Are You Game?

This Super Bowl Rings In New Traditions And Different Ad Brands As Social Media May Give A Hint To The Game Winner

By Cecil Merkerson III

“How are you watching the game?”

With the world still amid a global pandemic, fans watching the broadcast of Super Bowl LV are in for a very different experience than they are accustomed to as they plop down in their seats this year. As the Kansas City Chiefs take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, it will have the lowest attendance ever (some 25,000 fans will attend Tampa, Florida, this year amid COVID-19 guidelines and restrictions).

Traditional big parties for the game will have to be different this year. As people on social media platforms are finding creative ways to engage and enjoy the game has been challenging. ZOOM parities will be in high activity with family and friends. As The Weeknd will be the main event, other acts will also take the stage. Miley Cyrus will also perform in the first-ever TikTok tailgate, the NFL’s pregame event for 7,500 healthcare workers attending the big game. Before kickoff, R&B vocalist Jazmine Sullivan and country music star Eric Church will sing the national anthem as a duet. They will be preceded by Grammy winner H.E.R. performing “America the Beautiful.”

Social media will play a huge factor in this year’s game as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are expected to bump up activity before, during and after the game. Thousands of fans and viewers will chime in with their game predictions and reactions to the commercials.

Miley Cyrus

As of Feb. 4, the number of mentions for the Kansas City Chiefs on social media is 420K. The opposing team, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, have received almost double in having 820K mentions, according to Super Bowl social stats powered by Talkwalker. In the big dance last year, Kansa City was the most popular and was used in predicting the Chiefs eventually winning the championship. Does the Tampa Bay social media lead give a tip as to who walks away with the Lombardi Trophy this year? Hmmm…

Normally, Superbowl commercials are as hot as the game—and this year won’t be any different. Spots are coming from brands including Samuel Adams and Amazon (see CNN video, click here). Interestingly, the headline leading financial firm, Robinhood is slated to have a spot.  But COVID-19 has affected commercials as well. Big hitters in previous years such as Budweiser, Coke, Hyundai and Pepsi are skipping this year’s broadcast (amid the financial uncertainty of the near yearlong global pandemic). Budweiser will instead reallocate that media investment to raise awareness about the COVID-19 vaccine throughout the year in partnership with Ad Council.

And then there’s the halftime show. This year, R&B recording artist The Weeknd is performing. His biggest hits include Starboy, The Hills, and Blinding Lights, as he is sure to play some fan favorites. Many past performances have featured other artists and the headliner for the show, but The Weeknd is taking on the big night on his own—but you never know who might show up. He’ll be the first artist to be the singular act during the halftime show since Lady Gaga in 2017. The Weeknd is also looking to make a statement with his new album released Thursday, “After Hours,” as he has also spent his own money in addition to what the label typically pays. His performance will be entirely live, which hasn’t been done in recent years.

One thing is for sure, though, that this year’s Super Bowl will be one to remember for a long time regardless of the outcome of the game.