Lessons Super Bowl Advertising Campaigns Offer to U.S. Marketing on TikTok
Every February, 115+ million viewers watch the Super Bowl not only to witness the football match but also to enjoy the commercials. In fact, the Super Bowl has, for several decades, determined what great commercial creative work looks like. Super Bowl commercials not only sell products but also stick into peopleâs minds. They are memes, and people often gather around and talk about such commercials long after the Super Bowl is over. How about doing the same thing on the fastest-growing digital platform of the era, which is TikTok? The Super Bowl is the culmination of traditional marketing, but TikTok is the future of it â an arena where creativity and commerce convene 24-7. The brands succeeding on TikTok are the ones which understand what made the Super Bowl commercials so iconic â it is great storytelling, it is human emotion, and it is timely. The only difference is, the game is never over on TikTok. This is where a TikTok Shop Management Agency comes into the picture â where the creative DNA of the Super Bowl ad is channeled into the rhythm of the TikTok environment. If you are a TikTok San Francisco start-up company, known for innovative content, and if you are a social media agency Seattle, running influencer campaigns, it is essential to understand the timeless principles of storytelling. In this piece, we’ll distill what the Super Bowl commercials can tell us about TikTok, ranging from how it creates an emotional connection and engages communities to how it is driven by the science behind shareability, and how agencies can leverage what is learned to drive business on TikTok. Super Bowlâs Iconic Advertising Lessons The Super Bowl has, for over 50 years, been the biggest challenge to creative marketing. Organizations are known to pay up to $7 million for a 30-second slot. Why? These 30 seconds can shape their story for up to five years. Classic commercials, such as Appleâs “1984,” Budweiserâs “Whassup,” and Doritosâ “Crash the Super Bowl,” not only entertained, but also told a story with elements of American culture. The most successful commercials share three components: Emotive storytelling â They relate to something human. Cultural timing â They are attuned to the zeitgeist. High recall â They are easy to remember and recount. TikTok may not have a captive Super Bowl audience, but it has something far more valuable: daily, active engagement. Where Super Bowl commercials reach millions annually, TikTok commercials can reach millions each and every day, and at a fraction of the cost. The most intelligent TikTok Shop Management Agencies are learning from such high-quality TV moments and are borrowing lessons to cater to the short-form format. Why a TikTok Shop Management Agency Can Apply the Same Principles on TikTok TikTok is based on the same principles which ensure the success of great Super Bowl commercials, which are attention, emotion, and storytelling. In contrast to commercials on television, the TikTok community is interactive. Viewers not only watch, but also recreate. An agency specializing in TikTok Shop Management enables brands to go beyond standard ad commercials and develop dynamic stories, interactive challenges, and shoppable content. Here are the ways by which the similarities are aligned:        Super Bowl Advertising                     TikTok Advertising by Agency 30 seconds to capture emotion           15 seconds to capture curiosity Broadcast Reach                         Algorithmic discovery Active Participation                       High ROI due to scalability Brand spectacle                          Creator-driven storytelling A seasoned TikTok agency can help brands not only recreate the traditional TV commercial, but also enable it to speak the language of the fast-paced and community-oriented world of TikTok. 1. Storytelling Super Bowl Advertising Emphasizes Emotive Storytelling Consider, for example, the Budweiser Clydesdales commercials, or Googleâs “Loretta” commercial, which brought viewers to tears. These commercials were more than just a celebrity appearance and a high-quality production â they were human stories that served to evoke a reaction. The algorithm of TikTok operates on the very same principle. Peopleâs scrolling ceases when the piece of information and/or visual engages their emotions, such as when it gives them a moment to laugh, cry, and sometimes agree by nodding their head. This is exactly why Super Bowl storytelling works effectively on the creative platform of TikTok. In either format, emotion drives attention, and attention drives conversion. TikTok also needs attention-grabbing content. Unlike TV commercials, advertisements on TikTok are competing in an endless feed of distraction. You have mere seconds to capture the attention of the consumer, what is known as the first three seconds of a Super Bowl commercial. There is demand to optimize for: Instant Intrigue: Movement, Humor, and Curiosity Hooks Compression of story arc: Emotions should resonate within 15 to 30 seconds Cultural relevance: Sync with current trends, audios, or memes For example, take the 2024 State Farm “Jake from State Farm” commercial during the Super Bowl, which spawned countless parodies on TikTok. The creative TikTok Shop Management firm could have leveraged the moment with a hashtag challenge to keep the campaign active long after the Super Bowl. 2. Advantages to Advertising on TikTok Establishes Strong Brand Recall Super Bowl commercials are remembered because messages are encoded into emotion. TikTok provides more persuasive power by having messages reinforced by repetition, further reinforced by community involvement. When an individual engages with an advertisement several times, recall becomes retention. In 2024, a Marketing Science study by TikTok found that 68% of users are more likely … Read more