For Super Bowl 2025, brands such as Hellmann’s, Instacart and Abercrombie & Fitch are going beyond traditional influencer posts, leveraging brand activations, exclusive parties and experiential events designed to generate organic buzz. Rather than relying solely on paid promotions, advertisers are making creators a core part of their Super Bowl marketing strategies, turning influencer partnerships into real-world experiences that extend beyond the screen.
Brands inviting influencers to join them in the stands at the Super Bowl isn’t a new marketing tactic. But this year, influencer management firms such as Digital Brand Architects are seeing a dramatic rise in requests for creators to attend brand activations and events throughout the week leading up to the Super Bowl, rather than “just going to the game and doing social [content] around it,” said Kirstin MacGowan, VP of talent at the firm.
A large group of creators represented by both Digital Brand Architects and its parent company, United Talent Agency, are flying down to New Orleans this week to attend dinner parties, cocktail hours and other events hosted by brands in the lead-up to the Super Bowl, she said. Abercrombie, for instance, invited several influencers to both a private brunch event during the week and a brand activation on the day of the game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles, including Halley Kate, Jaz Smith, Ella Halikas and twins Alexus and Ana Learmann, she said.