The winners and losers from Super Bowl LV: Brand edition

With some companies opting to not air ads for the big game, and others eager to jump into the conversation online, which comms pros had a night to match Tom Brady’s seventh Super Bowl win?

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It was a historic night. After a season rife with disruptions from the COVID-19 crisis, punctuated by a limited attendance and many brands foregoing their big airtime plays this year, it was a remarkable evening to cap the National Football League season.

The Super Bowl is one of the few annual events that attracts a broad national viewership, with almost half of all households tuning in last year for the big game. The top ad spots usually come at a premium, but this year many brands opted to do something different.

Budweiser announced it wouldn’t air an ad for the game this year, a perennial presence with its Clydesdales, and instead said it would spend its ad money on organizations working to help vaccinate the public against COVID-19. However, plenty of brands were ready to pounce on the opportunity, even without the big game TV ad.

WE LOVE SO-SHELL MEDIA BUT DIDN'T WANT TO PAY FOR A COMMERCIAL

— Velveeta (@EatLiquidGold) February 7, 2021

No commercial from us this year, after 2020 no one’s forgotten that beer exists.

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