The SuperBowl had millions of people glued to their TV sets on February 2nd and even marketers unfamiliar with America’s game pay attention to the extravaganza every year.
The fact is, the last game of the NFL season is one of the most heavily-promoted events on earth.
This is why companies try to capitalise on the buzz surrounding the even by releasing tailored adverts, content, infographics, videos, tweets and everything you could imagine.
Simply put, if you’re in America and promoting something other than the SuperBowl on the first Sunday in February, the likelihood is no one is listening.
2014′s most unique social media play
Every year, companies pull out all of the stops to devise innovative, original social media campaigns for the SuperBowl.
The comical TV advertisements may be what attract the most attention away from the field, but Twitter has grown to become an online marketing battlefield, with brands aiming to engage those who are tweeting their thoughts on the game.
This year’s most outlandish project was masterminded by US fashion retailer JC Penney.
The stockist issued a number of erroneous tweets, commentating on the game with seemingly drunken slurs.
However, what appeared to be a shocking social media faux pas was actually a cunning tactic. Intrigued by the posts, both Doritos and Kia Motors responded, accumulating thousands of retweets for JCPenney in the process.
Not long after causing a mini-storm on Twitter, JCPenney admitted it had actually been tweeting while wearing mittens, referencing the cold weather forecast for the game and launching its own #TweetingWithMittens hashtag.
Stunning social media touchdown or a devastating fumble?
Whether JCPenney’s achieved their aim with the campaign is unknown, but it certainly attracted attention and, by organically interacting with other brands, the plan ultimately exposed the brand to new audiences.
The fashion retailer’s campaign is a clear demonstration on how to capitalise on events and topical affairs to boost exposure online.
Photo source: US Customs and Border Protection | Flickr