My apologies in advance to the purists. I’ll admit to having a preference for College Football over the NFL. And thus, for me, like a significant share of the 108.3 million (on average) other viewers who tune in annually, the annual Super Bowl Sunday broadcast is really more about other things besides the game: the food, the fun, the ads and the Puppy Bowl.
Unsurprisingly, some 65% of viewers reported in a Harris Poll this week that it is more about the social gathering than actually viewing the game. The same poll divvied up the audience into favorite parts of the broadcast as follows: 47% chose the game, 25% chose the halftime show and 18% chose the commercials.
I’m in it for the commercials. Every year. And not just because I paid a visit to the Anheuser-Busch Brewery in St. Louis to meet the Clydesdales a few years back.
This year quite possibly my most admired Super Bowl LX affiliated marketing contribution landed months before the big day. Just in case you missed it, here’s a replay.
Duolingo + Bad Bunny Super Bowl LX Promotion
Bad Bunny was announced as the headline for the NFL Apple Music Super Bowl halftime more than four months ago. After much hubbub about the fact that he typical performs his concerts in Spanish, he reportedly told an SNL audience after performing his intro that, “If you didn’t understand what I just said, you have four months to learn.”
Snarky? Sure. But also a challenge for many!
Duolingo took the bait and the opportunity to dive right in. They immediately launched a promotion offering four months of free Super Duolingo to the first 1,000 new account learners using the code BENITO, Bad Bunny’s given name.
The cost for this campaign? Relatively little, but the magic it generated in terms of brand awareness? Countless. This is what we PR folks refer to as capitalizing on a news event to make your brand RELEVANT. Everyone wants to see their name or brand in the news, but it can be challenging to find the right opportunity to pitch and connect, especially for smaller brands. Being alert and nimble enough to take action when the opportunity presents itself is golden.
Just ask Duolingo. So popular was the campaign that they leaned further into the opportunity, launching another campaign just weeks prior to the big game. Viewers of the AFC and NFC playoffs were made aware of the unveiling of a Bad Bunny 101 crash course, designed to help viewers learn the lyrics so that they could sing along with the halftime show.
While this paid placement certainly cost more than the initial campaign launched in October, you can bet that the ad costs for the 15-second playoff spots and subsequent reverb on streaming services was a mere fraction of the $8 million it would have cost for a 30-second spot during the February 8 game.
Congratulations to Duolingo.
This blog is courtesy of Jennifer Koon, MMC Founder and Principal Consultant.