The Super Bowl LIX is still fresh in fans’ memory, with the Philadelphia Eagles taking the win in what was deemed a wipeout game. But for many viewers, the real game is happening between plays.
We’re talking about the ads. Marketing at the Super Bowl has been a tradition for decades, and this year is no different. Brands across the US fork out millions of dollars for a coveted 15-30 second slot, hoping to score big with a global audience. And score they do – an Ipsos survey found that 80% of viewers watch the ads during the Super Bowl, and a fourth watch them “attentively”.
Throw in a half-time show, and other famous attendees, and you have a swirling pot of American pop culture.
The Super Bowl is a great example of marketing en masse that can work. So, what can you learn from the Super Bowl in 2025? And how can you apply it to your B2B PR strategies?
From humble beginnings to marketing mayhem
As a Brit, I wasn’t aware of the Super Bowl until my adult years. But across the pond, it’s a big part of the country’s history. The Super Bowl started in 1967 when the champions of the American Football League (AFL) took on the champions of the National Football League (NFL). During the match, 51.18 million people watched from home, while in 2025, 120 million were expected to tune in.
Back then, a 30-second spot cost $37,500 on NBC and $42,500 on CBS – $400,000 in today’s money. According to Fox Sports VP Mark Evans, this year’s slots have been selling for a record $8 million, up from last year’s $7 million.
In the 60’s, these ads were just regular commercials, but as the popularity of the Super Bowl grew, more brands took notice and put more effort into their submissions. This created the cultural phenomenon of the Super Bowl ad.
“The Taylor Swift Effect”
The Super Bowl has always had star-studded guests in attendance, but in recent years, one celebrity has managed to trump them all.
As a certified Swiftie, I’ll confess: I didn’t know the Kansas City Chiefs existed a few years ago. Yet I was up at 1am on a Monday cheering them on. Why? Two words: Taylor Swift.
Since Swift first graced a Chiefs game in 2023, and began dating the Chief’s tight-end Travis Kelce, she’s unlocked a whole new playbook for NFL viewership. Her attendance at games sparked anger and controversy about the gender divide in American football. There were even rumours that the relationship was all a ruse to boost Biden’s ratings for the 2024 Presidential Election.
Falon Fatemi wrote about “The Taylor Swift Effect” in Forbes last year, and the stats don’t lie: Swift’s attendance at one of the games saw 27 million viewers tune in, the most for a Sunday game since the previous Super Bowl, and generated $331 million worth of value for the Chiefs team.
Last year, Swift’s Super Bowl attendance was expected, but it wasn’t part of any brand’s longer-term comms plan. This year, brands were prepared to capitalise on the tidal wave of swifties tuning in.
Okay, so what does this have to do with B2B PR?
It might sound like the weirdest crossover you’ve heard this week, but hear me out. We can take away lots of B2B PR lessons from the parallels between Swift and Super Bowl advertising.
1. People love people
Before Taylor Swift was selling out stadiums, she began her career talking to her fans directly on social media, even going as far as inviting them to her home. This cemented Swift as one of the most successful singer-songwriters of a generation, because her fans connect with her on a personal level.
For Super Bowl ads, the sentiment is similar. Using well-known celebrities authentically creates familiarity for viewers, leading to greater engagement. Betty White’s Snickers ad back in 2009 is enshrined in Super Bowl history with her “You’re not you when you’re hungry” feature in American minds for years to come.
What does this mean for B2B PR? Well, people love people. Personable stories can help boost your business in front of the right audiences by telling them insights they wouldn’t have learned by themselves. B2B brands often focus on corporate messaging, but today’s decision makers want brands that feel human. So, tell real stories by real people and embrace transparency to stand out.
2. Big audiences versus the right audience
Super Bowl commercials cost a dime, but the real cost goes beyond the ad slot. Teams are working on campaigns a year in advance, preparing with consumer research, starting soft launches before the big day, along with relevant marketing and PR. But does the ROI pay off? It’s hard to say.
Swift has a targeted fanbase, and has cultivated a loyal group that supports her every move and organically grows her fanbase for her – the testimonials are to be longed for.
For B2B brands, reaching the right audience is more effective than trying to cast your net wide. Businesses should place their trust in more niche PR strategies, with thought leadership in key titles, industry panels at events, and targeted media placements, rather than trying to chase mass-market awareness.
3. Building brand authenticity and loyalty
Some of the best Super Bowl ads create emotional connections with their viewers, leaving lasting effects for years. A great example of this was Always’ ad in 2015 with its ‘#likeagirl’ campaign. Through thought-provoking storytelling, this ad created impacts beyond the Super Bowl.
Swift also uses emotional storytelling by using her own experiences in her songs to allow fans to feel connected to her. Despite the lyrics reflecting her own life, fans can still apply the learnings to their own lives and feel a part of something bigger, showing the craft behind Swift’s approach to songwriting.
For B2B PR, the comms often feels transactional, but brands that build community and expert networks drive that long-term loyalty we’re all striving for. By investing in relationships, and not just exposure, B2B businesses can create better outreach for themselves.
The final touchdown
We’ve seen that Super Bowl ads do well at having short-term impact on viewers, putting brand names into their heads at the right times. Swift takes the more long-term approach, using engagement tactics she’s used with her fans since day one, like the “easter eggs” she plants in her songs and videos. B2B PR should aim for the latter – and I don’t mean leaving clues behind in your press releases.
You can use B2B PR to influence and engage at the right levels by leveraging authenticity, consistency, and the right audience. B2B brands don’t need Super Bowl-sized budgets or the stardom of Taylor Swift to make a lasting impact. They just need to tell authentic and different stories, put themselves out there, and build trust and authority with their audience.
We can help with your B2B PR strategy. Get in touch
Written by Annabelle Kiff, Senior Communications Executive at Definition