Gen Z and Super Bowl marketing—what brands can learn from the NFL's strategy

Published in Ad Age

As Gen Z is one of the most sought-after audiences (and unofficial arbiters of what is cool), simply running an ad during the Super Bowl might not do much to boost a brand’s credibility or cool factor with Gen Z. As the NFL starts to figure out how to bring more younger viewers into the mix, they’ve taught us a few lessons about how brands can more effectively connect with Gen Z during this year’s Super Bowl.

Find storylines that reach beyond sports

Statistically, Gen Zers are less likely to tune into live coverage of the Super Bowl, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t following along. What’s been key for the NFL is ensuring that the Super Bowl transcends being solely a sporting event and takes shape as a “cultural moment.” This means facilitating and leaning into storylines that reach far beyond sports.

In 2023, we saw the storylines of the “Kelce Bowl” and Rihanna’s pregnancy reveal, and I’d be foolish not to mention the Taylor Swift of it all during the 2023 season. More young people than ever have tuned into this NFL season as there’s “something bigger” (in their eyes) at play. And while they might not care about a football game, there’s a good chance they’ll care about—and not want to miss out on—cultural moments that happen alongside it.

The bottom line: For Gen Z, the Super Bowl is more a backdrop for major cultural moments to happen than a sporting event.

What does this mean for brands? Follow the storylines. Watch and listen to the conversations happening adjacent to the Super Bowl. That’s where the gold mine is. Messaging about prepping for your Super Bowl party probably won’t resonate with Gen Z but tapping into “battling brothers” in 2023 probably would have.

Brands should be on the lookout for what Gen Z is talking about adjacent to the NFL right now. Watching and listening on social media as the game gets closer (and while it’s happening) will likely be fruitful sources of information and inspiration.

Go behind the scenes

In last year’s Super Bowl, and sports content in general, we’ve seen a major shift toward more behind-the-scenes content. There are now social media managers in team locker rooms, iPhones on tripods at practice with “questions of the day” and social accounts dedicated to athlete’s fashion (such as @nflstyle). While sports social media used to be a place for highlights, it’s now a place to pull back the curtain, see the inner workings and get to know players as normal people.

In 2023, the days leading up to the Super Bowl weren’t highlighted by press conferences and strategic talk about the game, but tiny mic interviews asking about players’ first celebrity crush, TikToks highlighting the players with the best “griddy” and players’ pre-game hype playlists. This kind of content has allowed the NFL to draw throughlines between sports and things such as music, celebrity, fashion and humanity.

The bottom line:  In the same way that Gen Z is more likely to connect to a cultural storyline, they’re more likely to connect with a personality, exclusive access or “celebrities, they’re just like us” moments.

What does this mean for brands? Think about behind-the-scenes or the current angles that make sense for your brand to facilitate during this time (fashion, music, celebrity, personality, etc.). Brainstorm around elements of coverage and commentary leading up to the game that could be an opportunity for your brand to make a splash. Then, find ways to make that content uniquely and specifically tailored for the social media space.

Creators are the new commentators

I’m not sure that this will be shocking, but Gen Zers don’t know or care who Jim Nantz is. Using the voices that NFL has always used as the voice of the Super Bowl, and the league in general, won’t do much to connect with Gen Z.

Instead, use the voices that Gen Z knows and loves to be their “commentators” on Super Bowl weekend. We’ve already identified that the game itself isn’t the most important part of Super Bowl Sunday for Gen Z, so they don’t need (or want) football experts and analysts to tell them about it. Gen Zers are getting their information and entertainment from social media, and just putting the “talking heads” of the NFL on social media won't be enough to connect.

In 2023, we saw the explosion of content creators “covering” and commenting on all things Super Bowl. TikTok hosted the “TikTok Tailgate” at its content studio, which was attended by some of the most popular creators. Instead of traditional media outlets being the source of all the information, outlets such as Barstool Sports made noise with their coverage and their own “content house.” Brands were partnering with content creators to sponsor and chronicle their Super Bowl weekend experiences. This resulted in some of the most prolific social media coverage of the Super Bowl.

The bottom line: Utilizing the voices of content creators who are already connecting with Gen Z can bring Super Bowl coverage to Gen Z in ways they care about on the platforms they’re using.

What does this mean for brands? Don’t underestimate the value that content creators can bring to your brand during the Super Bowl window. Understand what creators your audience connects with and cares about and strategize ways to leverage these individuals and voices during this moment in time. Whether it’s branded partnerships, behind-the-scenes coverage or general commentary, there’s still a lot of untapped potential in the content creator landscape, and it’s almost guaranteed to continue to grow.