• by Steve Smith , Staff Writer @popeyesm, August 30, 2024

Mark Wahlberg does not come to mind as our go-to guy on matters of religious faith and prayer. But playing against type on multiple levels is precisely what helped his Super Bowl ad for the prayer and meditation app Hallow succeed. Or at least it seemed to break through the serial abuse of faded celebrity that drives most Super Bowl ads. 

As well, the ad deliberately rejected the pyrotechnics and shallow cleverness that limit the shelf life of big game advertising.

The spiritually minded folks at Hallow play it differently. Saving souls is a longer game, apparently. As Evan Laird, head of marketing for Hallow, tells us on Brand Insider this week, everything from the creative decisions around the initial shoot to the messaging and targeting were designed to get the most bang for their Super Bowl buck. You can listen to the entire podcast at this link.