State Farm decided not to shell out $7 million or so for a commercial during the Super Bowl this year, instead opting for pre-game, in-game and post-game engagement tactics surrounding a TikTok challenge launched by creator Khaby Lame to his 154 million followers.

The ask was simple: Guess how many times State Farm Stadium would be mentioned during the Big Game broadcast for a chance to be featured in a post with him. A cool 220 million views and 18K comments later… and touchdown.

The campaign’s holistic approach represents the brand’s digital- and social-first strategy, according to its newly-minted CMO Kristyn Cook. “Given the naming rights of the stadium, we had an opportunity to step back, to think differently, and support our journey into modernizing what we do from both an advertising landscape and looking at non-traditional ways to reach consumers, especially the younger generations," she says.

We chatted with Cook about how the brand is engaging with younger consumers, evolving its approach within the gaming space, achieving reach and connecting through music in the metaverse, supporting local communities through philanthropic initiatives, and much more.

Speaking of the Big Game, a plethora of brands leveraged in-person fan engagement during the days surrounding Super Bowl 57, from sponsored mini-festivals to hotel takeovers to surprise-and-delight stunts like a passenger-filled cucumber-shaped blimp and a 44-foot-tall LED-clad cactus. Here’s a roundup up of brand experiences from Anheuser-Busch, Barstool Sports, Hendrick’s Gin, Subway, Marriott and others.

Lastly, it’s time for our next Pulse Survey. We’re curious whether your marketing departments have been affected by layoffs—and if so, how your companies are adjusting to the changes. In the meantime, here’s an infographic detailing last month’s survey results, which reveals—among other things—that 58 percent are somewhat or very interested in marketing in the metaverse.

Until next week,

Kaylee Hultgren
Editor
Chief Marketer

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