Beyond the Golden Arches: How Two McDonald’s Marketers Win Gen Z

90% of the U.S. population has eaten at a McDonald's over the past year.

Whether a Big Mac is your drunk go-to, or you like to bribe your kids with Happy Meals on long car rides, the point holds: McDonald‘s is one of the most popular and long-lasting brands we’ve got.

We all take it for granted. Except maybe we shouldn't.

There‘s a reason McDonald’s ranks among the top 10 most magnetic brands for Gen Z — surpassing Sephora, NFL, and Starbucks.

And it's not the nostalgia factor… At least, not entirely.

To get to the bottom of this, I sat down with two experts — Anna Engel, Director of brand, content, and culture at McDonald‘s, and Nathaniel Gaynor, Brand marketing manager at McDonald’s — whose full-time job is to make McDonald’s cool to Gen Zers.

Lesson 1: Marketing should be symbiotic.

Engel thinks of campaign elements — whether it's a new food item, a digital campaign element, or a social media post — as “ingredients.”

Of course she does.

And what she loves about Gen Z is how they‘ve created a symbiotic relationship with McDonald’s campaign “ingredients”. Engel‘s team doesn’t just create content for Gen Z. Gen Z creates content for them, too.

As Engel told me, Gen Zers often take brand ingredients and “create something new with them — that's what excites us and motivates us,” she says. “For instance, they might create a narrative or an anime poster for a campaign… Things like that.”

Let's also address the elephant in the room — why have they created an entirely separate Gen Z marketing team?

Because "Gen Z is driving culture,“ Engel explained to me. ”And our ambition is to continue to be a cultural icon."

Lesson 2: Connect with your customers in the wild.

Every year, one of McDonald's agencies takes a road trip. (Wholesome, I know.)

“The Fan Truth Road Trip helps us understand who our fans are and why they connect with our brand,” Gaynor says. "We see our fans pulling our brand into many different parts of culture — whether that's anime, fashion, art, or gaming."

Engel and Gaynor's team then takes these learnings to create authentic experiences for their Gen Z fans.

Consider the Feb 2024 “WcDonald's campaign.” The campaign was a nod to McDonald's anime and manga fans, and included a limited-edition menu, Japanese manga-themed packaging, a four-episode anime series, and an interactive experience in L.A.

Along with McDonald's restaurants, the agency visits college campuses, malls, movie theaters, and parks, too.

As Engel puts it, "We break outside the four walls of McDonald's to connect with our fans in the wild."

She adds, “It's important for us to understand the universe they live in, what their interests are, and who they are outside of McDonald's.”

While you might not be able to orchestrate a “Fan Truth Road Trip” for your brand, the lesson here works for all marketers: To fully understand your customers, you need to meet them outside the confines of your marketing efforts. What else do they enjoy, and how can your brand show up there, too?

Lesson Three: Be fan-led.

“Where we haven't hit the right note in the past is when we haven't been fan-led,” Gaynor told me.

"Now, we let our fans guide the way to our next big idea. It's our job to embrace them and live in their creative universe and speak to them. And when we do that, we succeed."

Engel echoes his point, and explains that another mistake they've made in the past is not being data-driven enough in their campaign approach.

“We can build great brand relevance campaigns. But if it doesn't link to something tangible in the restaurant for the fans to purchase, touch, feel, eat, then it's not going to be a business driver,” Engel says.

Because ultimately, Engel and Gaynor‘s main goal isn’t just to seem cool to the 22-year-olds on Fortnite. (Although it's a fun side-benefit.) Their goal is to drive sales.

And if that just so happens to entail anime, fashion, or artwork, so be it.

from Marketing https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/mcdonalds-gen-z

90% of the U.S. population has eaten at a McDonald's over the past year.

Whether a Big Mac is your drunk go-to, or you like to bribe your kids with Happy Meals on long car rides, the point holds: McDonald‘s is one of the most popular and long-lasting brands we’ve got.

We all take it for granted. Except maybe we shouldn't.

There‘s a reason McDonald’s ranks among the top 10 most magnetic brands for Gen Z — surpassing Sephora, NFL, and Starbucks.

And it's not the nostalgia factor… At least, not entirely.

To get to the bottom of this, I sat down with two experts — Anna Engel, Director of brand, content, and culture at McDonald‘s, and Nathaniel Gaynor, Brand marketing manager at McDonald’s — whose full-time job is to make McDonald’s cool to Gen Zers.

Lesson 1: Marketing should be symbiotic.

Engel thinks of campaign elements — whether it's a new food item, a digital campaign element, or a social media post — as “ingredients.”

Of course she does.

And what she loves about Gen Z is how they‘ve created a symbiotic relationship with McDonald’s campaign “ingredients”. Engel‘s team doesn’t just create content for Gen Z. Gen Z creates content for them, too.

As Engel told me, Gen Zers often take brand ingredients and “create something new with them — that's what excites us and motivates us,” she says. “For instance, they might create a narrative or an anime poster for a campaign… Things like that.”

Let's also address the elephant in the room — why have they created an entirely separate Gen Z marketing team?

Because "Gen Z is driving culture,“ Engel explained to me. ”And our ambition is to continue to be a cultural icon."

Lesson 2: Connect with your customers in the wild.

Every year, one of McDonald's agencies takes a road trip. (Wholesome, I know.)

“The Fan Truth Road Trip helps us understand who our fans are and why they connect with our brand,” Gaynor says. "We see our fans pulling our brand into many different parts of culture — whether that's anime, fashion, art, or gaming."

Engel and Gaynor's team then takes these learnings to create authentic experiences for their Gen Z fans.

Consider the Feb 2024 “WcDonald's campaign.” The campaign was a nod to McDonald's anime and manga fans, and included a limited-edition menu, Japanese manga-themed packaging, a four-episode anime series, and an interactive experience in L.A.

Along with McDonald's restaurants, the agency visits college campuses, malls, movie theaters, and parks, too.

As Engel puts it, "We break outside the four walls of McDonald's to connect with our fans in the wild."

She adds, “It's important for us to understand the universe they live in, what their interests are, and who they are outside of McDonald's.”

While you might not be able to orchestrate a “Fan Truth Road Trip” for your brand, the lesson here works for all marketers: To fully understand your customers, you need to meet them outside the confines of your marketing efforts. What else do they enjoy, and how can your brand show up there, too?

Lesson Three: Be fan-led.

“Where we haven't hit the right note in the past is when we haven't been fan-led,” Gaynor told me.

"Now, we let our fans guide the way to our next big idea. It's our job to embrace them and live in their creative universe and speak to them. And when we do that, we succeed."

Engel echoes his point, and explains that another mistake they've made in the past is not being data-driven enough in their campaign approach.

“We can build great brand relevance campaigns. But if it doesn't link to something tangible in the restaurant for the fans to purchase, touch, feel, eat, then it's not going to be a business driver,” Engel says.

Because ultimately, Engel and Gaynor‘s main goal isn’t just to seem cool to the 22-year-olds on Fortnite. (Although it's a fun side-benefit.) Their goal is to drive sales.

And if that just so happens to entail anime, fashion, or artwork, so be it.

via Perfecte news Non connection

Anatomy of a Facebook Ad: How to Create Scroll-Stopping Campaigns [+ Examples]

Let’s be honest: advertising on Facebook successfully is not easy. Its power to attract and close customers for pretty much any industry is undeniable, but that’s only if you know how to navigate and optimize the anatomy of a Facebook Ad.

When it comes to creating a Facebook ad for your business, there are a lot of different things to consider. How much text is too much? What should it say? Video or image?

And that’s on top of all the budget, strategy, and setup logistics.

It can be overwhelming but taking it step-by-step helps. Here, we’ll do just that, focusing on my favorite part of the whole process (and also the area where I shine brightest): the creative.

Looking for a detailed guide for getting started with Facebook ads? This blog article has you covered.

Table of Contents

• Facebook Ad Anatomy in 2025
• Tips for Mastering Your Facebook Ad Anatomy
• 5 Facebook Ads That Hit the Mark
• Take (Facebook Ad)vantage in 2025

Facebook Ad Anatomy in 2025

In 2025, there are two main types of Facebook Ads — in-feed and right-column ads.

Right-column ads are only visible on desktops and are pretty minimal, with just a tiny image and headline to work with. Plus, with almost 99% of users accessing Facebook on mobile, these ads also don’t get as much attention, so I won’t cover them here.

(Note: If you’re curious about them, head on over to Facebook.)

Instead, I’m going to focus on in-feed ads. In-feed ads come in four different formats (which we’ll get into) and are made up of five key parts:

• Headline
• Media
• Primary Text (Copy/Caption)
• Description
• Button (Call-to-Action)

Let’s break down each of these using a snazzy ad I caught in my feed from Book of the Month.

Headline

Contrary to what its name suggests, your headline is not the first thing people see at the top of your ad. (That would be your profile picture and brand name.) It is, however, the boldest piece of text that appears below your visuals and next to your call-to-action button.

Your headline is basically your main value proposition — what you’re offering your audience and want them to engage to receive.

Meta Ads Manager claims it can be up to 255 characters long, but with the limited visual real estate, I’d warn against that. Heck, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a headline that went past 10 words. A great Facebook Ad headline is short, clear, catchy, and compelling. It makes someone want to click.

This is where your conversion copywriting skills come in. Show personality or even play around with formatting (capitalization, symbols) and emojis to stop your audience in their scroll.

Pro tip: Try turning your headline into a verbal call-to-action that aligns with your button. This doubles down on your message and creates a more seamless experience.

Media

Now, in my experience (and that of many other marketers, I’m sure), your media is the most important part of your Facebook Ad. It takes up the most real estate and is almost always what your audience will notice first in their feeds.

The media of your Facebook Ad will depend on the format, but they all appear in the same place — below your name and profile picture and above your headline and call-to-action/button.

There four main ad formats are Flexible, Single Image or Video, Carousel, or Collection, but your media is the focal point regardless of which you choose.

Flexible

A Flexible ad lets Facebook’s ad delivery system decide what media or combination of different types (such as a single image, video, or carousel) to show to your audience.

With it, you can provide up to 10 images and videos for the system to choose from, but this format is currently only available for sales or app promotion ad objectives.

Single Image or Video

Now, this format is exactly what it sounds like — it’s a Facebook Ad that has a single image or video as its focal point. It’s one of the most universal options and arguably the one that looks most like an organic Facebook post.

Our handy dandy Book of the Month ad is an example of a single-image ad.

And here’s a great video ad from Aloha.

Carousel

A carousel ad showcases two or more images and videos in a single ad.

One unique feature of this format is that each image or video can have its own headline, description, link, and call-to-action.

This can be extremely useful for highlighting multiple products at once and is common with eCommerce sites like Ulta.

Collection

The Collection Facebook Ad format pairs a video or image with a row of product images below it. It’s great for highlighting specific features or abilities of a single product

A Collection also comes with the option to use what Facebook calls an Instant Experience — a full-screen landing page that loads instantly when someone taps on the ad on Facebook or Instagram.

Source

Primary Text (Copy/Caption)

The third part of a Facebook Ad is your copy or what the Meta Ads Manager calls your “primary text”). Thinking of standard, organic posts on Facebook, this is essentially the caption of your ad.

In it, you can use @ to tag Facebook profiles or Pages and Facebook recommends using 125 characters or less. This copy appears in most placements, though the position varies.

Pro tip: Caption writing is a common use-case for AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, or even HubSpot’s Free AI Content Writer, but as I always warn you, tread lightly.

AI is a handy brainstorming and drafting tool, no doubt, but it needs editing to truly capture your brand and a human tone. More on that here.

Description

The next piece of your Facebook Ad puzzle is your description, which is super vague and confusing if you ask me.

With its placement — sitting underneath the headline in faint text, next to your call-to-action — it’s hard to pinpoint what exactly it’s describing.

Plus, Facebook notes that it won’t be displayed for all ad placements, especially if you have a longer headline.

That said, any space you have to capture your message shouldn’t be wasted. There isn’t much here, but you can use it to include extra little details you want people to know like “free shipping” or “offer ending soon!”

Button (Call-to-Action)

Last, we have your button or call-to-action — the actual link that you need audiences to click to take advantage of the offer showcased in your ad.

Now, you don’t have to include a button, but it does make it much clearer to those viewing your ad what they need to do next. It eliminates confusion and just makes for a much better user experience.

Button text options vary depending on campaign type/objective, and Facebook doesn’t allow you to add custom text, but it does have a long list of common options like learn more and shop now.

Now that you know what makes up the anatomy of a Facebook Ad, how can you optimize them to achieve your goals? Let’s unpack a few actionable tips.

Tips for Mastering Your Facebook Ad Anatomy

1. Get niche with your content.

In a recent HubSpot study, marketers said Facebook offers the second-best audience targeting tools of all social media platforms, losing out to YouTube by just 1%. That’s one of the best things about it.

With the wealth of information shared on Meta, you can target people using demographics, interests, or even previous activity on and off the platform, among other things. (More on that here.) It only makes sense that you get just as niche with your ad content to match.

For example, imagine you’re an online retailer like Amazon that sells pretty much everything under the sun.

You can easily go general and speak to anyone and everyone, but why would you, when creating ads specific to smaller audiences (e.g., people identifying as women in their 30s, teens who like gaming, etc.) gives you a better chance of earning clicks?

This Old Spice ad is an excellent example of going niche.

Sure, it could appear to be any old commercial for the brand at first glance, but calling out Costco specifically and linking directly to the retailer’s website makes it clear they’re trying to reach a certain clientele.

The more specific you get with your content, the more likely it will strike a chord and resonate with your intended audience.

2. Show people in your media.

Research shows including people in your marketing helps your audience envision themselves using your product or service. In fact, one experiment found that photos of people helped increase a brand’s conversions by more than 95% over other alternatives.

Showing people helps audiences actually picture what their lives could look like if they clicked the button to buy or learn more. It helps eliminate some mystery of what they’re getting into and makes them more comfortable taking action.

Take this ad from Cycling Frog seltzer, for instance. If you’re wondering what trying the company’s product will be like, just take a good look.

The simple but creative ad shows a young, laughing woman buried in confetti and holding a can of Cycling Frog.

The company’s About Us page reads, “Life’s Short. Enjoy the Ride,” and that’s precisely the energy this ad captures.

3. Keep your copy short.

Facebook, like most social media, is an increasingly visual world. Of course, you want to capture details like your differentiators and main offer but do so as concisely as possible.

Orange Theory does an impressive job with that in the ad below. Not a single sentence (even the fine print) is longer than five words, but it still manages to leave no question unanswered.

What do you get by clicking? A free class that will help you build muscle, burn calories, and see results. And bonus: Some smiling faces will be there to greet you as well.

(Side note, but this is also great choice of image, considering its sense of community is another big selling point for the company.)

Pro tip: Incorporate relevant emojis. They can help draw the eye and also make your message appear more friendly and casual.

4. Have a single focal point.

Overcomplicating your Facebook ad can lead to distraction. Like you would a website or landing page, ask yourself what’s the one big thing you want people to see or pay attention to and make that the center of your ad.

Candlelight Concerts nails this.

The event company has shows all year round, but this minimalist ad wants people to know they can make the perfect Valentine’s Day date.

With this message in mind, the ad showcases a striking, close-up image of two people holding hands surrounded by candles as they would be at a concert. It grabs your eye and perfectly captures a romantic “this could be you” energy.

5. Incorporate social proof.

Consumers will always believe other people more than they believe in brands, and who can blame them? Marketers are trying to sell something, after all.

Thankfully, incorporating real outside support for your claims, such as customer reviews, awards, sales numbers, etc., (aka social proof) can help quiet your audience's reluctance and make them feel more comfortable taking action.

Kind Laundry does a great job of directly adding a quote, name, and rating from a real customer to its ad.

Pro tip: Don’t fake your social proof. Nothing is a secret on the internet, and if you make an award or sales number up, your audience can easily find out, and that trust is hard to regain.

6. Tell a story.

Storytelling in marketing and advertising is nothing new. Stories make information (including marketing messages) easier for people to grasp and remember using emotion and relatable experiences.

That said, telling a story with your Facebook Ad can engage your audience and fit more naturally into the platform's culture. People turn to Facebook to connect with friends and family.

Creating an ad that feels like you’re just catching up with a loved one blends in.

In this video example, our friends on the INBOUND team take us through a day at the event with one of the speakers. It offers a first-hand look at what it’s like attending and comes off as just an approachable video from a friend.

Pro tip: You can tell a story through any format, really, but carousels and videos lend themselves to it more easily. Videos are self-explanatory, but with carousels, look to advance the story with each slide/frame.

5 Facebook Ads That Hit the Mark

So, how do the tips we shared look when they all come together? Here are some of the best Facebook ads from my feed in the past week and what they did right.

1. Kolkata Chai Co

What I like:

• Fast-paced and engaging video
• Incorporates trends like ASMR and unboxing
• Shows the product and people enjoying it in different ways
• Has a voiceover and captions
• Caption incorporates elements of social proof and differentiators of the product

2. The Edge Fitness Club

What I like:

• Simple, on-brand, and eye-catching visual
• Compelling, no-risk offer as headline
• Shows a real person enjoying the gym
• Short, friendly caption that uses emojis

3. Eat Clean

What I like:

• Tells a story — following the meal from unboxing to microwave to the dinner table
• The product is the focal point of the video
• Short caption captures common pain points and differentiators
• Has a compelling offer (deep discount) as the headline

4. Prose

What I like:

• Well-paced video with calm, non-distracting music
• Shows products and people from a variety of backgrounds using it
• Uses social media trends (skincare videos) to create a video that would resonate with the audience
• Compelling headline
• Uses caption to highlight differentiators and draw the eye with emojis

5. Each and Every

What I like:

• Uses a creative, high-quality image that drives home its natural, organic brand
• The visual focus is on the brand
• Incorporates a call-to-action button in the media, essentially turning the whole ad into one big button. This makes it even easier for people to take action.
• Uses headline to highlight the deal
• Uses description to share valuable details without distracting from the main focus.
• Uses to deliver important differentiators but uses bullets to keep it easy to digest

Looking for more Facebook Ad Examples? Check out “16 of the Best Facebook Ad Examples That Actually Work (And Why)” or our free lookbook, “50 Facebook Ad Examples We Actually Clicked.”

Take (Facebook Ad)vantage in 2025

Mastering Facebook Ads doesn’t have to be hard. While the names and logistics can be a bit confusing (just like human anatomy), once you get the hang of them, there’s no limit to what you can accomplish for your brand with Facebook Ads.

Keep this cheat sheet in your back pocket, and you’re ready to create Facebook ads that catch eyes, get clicks, and drive real results from your target audience.

from Marketing https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/facebook-ad-anatomy

Let’s be honest: advertising on Facebook successfully is not easy. Its power to attract and close customers for pretty much any industry is undeniable, but that’s only if you know how to navigate and optimize the anatomy of a Facebook Ad.

When it comes to creating a Facebook ad for your business, there are a lot of different things to consider. How much text is too much? What should it say? Video or image?

And that’s on top of all the budget, strategy, and setup logistics.

It can be overwhelming but taking it step-by-step helps. Here, we’ll do just that, focusing on my favorite part of the whole process (and also the area where I shine brightest): the creative.

Looking for a detailed guide for getting started with Facebook ads? This blog article has you covered.

Table of Contents

• Facebook Ad Anatomy in 2025
• Tips for Mastering Your Facebook Ad Anatomy
• 5 Facebook Ads That Hit the Mark
• Take (Facebook Ad)vantage in 2025

Facebook Ad Anatomy in 2025

In 2025, there are two main types of Facebook Ads — in-feed and right-column ads.

Right-column ads are only visible on desktops and are pretty minimal, with just a tiny image and headline to work with. Plus, with almost 99% of users accessing Facebook on mobile, these ads also don’t get as much attention, so I won’t cover them here.

(Note: If you’re curious about them, head on over to Facebook.)

Instead, I’m going to focus on in-feed ads. In-feed ads come in four different formats (which we’ll get into) and are made up of five key parts:

• Headline
• Media
• Primary Text (Copy/Caption)
• Description
• Button (Call-to-Action)

Let’s break down each of these using a snazzy ad I caught in my feed from Book of the Month.

Headline

Contrary to what its name suggests, your headline is not the first thing people see at the top of your ad. (That would be your profile picture and brand name.) It is, however, the boldest piece of text that appears below your visuals and next to your call-to-action button.

Your headline is basically your main value proposition — what you’re offering your audience and want them to engage to receive.

Meta Ads Manager claims it can be up to 255 characters long, but with the limited visual real estate, I’d warn against that. Heck, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a headline that went past 10 words. A great Facebook Ad headline is short, clear, catchy, and compelling. It makes someone want to click.

This is where your conversion copywriting skills come in. Show personality or even play around with formatting (capitalization, symbols) and emojis to stop your audience in their scroll.

Pro tip: Try turning your headline into a verbal call-to-action that aligns with your button. This doubles down on your message and creates a more seamless experience.

Media

Now, in my experience (and that of many other marketers, I’m sure), your media is the most important part of your Facebook Ad. It takes up the most real estate and is almost always what your audience will notice first in their feeds.

The media of your Facebook Ad will depend on the format, but they all appear in the same place — below your name and profile picture and above your headline and call-to-action/button.

There four main ad formats are Flexible, Single Image or Video, Carousel, or Collection, but your media is the focal point regardless of which you choose.

Flexible

A Flexible ad lets Facebook’s ad delivery system decide what media or combination of different types (such as a single image, video, or carousel) to show to your audience.

With it, you can provide up to 10 images and videos for the system to choose from, but this format is currently only available for sales or app promotion ad objectives.

Single Image or Video

Now, this format is exactly what it sounds like — it’s a Facebook Ad that has a single image or video as its focal point. It’s one of the most universal options and arguably the one that looks most like an organic Facebook post.

Our handy dandy Book of the Month ad is an example of a single-image ad.

And here’s a great video ad from Aloha.

Carousel

A carousel ad showcases two or more images and videos in a single ad.

One unique feature of this format is that each image or video can have its own headline, description, link, and call-to-action.

This can be extremely useful for highlighting multiple products at once and is common with eCommerce sites like Ulta.

Collection

The Collection Facebook Ad format pairs a video or image with a row of product images below it. It’s great for highlighting specific features or abilities of a single product

A Collection also comes with the option to use what Facebook calls an Instant Experience — a full-screen landing page that loads instantly when someone taps on the ad on Facebook or Instagram.

Source

Primary Text (Copy/Caption)

The third part of a Facebook Ad is your copy or what the Meta Ads Manager calls your “primary text”). Thinking of standard, organic posts on Facebook, this is essentially the caption of your ad.

In it, you can use @ to tag Facebook profiles or Pages and Facebook recommends using 125 characters or less. This copy appears in most placements, though the position varies.

Pro tip: Caption writing is a common use-case for AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, or even HubSpot’s Free AI Content Writer, but as I always warn you, tread lightly.

AI is a handy brainstorming and drafting tool, no doubt, but it needs editing to truly capture your brand and a human tone. More on that here.

Description

The next piece of your Facebook Ad puzzle is your description, which is super vague and confusing if you ask me.

With its placement — sitting underneath the headline in faint text, next to your call-to-action — it’s hard to pinpoint what exactly it’s describing.

Plus, Facebook notes that it won’t be displayed for all ad placements, especially if you have a longer headline.

That said, any space you have to capture your message shouldn’t be wasted. There isn’t much here, but you can use it to include extra little details you want people to know like “free shipping” or “offer ending soon!”

Button (Call-to-Action)

Last, we have your button or call-to-action — the actual link that you need audiences to click to take advantage of the offer showcased in your ad.

Now, you don’t have to include a button, but it does make it much clearer to those viewing your ad what they need to do next. It eliminates confusion and just makes for a much better user experience.

Button text options vary depending on campaign type/objective, and Facebook doesn’t allow you to add custom text, but it does have a long list of common options like learn more and shop now.

Now that you know what makes up the anatomy of a Facebook Ad, how can you optimize them to achieve your goals? Let’s unpack a few actionable tips.

Tips for Mastering Your Facebook Ad Anatomy

1. Get niche with your content.

In a recent HubSpot study, marketers said Facebook offers the second-best audience targeting tools of all social media platforms, losing out to YouTube by just 1%. That’s one of the best things about it.

With the wealth of information shared on Meta, you can target people using demographics, interests, or even previous activity on and off the platform, among other things. (More on that here.) It only makes sense that you get just as niche with your ad content to match.

For example, imagine you’re an online retailer like Amazon that sells pretty much everything under the sun.

You can easily go general and speak to anyone and everyone, but why would you, when creating ads specific to smaller audiences (e.g., people identifying as women in their 30s, teens who like gaming, etc.) gives you a better chance of earning clicks?

This Old Spice ad is an excellent example of going niche.

Sure, it could appear to be any old commercial for the brand at first glance, but calling out Costco specifically and linking directly to the retailer’s website makes it clear they’re trying to reach a certain clientele.

The more specific you get with your content, the more likely it will strike a chord and resonate with your intended audience.

2. Show people in your media.

Research shows including people in your marketing helps your audience envision themselves using your product or service. In fact, one experiment found that photos of people helped increase a brand’s conversions by more than 95% over other alternatives.

Showing people helps audiences actually picture what their lives could look like if they clicked the button to buy or learn more. It helps eliminate some mystery of what they’re getting into and makes them more comfortable taking action.

Take this ad from Cycling Frog seltzer, for instance. If you’re wondering what trying the company’s product will be like, just take a good look.

The simple but creative ad shows a young, laughing woman buried in confetti and holding a can of Cycling Frog.

The company’s About Us page reads, “Life’s Short. Enjoy the Ride,” and that’s precisely the energy this ad captures.

3. Keep your copy short.

Facebook, like most social media, is an increasingly visual world. Of course, you want to capture details like your differentiators and main offer but do so as concisely as possible.

Orange Theory does an impressive job with that in the ad below. Not a single sentence (even the fine print) is longer than five words, but it still manages to leave no question unanswered.

What do you get by clicking? A free class that will help you build muscle, burn calories, and see results. And bonus: Some smiling faces will be there to greet you as well.

(Side note, but this is also great choice of image, considering its sense of community is another big selling point for the company.)

Pro tip: Incorporate relevant emojis. They can help draw the eye and also make your message appear more friendly and casual.

4. Have a single focal point.

Overcomplicating your Facebook ad can lead to distraction. Like you would a website or landing page, ask yourself what’s the one big thing you want people to see or pay attention to and make that the center of your ad.

Candlelight Concerts nails this.

The event company has shows all year round, but this minimalist ad wants people to know they can make the perfect Valentine’s Day date.

With this message in mind, the ad showcases a striking, close-up image of two people holding hands surrounded by candles as they would be at a concert. It grabs your eye and perfectly captures a romantic “this could be you” energy.

5. Incorporate social proof.

Consumers will always believe other people more than they believe in brands, and who can blame them? Marketers are trying to sell something, after all.

Thankfully, incorporating real outside support for your claims, such as customer reviews, awards, sales numbers, etc., (aka social proof) can help quiet your audience's reluctance and make them feel more comfortable taking action.

Kind Laundry does a great job of directly adding a quote, name, and rating from a real customer to its ad.

Pro tip: Don’t fake your social proof. Nothing is a secret on the internet, and if you make an award or sales number up, your audience can easily find out, and that trust is hard to regain.

6. Tell a story.

Storytelling in marketing and advertising is nothing new. Stories make information (including marketing messages) easier for people to grasp and remember using emotion and relatable experiences.

That said, telling a story with your Facebook Ad can engage your audience and fit more naturally into the platform's culture. People turn to Facebook to connect with friends and family.

Creating an ad that feels like you’re just catching up with a loved one blends in.

In this video example, our friends on the INBOUND team take us through a day at the event with one of the speakers. It offers a first-hand look at what it’s like attending and comes off as just an approachable video from a friend.

Pro tip: You can tell a story through any format, really, but carousels and videos lend themselves to it more easily. Videos are self-explanatory, but with carousels, look to advance the story with each slide/frame.

5 Facebook Ads That Hit the Mark

So, how do the tips we shared look when they all come together? Here are some of the best Facebook ads from my feed in the past week and what they did right.

1. Kolkata Chai Co

What I like:

• Fast-paced and engaging video
• Incorporates trends like ASMR and unboxing
• Shows the product and people enjoying it in different ways
• Has a voiceover and captions
• Caption incorporates elements of social proof and differentiators of the product

2. The Edge Fitness Club

What I like:

• Simple, on-brand, and eye-catching visual
• Compelling, no-risk offer as headline
• Shows a real person enjoying the gym
• Short, friendly caption that uses emojis

3. Eat Clean

What I like:

• Tells a story — following the meal from unboxing to microwave to the dinner table
• The product is the focal point of the video
• Short caption captures common pain points and differentiators
• Has a compelling offer (deep discount) as the headline

4. Prose

What I like:

• Well-paced video with calm, non-distracting music
• Shows products and people from a variety of backgrounds using it
• Uses social media trends (skincare videos) to create a video that would resonate with the audience
• Compelling headline
• Uses caption to highlight differentiators and draw the eye with emojis

5. Each and Every

What I like:

• Uses a creative, high-quality image that drives home its natural, organic brand
• The visual focus is on the brand
• Incorporates a call-to-action button in the media, essentially turning the whole ad into one big button. This makes it even easier for people to take action.
• Uses headline to highlight the deal
• Uses description to share valuable details without distracting from the main focus.
• Uses to deliver important differentiators but uses bullets to keep it easy to digest

Looking for more Facebook Ad Examples? Check out “16 of the Best Facebook Ad Examples That Actually Work (And Why)” or our free lookbook, “50 Facebook Ad Examples We Actually Clicked.”

Take (Facebook Ad)vantage in 2025

Mastering Facebook Ads doesn’t have to be hard. While the names and logistics can be a bit confusing (just like human anatomy), once you get the hang of them, there’s no limit to what you can accomplish for your brand with Facebook Ads.

Keep this cheat sheet in your back pocket, and you’re ready to create Facebook ads that catch eyes, get clicks, and drive real results from your target audience.

via Perfecte news Non connection

Is it Real or AI? Test Your Detection Skills [Round 4]

Think you're good at spotting AI-generated content? Put it to the test.

Between Midjourney, Lummi and the host of other AI image generators, it's getting harder to detect AI imagery. 

Take this quiz and find out how good you are at finding AI in everyday images, videos, and illustrations.

 

from Marketing https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/real-or-ai-4

Think you're good at spotting AI-generated content? Put it to the test.

Between Midjourney, Lummi and the host of other AI image generators, it's getting harder to detect AI imagery. 

Take this quiz and find out how good you are at finding AI in everyday images, videos, and illustrations.

 

via Perfecte news Non connection

Chubbies Co-founder Warns: Don’t Get Hooked on the Performance Marketing Drug

Any time an interviewee makes me ask my boss, “Can we say that in a newsletter?” you know it’s gonna be a good day.

Today, we’ve got spicy takes and spicy language from a master of marketing who made his fortune selling spicy shorts.

Lesson 1: Don’t get hooked on the performance marketing drug.

Preston Rutherford openly admits that he made every mistake in the book when co-founding the shorts company Chubbies.

So I kick off our chat by copping a line from Sheryl Crow: “What’s your favorite mistake?”

“Favorite mista-a-ake.” He sings, then laughs. “Favorite. Obviously a euphemism for gut-wrenching and sleep-depriving mistake. But, just to honor Sheryl…”

He thinks a moment: “Getting hooked on the drug that is short-term performance marketing — and in particular return on ad spend (or ROAS), where effectively all of our marketing investments were evaluated on that basis.”

My eyebrow goes up. Most marketing leaders want to see a measurable, proven return, right? How else do you know what’s working?

Rutherford says that exact sentiment is why he (and so many marketers) over-rotated toward performance marketing. That drive to make all of your marketing efforts systematic, measurable, and scalable.

“ We're so used to a certain feedback loop on the data side, right? If I'm spending dollars, I'm only measuring success by who clicked on my ad and purchased in a 24-hour period.”

But that feedback loop incentivizes marketing efforts that produce short-term results — at the cost of long-term brand building. Not to mention, it led him away from all of the fun and unusual things that made Chubbies recognizable in the first place.

And what’s worse, the hypertargeting of performance marketing means “you’re spending dollars to claim a purchase that would have already happened.”

But if you’re not focusing on return, what are you focusing on?

“Brand is the most important asset that any kind of business builds,” he says. “And is ultimately the least measurable with current tools.”

Rutherford’s hot take? Only 40% of your marketing dollars should be spent on short-term ad spend, with the rest going to brand building.

“You would much rather have someone come directly to you — not being prompted by some kind of promotion or false urgency — but rather, 'this is just a company that I believe in'.”

Lesson 2: If content is king, difference is queen.

“What marketing trend needs to die in a fire?” I ask him.

“Generative AI,” he blurts without a moment’s pause.

Y’all. I bark-laughed. (Then I wondered if anyone in my reporting hierarchy reads the newsletter, and nervously tugged my collar like Rodney Dangerfield.)

“Creativity is queen. Things that are different are queen,” he explains. “Generative AI is trained on models of what has already been done in the past and what has ‘worked.’”

He puts that last word into air quotes. According to Rutherford, this creates two problems: “Only looking backward and, in my opinion, an incorrect definition of what works. It's based on driving short-term revenue.”

Rutherford is quick to qualify that this doesn’t mean there isn’t any place for AI in marketing. But for many marketers, it will lead to churning out what he calls “the sea of sameness.”

Breaking out from that “sea of sameness” is how Chubbies was born in the first place. When Rutherford and his friends sported the handmade shorts on vacation, the unusual cuts and colors had complete strangers approaching them to comment. Not everybody loved them, but everybody noticed them.

That success would have never been realized if they had based their decisions on what already worked.

Lesson 3: Think of marketing like building friendships.

You’re probably thinking this lesson is gonna get all touchy-feely. Nope. This is a much more cuss-laden concept.

Rutherford says that any idea, tactic, campaign, or concept he has absolutely must pass through this filter:

“Would I send this email to a buddy or would they talk shit to me?”

For the third time in 15 minutes, I’m doubled over in laughter, but Rutherford has an excellent point. Stop and think about your favorite brands. They’re probably the ones that talk to you like a human being.

That doesn’t necessarily mean you have to be funny, irreverent, or uncouth. But I guarantee you didn’t think of someone who blasts you with corporate-speak.

Because at the end of the day, brand building is actually relationship building. That relationship will look different if you’re selling hot sauce, tax software, or maternity pillows — but they all require authenticity… and respect.

“Am I treating the people who view my ads like I’m a corporation marketing to faceless customers? Or am I a person marketing to other people?”

As proof, he points out that this is exactly why influencer marketing is so effective right now. It’s a real person talking to you as another real person. And our recent survey data bears out the same story as marketing leaders are pouring heavy budget into creator content, brand building, and developing authenticity.

Rutherford then drops a sweary little denouement: “People can see through our bullshit. People are not idiots.”

from Marketing https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/dont-get-hooked-on-the-performance-marketing-drug

Any time an interviewee makes me ask my boss, “Can we say that in a newsletter?” you know it’s gonna be a good day.

Today, we’ve got spicy takes and spicy language from a master of marketing who made his fortune selling spicy shorts.

Lesson 1: Don’t get hooked on the performance marketing drug.

Preston Rutherford openly admits that he made every mistake in the book when co-founding the shorts company Chubbies.

So I kick off our chat by copping a line from Sheryl Crow: “What’s your favorite mistake?”

“Favorite mista-a-ake.” He sings, then laughs. “Favorite. Obviously a euphemism for gut-wrenching and sleep-depriving mistake. But, just to honor Sheryl…”

He thinks a moment: “Getting hooked on the drug that is short-term performance marketing — and in particular return on ad spend (or ROAS), where effectively all of our marketing investments were evaluated on that basis.”

My eyebrow goes up. Most marketing leaders want to see a measurable, proven return, right? How else do you know what’s working?

Rutherford says that exact sentiment is why he (and so many marketers) over-rotated toward performance marketing. That drive to make all of your marketing efforts systematic, measurable, and scalable.

“ We're so used to a certain feedback loop on the data side, right? If I'm spending dollars, I'm only measuring success by who clicked on my ad and purchased in a 24-hour period.”

But that feedback loop incentivizes marketing efforts that produce short-term results — at the cost of long-term brand building. Not to mention, it led him away from all of the fun and unusual things that made Chubbies recognizable in the first place.

And what’s worse, the hypertargeting of performance marketing means “you’re spending dollars to claim a purchase that would have already happened.”

But if you’re not focusing on return, what are you focusing on?

“Brand is the most important asset that any kind of business builds,” he says. “And is ultimately the least measurable with current tools.”

Rutherford’s hot take? Only 40% of your marketing dollars should be spent on short-term ad spend, with the rest going to brand building.

“You would much rather have someone come directly to you — not being prompted by some kind of promotion or false urgency — but rather, 'this is just a company that I believe in'.”

Lesson 2: If content is king, difference is queen.

“What marketing trend needs to die in a fire?” I ask him.

“Generative AI,” he blurts without a moment’s pause.

Y’all. I bark-laughed. (Then I wondered if anyone in my reporting hierarchy reads the newsletter, and nervously tugged my collar like Rodney Dangerfield.)

“Creativity is queen. Things that are different are queen,” he explains. “Generative AI is trained on models of what has already been done in the past and what has ‘worked.’”

He puts that last word into air quotes. According to Rutherford, this creates two problems: “Only looking backward and, in my opinion, an incorrect definition of what works. It's based on driving short-term revenue.”

Rutherford is quick to qualify that this doesn’t mean there isn’t any place for AI in marketing. But for many marketers, it will lead to churning out what he calls “the sea of sameness.”

Breaking out from that “sea of sameness” is how Chubbies was born in the first place. When Rutherford and his friends sported the handmade shorts on vacation, the unusual cuts and colors had complete strangers approaching them to comment. Not everybody loved them, but everybody noticed them.

That success would have never been realized if they had based their decisions on what already worked.

Lesson 3: Think of marketing like building friendships.

You’re probably thinking this lesson is gonna get all touchy-feely. Nope. This is a much more cuss-laden concept.

Rutherford says that any idea, tactic, campaign, or concept he has absolutely must pass through this filter:

“Would I send this email to a buddy or would they talk shit to me?”

For the third time in 15 minutes, I’m doubled over in laughter, but Rutherford has an excellent point. Stop and think about your favorite brands. They’re probably the ones that talk to you like a human being.

That doesn’t necessarily mean you have to be funny, irreverent, or uncouth. But I guarantee you didn’t think of someone who blasts you with corporate-speak.

Because at the end of the day, brand building is actually relationship building. That relationship will look different if you’re selling hot sauce, tax software, or maternity pillows — but they all require authenticity… and respect.

“Am I treating the people who view my ads like I’m a corporation marketing to faceless customers? Or am I a person marketing to other people?”

As proof, he points out that this is exactly why influencer marketing is so effective right now. It’s a real person talking to you as another real person. And our recent survey data bears out the same story as marketing leaders are pouring heavy budget into creator content, brand building, and developing authenticity.

Rutherford then drops a sweary little denouement: “People can see through our bullshit. People are not idiots.”

via Perfecte news Non connection

Can't Afford a Super Bowl Ad? Try These Marketing Alternatives Instead [Examples & Expert Tips]

The Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles face off on February 9, 2025 (6:30 p.m. ET on Fox, if it’s not on your calendar already). 

To get 30 seconds of ad time during the big game, brands coughed up a cool $7 - $8 million per spot. If that’s not in the budget, here are seven Super Bowl ad alternatives that will cost you a lot less.

I’ve also got examples of big brands with particularly creative alternatives to Super Bowl ads, plus tips on using Super Bowl marketing strategies in your own <$7 mil campaigns.

Table of Contents

• What Big Brands Do Instead of Buying Super Bowl Ads
• 7 Affordable Marketing Alternatives to Super Bowl Advertising
• Creating a Super Bowl-Quality Ad

What Big Brands Do Instead of Buying Super Bowl Ads

In 2021, at least 10 big brands — Budweiser, Coca-Cola, and Pepsi among them — sat out Super Bowl LV and directed their funds elsewhere. Anheuser-Busch, Budweiser’s parent company, donated money toward COVID vaccine efforts.

Here’s how two brands will be celebrating this year’s big game without an official ad spot, an honorable mention, and one iconic alternative ad:

Perdue Chicken: Wingin’ It

On February 9, Perdue will partner with actor/singer/comedian Wayne Brady for a non-Super Bowl Super Bowl ad. Rather than buying a $7 million ad spot, Perdue will feature Brady on Instagram Live throughout the game — expect skits, Q&As, and other comedic bits.

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Perdue Chicken (@perduechicken)

Captain Morgan: Rum Street

Super Bowl LIX will be hosted by Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana, famous for its French Quarter, Mardi Gras celebrations, and Bourbon Street.

Except that this year, Captain Morgan is turning bourbon into rum with its Rum Street activation. The live event is accompanied by interactive online treasure hunts, weekly prizes leading up to the game, and at-home cocktail recipes.

Source

Duolingo

We’re calling this an honorable mention since Duolingo’s 2024 Super Bowl campaign began with an official ad — but it was only five seconds long.

The real campaign came in the form of coordinated push notifications — sent immediately after the ad aired — reminding learners to practice.

Duolingo called it a technical risk: “Our teams had never attempted a coordinated push campaign at this scale, and we didn’t know if it was even technically possible to send a push notification to 4 million learners in 5 seconds without crashing our app.”

It was, and they did. It’s worth noting that the owl app only took the risk because it had done a lot of social listening and other market research to figure out what would resonate with its audience.

Skittles: The Musical

Back in 2018, Skittles decided it didn't want to shell out $5.2 million for a Super Bowl ad. So it took that money and created a full-length Broadway musical instead (as you do).

Skittles’ clever anti-marketing stunt may have awakened your inner theater kid, but it was still pretty expensive. And, as a small- to medium-sized business marketer, you likely can't afford a Broadway production.

So, what do you do if you don't have millions in your budget like the brands above?

Below, I‘ll list seven advertising strategies that brands use during the Super Bowl. For each, I’ll walk you through how you can take advantage of each on a much smaller scale while still effectively gaining brand awareness.

7 Affordable Marketing Alternatives to Super Bowl Advertising

1. Buy video ad space on social platforms.

As a small business marketer, you don't need to pay for a high-priced televised ad slot to get seen by the right audiences — social media plays a predictably huge role in advertising.

Twitter used to be a prime spot for Super Bowl-adjacent ads, with its own Brand Bowl roundup of best brand tweets. But since it transformed from Twitter to X, advertisers are spending significantly less money there — 50% less, according to some projections — as X users scatter to other platforms like Threads and Bluesky.

And in 2023 — the last time the Chiefs and Eagles played for the Lombardi — AdWeek noted that brands were ditching X and putting that money into other social platforms like TikTok and Instagram.

• In-stream advertising allows you to submit a video-based ad to a service like YouTube or Facebook, which will run your ad as pre- or mid-roll on longer videos.
• Online ad placements have more flexible pricing and may cost more or less depending on length, circulation, and the size or scope of your target audience.
• You'll often be able to purchase an ad slot between six seconds to one minute long. That calls for peak creativity, since your audience's attention span is under high demand — on average, Gen Z and millennials pay attention to online content for just eight to 12 seconds.

If you purchase a more budget-friendly skippable ad placement, you’re competing with the allure of the “Skip Ad” button, so you’ll have just one or two seconds to get your audience’s attention. Here’s a clever approach to that from Burger King:

Consider using other techniques to draw attention, such as presenting a relatable pain point, offering a value proposition, or placing viewers into an action-filled scene when the video starts playing.

If you need more inspiration, here’s some fan-favorite ads (and some marketing lessons) from Super Bowl 2024.

2. Dive deeper with a video narrative.

Super Bowl ads often feel like miniature movies. Rather than establishing a basic pain point and offering a simple product-based solution, they often tell rich stories.

Take Clio Hall of Fame and Cannes Lions winner “1984.” Directed by Ridley Scott for Apple, the ad aired during Super Bowl XIII, when Apple was more underdog than tech gargantuan, and IBM ruled the PC world.

At the end of the commercial, a narrator announces, “On January 24th, 1984, Apple will introduce Macintosh. And you'll see why 1984 won't be like ‘1984.’”

The commercial is a deep metaphor for how Apple's brand, innovative products, and mission would free computer users from the monopolies of past tech giants.

Although Apple had more resources than the average small biz, all it takes to create an attention-grabbing narrative ad is some creative team members and affordable video equipment.

Interested in crafting a compelling advertisement script? Check out this template. If you have a great idea but aren't sure where to start production-wise, read this step-by-step guide.

3. Leverage major events or holidays.

Major cultural events like the Super Bowl or the Oscars are campaign opportunities for big brands, who suddenly have the attention of an enormous audience — not just during the event, but often for weeks before and after.

It doesn’t cost gazillions of dollars to create campaigns with references to pop culture or current events. These could include blog posts about how an event relates to your industry, social media posts that leverage topical hashtags, or a marketing video about how your customers might be celebrating an event.

During the big game in 2020, energy drink brand G-Fuel asked Twitter users to reply with who they think will win the #SuperBowl. The tweet includes an image of two G-Fuel drinks in front of a football field:

Source

This capitalizes on the #SuperBowl hashtag, which will be seen by millions of football fans. You’ll note that the Super Bowl isn’t mentioned in the ad itself, though — it’s a trademark owned by the NFL, which doesn’t allow brands to use the event name “with commercial intent.”

One of our past masters in marketing, Hassan S. Ali, has some creative ideas on skirting legal issues. So do Newcastle Brown Ale and Anna Kendrick:

4. Lean into co-marketing.

Even big brands look for more budget-friendly advertising, like this 2015 co-marketed Super Bowl ad. Co-marketing is when two or more brands join forces — plus money, time, effort, and resources — to create a single piece of content that highlights all the brands involved.

For this ad, Newcastle pooled its money with 37 other brands to buy a Super Bowl ad slot, which they appropriately titled "Band of Brands”:

5. Consider influencer marketing.

Aside from high-budget productions and gripping narratives, Super Bowl commercials are also known for their star-studded casts. Remember this Amazon Echo commercial where Alexa is voiced by a handful of popular celebrities?

Although you probably can't hire stars like Cardi B, you might have budget for a micro-influencer who's credible and highly followed in your industry.

When you sponsor an influencer who really understands their audience and your industry, they'll create and publish content that intrigues their audience while also highlighting your product.

An influencer marketing strategy can also be especially effective on social media channels like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, or TikTok.

In this example, the smartphone game “Run Around” sponsored a TikTok user who's gained more than 15,000 followers simply by recording herself playing mobile games. The brand identified that gaming-oriented audiences were on TikTok and sponsored an influencer whose audience anticipates her mobile game reviews and demonstrations.

6. Use counter-programming.

Sure, more than 100 million people in the U.S. will be watching the big game, but another 200 some million won’t be. If your audience is among the latter, you have the opportunity to capture their attention while everybody else is watching Taylor Swift’s boyfriend.

Two words: Puppy Bowl.

Two more words: Kitten Bowl.

Some years ago, Twitter users made their own counter-programming, gleefully sharing pictures of owls instead of joining the Super Bowl convo.

Searches for 'Superb Owl' spike during the #Superbowl each year pic.twitter.com/TZaG3bvmSD

— GoogleTrends (@GoogleTrends) February 5, 2017

Social listening may help you determine what your audience is thinking and what they’re doing if they’re not eating seven-layer dip and shouting at men in tight pants on TV.

7. Consider digital out-of-home marketing (DOOH).

Steve Nicklin, senior vice president of marketing and analytics for the Out of Home Advertising Association of America, argues in a recent blog post that “DOOH offers a compelling alternative to traditional Super Bowl advertising at the same cost.”

Nicklin cites a month-long, $7 million DOOH campaign that showed 7.5x more reach than a 30-second Super Bowl spot. He also points out that this isn’t a zero sum game:

“Of course Super Bowl ads are still a major brand moment, but to maximize their impact and investment, brands should consider an integrated, omnichannel approach, one that utilizes DOOH in pre-game buildup, complements TV spots with real-time DOOH updates and continues the conversation post-game to reinforce key messages and leverage big game moments.”

His advice for reaching younger audiences? “Savvy brands can also incorporate social media elements in DOOH ads to increase online brand engagement, especially among younger fans.”

Creating a Super Bowl-Quality Ad

As you work towards creating a quality ad on a budget, keep these scalable big brand tips in mind:

• Tell a great story: Pull your viewers in, allow them to relate to your brand, and hook them by presenting how your product can help them.
• Embrace current events: Craft campaigns that touch on highly discussed on-trend events, such as the Super Bowl, award shows, or holidays — especially if they relate strongly to your brand.
• Leverage brands and influencers: Partnering with brands and influencers can earn attention from similar audiences that you haven't already reached. To get started, research and build relationships with brands and influencers that your audiences or industries look to for credible tips.

Super Bowl Advertising for the Rest of Us

Even on a small budget, a little planning and a lot of creativity go a long way. Use and adapt these lessons from the big brands to make super ads all year long.

Editor's note: This post was originally published in January 2020 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

from Marketing https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/super-bowl-ad-alternatives

The Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles face off on February 9, 2025 (6:30 p.m. ET on Fox, if it’s not on your calendar already). 

To get 30 seconds of ad time during the big game, brands coughed up a cool $7 - $8 million per spot. If that’s not in the budget, here are seven Super Bowl ad alternatives that will cost you a lot less.

I’ve also got examples of big brands with particularly creative alternatives to Super Bowl ads, plus tips on using Super Bowl marketing strategies in your own <$7 mil campaigns.

Table of Contents

• What Big Brands Do Instead of Buying Super Bowl Ads
• 7 Affordable Marketing Alternatives to Super Bowl Advertising
• Creating a Super Bowl-Quality Ad

What Big Brands Do Instead of Buying Super Bowl Ads

In 2021, at least 10 big brands — Budweiser, Coca-Cola, and Pepsi among them — sat out Super Bowl LV and directed their funds elsewhere. Anheuser-Busch, Budweiser’s parent company, donated money toward COVID vaccine efforts.

Here’s how two brands will be celebrating this year’s big game without an official ad spot, an honorable mention, and one iconic alternative ad:

Perdue Chicken: Wingin’ It

On February 9, Perdue will partner with actor/singer/comedian Wayne Brady for a non-Super Bowl Super Bowl ad. Rather than buying a $7 million ad spot, Perdue will feature Brady on Instagram Live throughout the game — expect skits, Q&As, and other comedic bits.

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Perdue Chicken (@perduechicken)

Captain Morgan: Rum Street

Super Bowl LIX will be hosted by Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana, famous for its French Quarter, Mardi Gras celebrations, and Bourbon Street.

Except that this year, Captain Morgan is turning bourbon into rum with its Rum Street activation. The live event is accompanied by interactive online treasure hunts, weekly prizes leading up to the game, and at-home cocktail recipes.

Source

Duolingo

We’re calling this an honorable mention since Duolingo’s 2024 Super Bowl campaign began with an official ad — but it was only five seconds long.

The real campaign came in the form of coordinated push notifications — sent immediately after the ad aired — reminding learners to practice.

Duolingo called it a technical risk: “Our teams had never attempted a coordinated push campaign at this scale, and we didn’t know if it was even technically possible to send a push notification to 4 million learners in 5 seconds without crashing our app.”

It was, and they did. It’s worth noting that the owl app only took the risk because it had done a lot of social listening and other market research to figure out what would resonate with its audience.

Skittles: The Musical

Back in 2018, Skittles decided it didn't want to shell out $5.2 million for a Super Bowl ad. So it took that money and created a full-length Broadway musical instead (as you do).

Skittles’ clever anti-marketing stunt may have awakened your inner theater kid, but it was still pretty expensive. And, as a small- to medium-sized business marketer, you likely can't afford a Broadway production.

So, what do you do if you don't have millions in your budget like the brands above?

Below, I‘ll list seven advertising strategies that brands use during the Super Bowl. For each, I’ll walk you through how you can take advantage of each on a much smaller scale while still effectively gaining brand awareness.

7 Affordable Marketing Alternatives to Super Bowl Advertising

1. Buy video ad space on social platforms.

As a small business marketer, you don't need to pay for a high-priced televised ad slot to get seen by the right audiences — social media plays a predictably huge role in advertising.

Twitter used to be a prime spot for Super Bowl-adjacent ads, with its own Brand Bowl roundup of best brand tweets. But since it transformed from Twitter to X, advertisers are spending significantly less money there — 50% less, according to some projections — as X users scatter to other platforms like Threads and Bluesky.

And in 2023 — the last time the Chiefs and Eagles played for the Lombardi — AdWeek noted that brands were ditching X and putting that money into other social platforms like TikTok and Instagram.

• In-stream advertising allows you to submit a video-based ad to a service like YouTube or Facebook, which will run your ad as pre- or mid-roll on longer videos.
• Online ad placements have more flexible pricing and may cost more or less depending on length, circulation, and the size or scope of your target audience.
• You'll often be able to purchase an ad slot between six seconds to one minute long. That calls for peak creativity, since your audience's attention span is under high demand — on average, Gen Z and millennials pay attention to online content for just eight to 12 seconds.

If you purchase a more budget-friendly skippable ad placement, you’re competing with the allure of the “Skip Ad” button, so you’ll have just one or two seconds to get your audience’s attention. Here’s a clever approach to that from Burger King:

Consider using other techniques to draw attention, such as presenting a relatable pain point, offering a value proposition, or placing viewers into an action-filled scene when the video starts playing.

If you need more inspiration, here’s some fan-favorite ads (and some marketing lessons) from Super Bowl 2024.

2. Dive deeper with a video narrative.

Super Bowl ads often feel like miniature movies. Rather than establishing a basic pain point and offering a simple product-based solution, they often tell rich stories.

Take Clio Hall of Fame and Cannes Lions winner “1984.” Directed by Ridley Scott for Apple, the ad aired during Super Bowl XIII, when Apple was more underdog than tech gargantuan, and IBM ruled the PC world.

At the end of the commercial, a narrator announces, “On January 24th, 1984, Apple will introduce Macintosh. And you'll see why 1984 won't be like ‘1984.’”

The commercial is a deep metaphor for how Apple's brand, innovative products, and mission would free computer users from the monopolies of past tech giants.

Although Apple had more resources than the average small biz, all it takes to create an attention-grabbing narrative ad is some creative team members and affordable video equipment.

Interested in crafting a compelling advertisement script? Check out this template. If you have a great idea but aren't sure where to start production-wise, read this step-by-step guide.

3. Leverage major events or holidays.

Major cultural events like the Super Bowl or the Oscars are campaign opportunities for big brands, who suddenly have the attention of an enormous audience — not just during the event, but often for weeks before and after.

It doesn’t cost gazillions of dollars to create campaigns with references to pop culture or current events. These could include blog posts about how an event relates to your industry, social media posts that leverage topical hashtags, or a marketing video about how your customers might be celebrating an event.

During the big game in 2020, energy drink brand G-Fuel asked Twitter users to reply with who they think will win the #SuperBowl. The tweet includes an image of two G-Fuel drinks in front of a football field:

Source

This capitalizes on the #SuperBowl hashtag, which will be seen by millions of football fans. You’ll note that the Super Bowl isn’t mentioned in the ad itself, though — it’s a trademark owned by the NFL, which doesn’t allow brands to use the event name “with commercial intent.”

One of our past masters in marketing, Hassan S. Ali, has some creative ideas on skirting legal issues. So do Newcastle Brown Ale and Anna Kendrick:

4. Lean into co-marketing.

Even big brands look for more budget-friendly advertising, like this 2015 co-marketed Super Bowl ad. Co-marketing is when two or more brands join forces — plus money, time, effort, and resources — to create a single piece of content that highlights all the brands involved.

For this ad, Newcastle pooled its money with 37 other brands to buy a Super Bowl ad slot, which they appropriately titled "Band of Brands”:

5. Consider influencer marketing.

Aside from high-budget productions and gripping narratives, Super Bowl commercials are also known for their star-studded casts. Remember this Amazon Echo commercial where Alexa is voiced by a handful of popular celebrities?

Although you probably can't hire stars like Cardi B, you might have budget for a micro-influencer who's credible and highly followed in your industry.

When you sponsor an influencer who really understands their audience and your industry, they'll create and publish content that intrigues their audience while also highlighting your product.

An influencer marketing strategy can also be especially effective on social media channels like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, or TikTok.

In this example, the smartphone game “Run Around” sponsored a TikTok user who's gained more than 15,000 followers simply by recording herself playing mobile games. The brand identified that gaming-oriented audiences were on TikTok and sponsored an influencer whose audience anticipates her mobile game reviews and demonstrations.

6. Use counter-programming.

Sure, more than 100 million people in the U.S. will be watching the big game, but another 200 some million won’t be. If your audience is among the latter, you have the opportunity to capture their attention while everybody else is watching Taylor Swift’s boyfriend.

Two words: Puppy Bowl.

Two more words: Kitten Bowl.

Some years ago, Twitter users made their own counter-programming, gleefully sharing pictures of owls instead of joining the Super Bowl convo.

Searches for 'Superb Owl' spike during the #Superbowl each year pic.twitter.com/TZaG3bvmSD

— GoogleTrends (@GoogleTrends) February 5, 2017

Social listening may help you determine what your audience is thinking and what they’re doing if they’re not eating seven-layer dip and shouting at men in tight pants on TV.

7. Consider digital out-of-home marketing (DOOH).

Steve Nicklin, senior vice president of marketing and analytics for the Out of Home Advertising Association of America, argues in a recent blog post that “DOOH offers a compelling alternative to traditional Super Bowl advertising at the same cost.”

Nicklin cites a month-long, $7 million DOOH campaign that showed 7.5x more reach than a 30-second Super Bowl spot. He also points out that this isn’t a zero sum game:

“Of course Super Bowl ads are still a major brand moment, but to maximize their impact and investment, brands should consider an integrated, omnichannel approach, one that utilizes DOOH in pre-game buildup, complements TV spots with real-time DOOH updates and continues the conversation post-game to reinforce key messages and leverage big game moments.”

His advice for reaching younger audiences? “Savvy brands can also incorporate social media elements in DOOH ads to increase online brand engagement, especially among younger fans.”

Creating a Super Bowl-Quality Ad

As you work towards creating a quality ad on a budget, keep these scalable big brand tips in mind:

• Tell a great story: Pull your viewers in, allow them to relate to your brand, and hook them by presenting how your product can help them.
• Embrace current events: Craft campaigns that touch on highly discussed on-trend events, such as the Super Bowl, award shows, or holidays — especially if they relate strongly to your brand.
• Leverage brands and influencers: Partnering with brands and influencers can earn attention from similar audiences that you haven't already reached. To get started, research and build relationships with brands and influencers that your audiences or industries look to for credible tips.

Super Bowl Advertising for the Rest of Us

Even on a small budget, a little planning and a lot of creativity go a long way. Use and adapt these lessons from the big brands to make super ads all year long.

Editor's note: This post was originally published in January 2020 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

via Perfecte news Non connection