How Public Relations is Shaping This Year’s Iconic Super Bowl Ads
The Super Bowl isn’t just the biggest game for the two best football teams.
It’s the big day for the global ad and public relations agencies tasked with producing iconic commercials that help their clients make the most of their highly-coveted and incredibly expensive commercials (a 30-second ad goes for nearly $8 million in 2025!).
The challenges are immense: capturing the cultural zeitgeist, crafting a memorable narrative in a ridiculously short timeframe, appealing to a massive and diverse audience, generating buzz, and driving sales.
To make this possible, a public relations (PR) team is behind every compelling Super Bowl ad, strategizing, pitching, and working tirelessly to amplify the impact of those precious seconds.
Here are three key ways PR is impacting Super Bowl ads.
#1 Crafting Narratives That Transcend the Game
Gone are the days when a simple product demonstration sufficed for a Super Bowl ad. PR professionals are tasked with crafting compelling narratives that resonate with viewers long after the final whistle.
The high cost and enormous potential payoff mean that brands need their commercials to resonate the day, week, and even month after the event. To achieve this, they tap into universal themes, culturally relevant trends, and emotional connections that resonate with target audiences.
For example, Snickers’ 2010 Super Bowl campaign featuring Betty White launched the now classic "You're Not You When You're Hungry" tagline. Its humor and relatability resonated across generations, making it a lasting part of pop culture and advertising.
PR helps brands find these timeless stories, ensuring their message leaves a lasting impact.
#2 Balancing Entertainment With Messaging
Super Bowl ads force brands to captivate an expectant audience.
That’s why iconic commercials, like E*TRADE’s iconic baby commercials, which debuted in 2008, made such a lasting impression. However, the commercials’ talking baby didn’t just make people laugh.
The clever use of a talking baby to deliver witty commentary on financial services blended humor with brand messaging.
To achieve this, PR professionals use their understanding of the brand, the target audience, and the cultural context to strike the right balance. This involves researching, developing messaging strategies, and collaborating with creative teams to ensure every second captivates and delivers.
#3 Aligning Cultural Values
Consumers don’t just want brands to produce compelling products; they want them to align with their values and contribute to meaningful conversations.
According to one analysis, 82 percent of consumers say they want a brand’s values to reflect their own and are willing to pay a premium for this alignment. As MIT Sloan Management Review asserts, “In competitive markets, shared values positively influence customer choice and increase loyalty.”
PR professionals are helping brands make the connection.
Whether Dove promotes body positivity or the NFL addresses mental health, PR ensures that Super Bowl ads reflect a brand's commitment to social responsibility and resonate with a purpose-driven audience.
This year, PR’s role is especially critical as complex and quickly-changing cultural values and norms force brands to navigate increasingly sensitive territory.
PR’s Unseen Impact
While the Super Bowl's most memorable moments often unfold on the field, the commercials vying for our attention are products of a different competition with real winners and losers.
Behind the scenes, PR professionals help brands shape their narratives and connect with audiences on the biggest stage. Whether they are crafting timeless stories or aligning with cultural values, PR's impact on Super Bowl ads is the driving force behind their success.