How have Super Bowl advertising strategies evolved over the years, and what makes a winning campaign today? We asked Sean Cunningham, President and CEO of the VAB, and Will Trowbridge, Founder and CEO of Saylor, to weigh in.

Said Cunningham: “In terms of Super Bowl advertising strategies, over the last few of years we’ve seen more brands leaning into emotion or, more specifically, ‘positive’ emotional messaging – whether it’s through the use of celebrities or a healthy dose of nostalgia – to connect across a mass audience. Some of the most engaging ads in recent years – based on branded search queries and website traffic – integrated either one or both of these tactics that focus on ‘positive’ qualities like happiness and comfort.

“Mood plays a crucial role in brands’ success when it comes to advertising exposure, as research has shown that people who are in a positive state of mind are more inclined to purchase products they see advertised. This, coupled with the environment of Super Bowl viewing – friends or family gathered around a big screen TV, already highly engaged in both the content (i.e., game) and the advertising – creates a winning formula for advertisers.”

And let’s not leave out social media. Notes Trowbridge, “The Super Bowl is a rare opportunity each year where audiences treat advertising as entertainment, and brands who are investing in the Big Game should be maximizing the opportunity. The best campaigns are not just built for linear viewership, instead they are strategically customized for social, OOH, etc. in ways that best entertain audiences on those platforms. In addition to the big buy, brands should lean into a reactive social strategy throughout the game. Whether it’s reacting to key plays, trending moments, or other ads – brands who buy a spot in the Big Game should be leveraging every aspect to drive awareness of their brand.”