A marketing leader's playbook to winning the Big Game

Huddle up, marketers! Here are 3 sports truths to help prepare for game day. [ISSUE 02] [YouTube Re:View] BIG IDEAS for the Big Game TLDR: Getting ready for game day - Winning on multiple formats - Humor, nostalgia, and diversity are a winning play - Thinking beyond the 30-second spot CALL AN AUDIBLE Don’t run the same old plays The Big Game is an important time for brands, but this multi-hour broadcast is only one component of how you can join sports’ biggest moments. From player podcasts and fan commentary to game highlights and halftime performance trends, sports fandom is always on, and fans are looking to engage outside of the official 60 minutes of play. Marketers should consider a [multi-moment, multi-format approach]() to connect with casual viewers and superfans days before and after kickoff. Building a robust media strategy means pairing game-day activations with channels where sports culture and conversations are happening year round. According to Comscore, YouTube reached 48.2M adults 18-49 who did not see a Super Bowl ad live on TV and expanded TV’s reach by 97%.1 [ADBLITZ 2024] THE NEW PLAYBOOK It’s a game of inches The most iconic Big Game ads don’t just win with reach. They also spark conversations and captivate audiences. One of the foundational elements of engaging viewers is strong storytelling, and there are a few themes that can help brands break through. [01] Hook with humor The early 2020s required brands to quickly adopt a serious tone to reflect the state of the world. However, in a post-pandemic society, brands have dialed up comedy as a way to showcase relatability and comfort. For marketers, emotional elements like humor have the ability to capture attention and transform it into intent. Watch time of humor content on connected TVs has grown over 45% YoY in the US2 showing how an age-old technique continues to win with viewers, especially on the big screen. Check out [Booking.com’s 2023 Big Game ad](), which used fast-paced comedic flair to reach the #1 spot in [YouTube AdBlitz]() at over 118M views. [02] Nostalgia never gets old For marketers, nostalgic stories have the ability to scale easily because of the relatable human truths and experiences. [Kantar’s POV]() on the power of nostalgia in advertising addresses the common misperception that this technique only works for certain generations. Despite Gen Z’s relative youth, they have their own emotional connection to their past, showing that nostalgia works when it accurately reflects the experiences of the audience. [03] Embrace authentic diversity Showcasing diversity has become an expectation for viewers, especially Gen Z. However, brands can’t limit diversity to casting alone. Authentic diversity requires that brands thoughtfully and accurately represent the culture of the communities they’re telling stories about. [ADBLITZ 2024] [30+ SECONDS] A GAME CHANGER Go long Long-form creative that goes beyond the traditional 30-second ad spot offers viewers the creative variety they’re craving. It also helps your brand stand out by offering viewers more time to become immersed in your story. In last year’s YouTube AdBlitz, the premiere destination for all Big Game commercials on YouTube, the entertainment industry led in engagement rate. Their lengthy trailers show how longform creative, when done successfully, can hook and retain the attention of viewers. How was this edition? [Smile_terrible.png]() [Smile_bad.png]() [Smile_neutral (1).png]() [Smile_good.png]() [Smile_excellent.png]() Terrible Bad Neutral Good Excellent Has this been forwarded to you? [SUBSCRIBE TO RE:VIEW]() [YouTube]() [X]() [LinkedIn]() Sources 1 US custom analysis of 15 Comscore Campaign Ratings Super Bowl LVII studies analyzing Linear TV vs. YouTube CTV, desktop, and mobile delivery for P18-49 in the US on 2/12/2023; Analysis Time Period = Day of Super Bowl; Methodology: 15 Super Bowl advertisers randomly selected among those who expressed interest in participating in Google-funded meta analysis and among those who ran YouTube media in one week leading up to and after Super Bowl; 33% Media Weight = YouTube Share of Campaign Total Audience Tracked Ads; 48.2M = Exclusive YouTube Unique Viewers P18-49; 97% = "YouTube Only Unique Viewers" / "Total TV Unique Viewers"; "YouTube P18-49 Total Audience Impressions (375,674,186)" / "P18-49 Total Audience Impressions (1,121,495,771)" = 33.5% YouTube media weight for P18-49 2 YouTube Internal Data, December 2022 This email was sent to {EMAIL} because you indicated that you are willing to receive occasional YouTube product-related emails. If you do not wish to receive such emails in the future, you may [unsubscribe here](/MTcyLUdPUC04MTEAAAGRBGK61XtI2aCRujxoyBXJYhniZlSdsgharp-OkuJVHYDCyNZQ6Ep8-3SSMVVk1UmWZSSQ0qk=). © 2024 Google LLC, d/b/a YouTube, 901 Cherry Ave, San Bruno, CA 94066