue featuring local food, a musical performance by American Authors, NFL meet-and-greets, private member events and nightly entertainment. It’s also bringing back Courtyard’s “Super Bowl Sleepover Contest,” which will see two winners spend the night in a custom-built hotel room inside NRG Stadium. They’ll be at the game-with a view of the 50 yard line-before anyone else shows up.