Super Bowl is Super Social

Feb 2, 2011 by Stephanie

Apparently I fell a bit short in my Social Media Predictions for 2011. I said that I thought some brand would gamify their Super Bowl presence, inviting fans to join some kind of social game in the weeks leading up to the big game. To my knowledge, no brand has gone quite that far, but there are lots of interesting social media executions happening in advance of this weekend’s big game.

Audi’s Hashtag Hype

In what may be the biggest reach ever for a brand hashtag, Audi will debut an as-yet announced hashtag during their ad in the first break of the game. They’re hoping to capture (and capitalize on) the chatter which will inevitably follow the ad, branding it with their mark and also making it really easy to track. As a close watcher of all things Twitter, this is the Super Bowl ad, and buzz afterwards, I’m most eager to see.

Race to the Mercedes Finish

Mercedes-Benz USA is fielding four teams of drivers who will compete over a two-day race, starting today, fueled by tweets from their supporters. Each tweet or follow earns the team points which will propel them towards Dallas. I’ve met racer Meredith Sinclair and so am happy to be supporting #MBteamGL - go Meredith! The race is just a lead-up to the company’s Super Bowl ad; if it’s entirely disconnected from the ad it will be a shame, here’s hoping they’ll incorporate the race in some way to bring the race community in.

Budweiser Has a Big Budget

Budweiser, the game’s biggest advertiser this year with a $5 million budget, has created a Facebook campaign for Bud Light giving fans the ability to choose one of the ads to be shown during the game. It’s a pretty simple concept but has undoubtedly fueled growth of the page to nearly a million fans, given that you must Like the page to vote.

Pepsi and Doritos Team Up

Doritos has done consumer-generated Super Bowl spots for a few years, and last year Pepsi put all of their Super Bowl budget into social media. This year these two early adopters (they’re also sibling brands) team up for the “Crash the Super Bowl” ad contest. A new twist gives the fans who create the top ads extra cash and prizes, and consumer voting will help determine the top ads (besides the traditional ad ranking). While the contest itself is primarily traditional (no Facebook voting – seems odd), the voting will undoubtedly be fueled by the fan-creators’ tweets and Facebook pleas.

Coors Light Goes Mobile

A 2-D bar code appears on Super Bowl-branded packages for Coors Light, offering consumers easy entry into a sweepstakes for hundreds of prizes. Mobile company SpyderLynk created the branded SnapTags, and consumers use their smartphones to snap a photo of the tag and send it in. And in a very cool twist, customization of the tags allows for regional or store-specific prizing. This level of specificity, made easy with the use of the 2-D bar code, will certainly be part of more promotions in the future.

Papa John’s Gives It Away

No stranger to social media, Papa John’s will leverage their 1.5 million Facebook fans to generate interest in their free pizza giveaway. During the game, everyone who orders gets a chance to win a pizza, and if the game goes into overtime, everyone who registers will get a free pizza. Yes, they might spend a bundle on that gamble, but they’re not spending for a $3 million TV spot – so why not? Legions of loyal fans will tell their friends and at minimum they’ll generate tons of new members for their rewards club.

Groupon’s Big Gamble

Flush with cash, Groupon will join the big guys with a $2.3 million ad buy in the pre-game lineup. Not sure yet whether this will be a socialized ad, but Groupon is definitely a major social commerce player, so this is also one to watch.

Regardless of who you’re rooting for (I’m a disappointed Bears fan so will be rooting against Green Bay), this promises to be an interesting game, for marketers anyway. Comment here if you know of other cool social executions for football fans. Please don’t comment if your only aim is to make me feel bad about Chicago’s tragic loss.