It’s almost Superbowl Sunday, the biggest single day sporting event of the year. All eyes will be on the big game and even more eyes will be on the commercials and halftime show.
For many reasons, this year won’t be the “Crypto Bowl” many had expected, mostly because of posterity, but also because one of the main advertisers no longer exists. R.I.P., FTX, we won’t miss you!
The game in “Web3” right now is how to avoid saying the word. We’re in the use cases > jargon era. I’m still trying to figure out what last year’s Coinbase Super Bowl QR code did besides crash the site and win Coinbase a Cannes Lion. Maybe the big reveal will come on Sunday? I doubt it, but I do expect more QR codes this year hoping to replicate the buzz.
Alcohol companies have emerged as the #1 category in SB LVII ad spends, which makes sense considering how alcohol is slumping more than Bitcoin in 2023. Booze and beer brands will be doing everything they can to re-capture the zeitgeist, but I’m not sure it will work. Drinking habits are changing rapidly. In my circle, it’s much less popular than it once was. If I’m not having a dirty martini, my favorite adult bevvy is a full spectrum vision like Pulp Culture. They’re leading the charge for a brighter tomorrow of alcohol consumption. Look for their Super Bowl spots five years from now, right after the Aaron Rodgers Ayahuasca ad. A man can dream…
I love seeing brands building anticipation around campaigns with storytelling. Diddy and Uber have been teasing a big Super Bowl ad this year and finally dropped the full version this week. It’s the perfect mesh of personified Puff Daddy impresario mixed with nostalgia and tech. Well done, Uber and Puff.
The Grammys came and went, but I’m already excited for next year when the Clios and Grammys will team up for a brand and music award show. Maybe they read Beats + Bytes 😉 This is much needed for marketers, so kudos to the Grammys for seeing the value of the brand space. I think this will be enough to get me to L.A. next year for the big dance. Congrats to all of the Grammy nominees but especially our friend, Charles Yang, and his group, Time For Three, which brought home two awards!
Next week kicks off the Frieze Art Fair in LA. I’m popping out for the tennis tourney on Monday that benefits ARTADIA. It’s the best integration of tennis and art that I’ve seen to date and it’s for a great cause. I can’t wait to see these scenes mix and mingle properly for the first time.
Lastly, shout out the new Music Business Registry for highlighting Beats + Bytes and putting me on the cover. My first cover piece!
No Fields Found.Also published on Medium.