FedEx taps TikTok artists for NFL playoff halftime shows

Instead of running a Super Bowl ad this year, FedEx is leaning into TikTok during the NFL playoffs. The company is tapping six TikTok musicians to perform on the social platform during halftime of the wild-card games this weekend. Six other artists will perform in other playoff games leading up to the Super Bowl. Check out the latest Ad Age events and award programs The FedEx NFL Playoffs Concert Series campaign is meant to highlight the company's new picture proof of delivery feature. Each of the artists, many of whom are unsigned, will each get their own TikTok Live performance during the six games this weekend. Artists include Henry Jacob Platt, Sheyna Gee, Blake Rouse, Sophie Truax, Keilam and metal rock band New Haven. The artists, who have found an audience on TikTok, were invited by FedEx to perform during the halftime shows. @geeis4gangster I’m so excited to be part of the FedEx NFL Playoffs Concert Series! I’ll be performing live on TikTok during halftime of the NFL game on January 16! #yallternative #countrymusic #FedEx #PictureProof #NFLPlayoffs #LiveConcertSeries #ad ♬ original sound - Sheyna Gee “It is so easy to get lost in the noise around the Super Bowl when the hype really starts a month beforehand in new platforms,” Enda Conway, senior VP, head of connections strategy, BBDO, said in a statement. “That’s why we wanted to add value to our audience once the playoffs got going while giving up-and-coming artists their own half-time show.” A Super Bowl commercial this year is costing brands as much as $7 million for 30 seconds of air time. TikTok is no stranger to helping launch musicians' careers or putting their songs at the top of the charts. Singer-songwriter Tai Verdes went viral on TikTok for his song “Stuck in the Middle,” and is now signed with Arista Records. Kate Bush’s song “Running Up that Hill” and Lil Nas X’s “Industry Baby” both saw a resurgence in popularity thanks to TikTok, too. Last year, NFL playoff games averaged 38.2 million viewers, according to Nielsen, with the Bills and Chiefs game clocking in at nearly 43 million viewers.

FedEx taps TikTok artists for NFL playoff halftime shows

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