Brands looking to make a splash at Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas turned the weekend into a larger-than-life three days filled with parties and pure chaos.
The marketing started the moment travelers stepped off the plane at Harry Reid International Airport, as they were greeted by the Super Bowl LVIII Host Committee handing out pins, stickers, mini footballs, and loud cheers as guests arrived at baggage claim.
Entrepreneur attended Taco Bell’s Live Más Live event to see what brands were up to for the Super Bowl festivities. While it was clear from the get-go that it would be a weekend of over-the-top branding ploys, the grandiose displays might have just changed the Super Bowl experience forever.
It’s estimated that over 500,000 visitors came to Las Vegas for the Super Bowl, and brands were eager to get their merch in the hands of social media-sharing fans.
Related: Record-Breaking Super Bowl LVIII Was the Most Streamed Single Broadcast Since the 1969 Moon Landing
“These kinds of events are so much bigger than concerts or shows,” said Joe Silberzweig, co-CEO of Medium Rare production company, which put on four star-studded events over the weekend. “They’re really media properties that attract all sorts of different people, celebrities, athletes, and we use them as business development opportunities to bring in and meet our new partners and all of our brands.”
And sometimes, companies end up spending almost as much as a Super Bowl commercial to put on these mega-marketing events.
“The events vary in audience and scale of build, but generally speaking they can range from $2 million to $5 million to put on,” Medium Rare co-founder Adam Richman tells Entrepreneur.
Here are five brands that went all out.
Uber
Uber had a strong presence on the Strip — and not just people using the ride-share service to get around. In addition to its celebrity-filled Super Bowl commercials, Uber created a “Get Almost Almost Anything Experience” — a fake grocery store with different rooms showcasing what you can get on Uber Eats, from food and beverages to frozen face masks and flowers.
Guests enter the “Get Almost Almost Anything on Uber Eats” Market at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center (Uber)
“Experiential activations are a powerful vehicle to land brand campaign narratives in the hearts and minds of the consumer. Bringing our Super Bowl ad to life IRL was the ultimate way to let our customers touch and feel what we mean when we say ‘Get Almost Almost Anything,” Molly Spychalski, Head of Global Brand Partnership Marketing at Uber told Entrepreneur. “Throughout this activation, it was critically important for us to not only tell consumers that they can ‘Get Almost Almost Anything on Uber Eats’, but for us to show them too.”
The brand also threw a party for select Uber One members, which included a performance by Post Malone (who opened up the Super Bowl with a performance of “America the Beautiful”) and food from top Uber Eats picks in the area.
Gronk Beach
This year’s iteration of Gronk Beach was a bit of a challenge weather-wise, as the unusually cold Vegas temperatures prevented even Gronk himself from taking his shirt off.
But that didn’t stop the hoodie-clad former NFL tight end from partying poolside.
Gronk Beach played to its audience — party-loving frat boy types and their counterparts — by partnering with brands that would speak to them, namely Pit Viper, a sunglass brand known for their signature shield shape, and Safety Shot, a new beverage that claims to cut blood alcohol down after consumption.
Rob Gronkowski fires up the Gronk Beach crowd at Encore Beach Club (Medium Rare)
The music was loud, the crowd was hyped, and if Gronk Beach sponsors and guests did one thing right, it was that they all collectively read the room.
Shaq’s Fun House
Deejaying your own party is a bold move, but if anyone can pull it off, it’s Shaq.
And a little rain in the desert couldn’t keep the party-hopping hopefuls from hearing Shaq (a.k.a. DJ Diesel) perform in a carnival-themed fun house that featured pop-up games, merchandise tents, and, of course, a dance floor.
Shaq aka Dj Diesel warms up the Shaq’s Fun House crowd at XS Nightclub (Medium Rare)
At the event, Flo Rida was seen enjoying the Celsius energy drinks, which were stationed in buckets around the venue, free of charge for guests. He even asked us to get him one, perhaps thinking we were staff.
Guy Fieri’s Flavortown BBQ
Guy Fieri is his own brand, and his pre-Super Bowl Sunday tailgate certainly had no shortage of branded signage and products. From Fieri-branded cigars to featuring his food in the VIP section, there was zero doubt whose event it was — there were even Fieri quotes hanging up around the venue.
And perhaps that was the strongest play — people came to the tailgate party because they love Guy Fieri and what he represents — high-energy inclusivity while rooting for the underdog with an unpretentious demeanor.
Guy Fieri and Gordon Ramsay have a moment onstage at Guy’s Flavortown Tailgate (Medium Rare)
“If you want to interact with Guy Fieri and try his food, he curated over 30 restaurants, he’ll be there on stage for hours, he’ll come on down to Flavortown,” Silberzweig said of the event, noting that it was double the size of last year’s. “Whether you’re meeting a celebrity or not, you’re entering their world and their mind in a really fun way.”
Fieri personally thanked attendees on the red carpet for spending their gameday with him and offered to bring out food and drinks for everyone working the event — genuine and on-brand.
h.wood Homecoming
On Saturday, the h.wood Group and Uncommon Entertainment hosted night two of the third annual h.wood Homecoming party in partnership with online retailer Revolve, which featured a performance by Jack Harlow and a Taco Bell lounge for guests to hang out in should they need a breather from the music and madness inside the main tent.
The timing of the party was earlier than most (it began at 9 p.m. and ended promptly at 1 a.m.), and while whisky may not be a typical dance club drink of choice, Crown Royal stole the show with free merchandise in the form of long-sleeve t-shirts — genius for a crowd that was shivering in party dresses in sub-40-degree temperatures sans coats.
