On one of advertising’s biggest nights of the year, linear TV remains undisputed in terms of audience reach. Supplemented by incrementality from digital, the combination calls for a well-targeted cross-platform campaign across screens and audiences during a Super Bowl broadcast.
For many viewers, brands, and advertisers alike, measuring the total reach of these campaigns is not limited to living room viewing. The reactions of viewers, fans and influencers on social platforms play a pivotal role in the life span of a campaign beyond the final whistle on the field. The buzz generated by comical, memorable, and impactful campaigns plays out on social in a way other video formats cannot capture.
Comscore has factored in actions on owned accounts, earned content and mentions to provide the most holistic ranking of who won the Social Bowl, based upon *scale.
Source: Comscore Social, Total Social Actions & Posts on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, February 11, 2024.
Including popular actors and influencers has always been a staple-strategy of TV ads, and with this year’s Beyonce advertisement about “breaking the internet” – it seems that Verizon did just that. Earning over 9.6M total actions across Facebook, Instagram, TikTok & X, Verizon tops this year’s ranking. This ad’s success is particularly impressive given that of the 9.6M total actions, 5.5M were earned on these two Instagram & TikTok posts by Beyonce herself.
Verizon wasn’t the only brand to benefit from enlisting some star power for this year’s Super Bowl ad spot though. Dunkin’s ad featured a star-studded lineup wearing eccentric Boston-themed tracksuits, an accessory that the brand sold online in the coming days. Employing the all-star team of Ben Affleck, Tom Brady, Jennifer Lopez, Fat Joe, Jack Harlow and Matt Damon proved successful for the brand, earning nearly 6M total actions on social – with approximately 2.4M of these actions coming from Dunkin’ owned accounts, highlighting the equity building success of this campaign.
Paramount+ made numerous headlines surrounding the big game thanks to the service being the host of this year’s CTV simulcast; However, it was Paramount+’s owned content that resonated with viewers most. Actress Kira Kosarin’s TikTok welcoming back hit series “The Thundermans” drove over 788K actions for Paramount+, accounting for over ¾ of the brands total actions.
Skincare brand CeraVe decided to fully lean into puns this year thanks to actor Michael Cera’s cameo in their ad. Owned content on CeraVe accounts drove the lion’s share of engagement, with one Michael Cera-themed TikTok leading the pack with 554.9K total actions.
It is hard to think of a more recognizable voice than Arnold Schwarzenegger, so it is no surprise that State Farm’s ad spot featuring the pop-culture legend generated plenty of buzz across social media channels. One photo featuring Schwarzenegger himself, Danny Devito, and State Farms “Jake” character drove 78.6K actions on Schwarzenegger’s Facebook , while the same photo drove 13.5K actions on State Farm’s Instagram – further illustrating just how important influencers can be for brands to reach audience during the big game.
Every year certain brands tug on our heart strings with their ads, and this year Google did just that. This ad, featuring the Google Pixel’s “guided frame” feature, may have taken the cake for the most heartwarming spot of the evening, earning endorsements from many viewers and groups across social media. One repost came from the Foundation Fighting Blindness, who used their own platform to amplify Google’s ad, and in turn endorsed the products abilities.
While most ads require months of planning, shooting and a Hollywood level budget, FanDuel took a much different approach. The online sports-betting giant instead hosted a live commercial, where NFL star Rob Gronkowski attempted to kick a field goal – a feat that viewers in eligible states could place a bet on via the FanDuel app. Gronk may have missed the field goal, but the buzz it created on social media was far from a miss.
@fanduel Who picked Gronk to miss? #kickofdestiny #gronk #fanduel #superbowllviii #kickofdestiny2 ♬ original sound - FanDuel
Total Actions: 322.7K
As online sports betting continues to grow, it is no surprise to see these giants all investing heavily in the big game. In addition to an ad spot featuring Kevin Hart during the big game, it was DraftKings tactical announcement of their partnership with Barstool Sports on Super Bowl Sunday that drove particularly strong engagement, with 199.4k total actions.
Anyone who watched the Super Bowl this year knows that Temu did not shy away from advertising during the big game. Numerous slots featured the e-commerce giants ad, and although the ad itself was relatively simple, it was Temu’s use of influencers across social media that made it such a success. From TikTok to Instagram, influencers sharing their own promotional codes drove plenty of discussion across channels.
Fan-favorite sweets brand, Reese’s took a humorous approach to their ad spot this year as they debuted their new Caramel Big Cup. Reese’s drove engagement across platforms, with NFL player Isaac Rochell sharing that he was adding the candy to his pre-game routine, and even a co-branded post on X from fellow big game advertiser, Starry.
View this post on Instagram A post shared by Isaac Christopher Rochell (@isaacrochell)
A post shared by Isaac Christopher Rochell (@isaacrochell)
In the influencer category the players and the halftime show dominated, but celebrity spectators in the stands at Allegiant Stadium also featured highly.
Halftime performer Usher dominated with a whopping 52M total actions on social. Of those 52M actions, 3.5M actions originated from a TikTok clip posted by the NFL of Usher dancing.
Travis Kelce, sweetheart of Taylor Swift, remains a defining player on the Kansas City Chiefs garnering himself 35.7M total actions on social. A media storm with high levels of engagement from football and T-Swift fans alike is to be expected as interest grows in the pairing of the three-time Superbowl winner and the musical legend.
Kelce’s close friend and teammate, Patrick Mahomes, has also maintained popularity with the public. The NFL shared an Instagram photo of Mahomes and his wife holding the winning trophy and sharing a special moment, attaining 1.1M total actions.
With Congratulations in full swing, the coach that led the Kansas City Chiefs to victory caught the eye of many, especially when tensions appeared to be high between Andy Reid and Kelce towards the beginning of the game. With 760k total actions, SportsCenter posted photos of the squabble on Instagram while fans analyzed and discussed in the comments.
Staying on trend with the 2000’s theme for the Halftime show, Alicia Keys took a step into the spotlight with Usher, Ludacris, and Lil Jon, to name a few performing the set. Alone, Keys earned 13M total actions across platforms, while Ludacris and Lil Jon drove 8.4M and 7.2M actions respectively. With one guest appearance after another, Usher did not disappoint with the line-up of musical artists that worked in collaboration to excite the crowds of watchers on television and live. More specifically, social was lit up with excitement around Usher and Alicia Keys portion of the 13-minute show.
View this post on Instagram A post shared by SportsCenter (@sportscenter)
A post shared by SportsCenter (@sportscenter)
Total Actions: 911,081
The attention remains on Taylor Swift, as she focuses her social media empire and dedicated fanbase on supporting the KC Chiefs. With a tight schedule to attend to, Swift flew from Tokyo to Las Vegas to sit on the sidelines with friends, Ice Spice and Blake Lively, as seen in this Vogue Instagram post which acquired 795k total actions.
View this post on Instagram A post shared by Vogue (@voguemagazine)
A post shared by Vogue (@voguemagazine)
Post-game, Taylor was caught sharing a congratulatory kiss and dance with beau, Travis Kelce at an after-party that fans were enamored by, elevating the post to 1.4M total actions.
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Note: “Total Actions” listed below only includes actions between 6:00pm EST on 2/11, through 4:00am EST on 2/12. Current totals may exceed these numbers.