The 3 Best Marketing Campaigns From the 2025 Super Bowl

The TV isn’t the only screen Americans were looking at during the Super Bowl. With watchers using their smartphones to track social media updates, circulate memes from the game, or message friends or family also watching, Twix knew what to do.

The chocolate brand put together a clever marketing campaign, Second Screen Staredown, which invited fans to stare at the Twix website from their smartphones during the Super Bowl ad breaks. Anyone who successfully participated in the staredown then had the chance of winning two gold bars of Twix chocolate.

• Why it worked: Your marketing campaign will be less effective if you fail to grasp user behaviors. Because Twix knew how its target audience would behave during the game, the company could then target specific touchpoints (i.e. smartphone screens) and use them to grab the attention of as many consumers as possible.
• What you can learn: To appeal to your audience, conduct market research and use your findings to create tailor-made marketing content. This could be as simple as posting when you know that they’re most active online, or sharing content on their favorite social media channels!

Imagine what it’d be like if you woke up in the stadium on the day of the big game. Well, Courtyard by Marriott brought this fantasy to life with its Super Bowl Sleepover campaign – also bringing the hotel chain over 329 million impressions on social media.

For the first time ever, Courtyard created a stadium sleepover experience inside of the Super Bowl arena. To win a stay at the temporary private suite with a field-level view of the game, five teams from across the country had to spot the real Jason Kelce (the famous American footballer) out of 25 lookalikes.

Marriott featured the lucky winners, Maris & Donnavan, through its social media channels. There, viewers could see inside the stadium’s private suite and check out the impressive view of the Super Bowl field.

• Why it worked: If you want to stand out on social media in a highly saturated market, creativity is key. By turning part of the Super Bowl stadium into a hotel suite, and putting together an amusing lookalike content, Marriott was left with unique, unforgettable content to share across its online channels and make lasting impact.
• What you can learn: Give gamification marketing a go to increase audience engagement. Similarly to Marriott’s lookalike contest, you could create a unique contest or giveaway that encourages consumers to interact with your brand online.

➡️ Need some social media ideas for your hotel business? Find them in our guide to the top hotel social media strategies

Now here’s a collaboration you didn’t see coming. For the 2025 Super Bowl, antacid brand TUMS joined forces with fantasy football company DraftKings and created the Fantasy Foodball Pool.

But what inspired this unusual collaboration? In the leadup to the game, TUMS conducted a survey which found that 1 in 4 Super Bowl viewers are most focused on food during the game, so the Fantasy Foodball Pool was born to celebrate these passionate foodies.

In a free online game, players could create a lineup of their favorite food and drinks, spanning unique categories like their New Orleans food picks to their sweet treats of choice. Once the voting was over, all participants had the opportunity to win a share of $40,000 in total cash prizes. 

• Why it worked: TUMS and DraftKings understood their audience clearly. Because they knew that a percentage of Super Bowl watchers were most excited about the food, they could then create a unique experience appealing to their audience’s passion.
• What you can learn: To appeal to your audience’s unique tastes, don’t forget about the power of the senses. Whether you also use the power of food like TUMS and DraftKings did, or opt for an evocative music track or color, you can create positive associations with your brand during Super Bowl season.

While you may not have the same budget as the brands I’ve just listed, that doesn’t mean you can’t capitalize from the Super Bowl buzz too. Here are some strategies you can use to increase your brand’s reach and acquire new customers as the game takes place:

• Use cultural moments to your advantage – When the Super Bowl blacked out in 2013, Oreo saw the mishap as a major marketing opportunity. The brand took to social media and tweeted the tagline “you can still dunk in the dark.” As you watch the game in real time, see if you can create responsive social content that aligns with what’s on everyone’s mind.
• Get your audience involved – Whether you’re creating a fun Super Bowl poll or inspiring people to share their user-generated content, make sure that you’re encouraging audiences to take part in the conversation to boost your brand’s engagement online.
• Integrate other touchpoints into your strategy – Since you won’t have the budget for an in-game commercial, think about other ways to increase your brand’s online presence. You could collaborate with football fan micro influencers, create a themed giveaway via email or social channels, or forge a strategic partnership with another brand.

Remember, a limited budget shouldn’t hold you back from creating a fantastic Super Bowl marketing campaign. By showing awareness of audience behaviors during the game, appealing to the senses, or applying a touch of creativity, you too can create a moment that will help you achieve your business goals.