Super Bowl advertising is a high-wire act. With an estimated $8 million for 30 seconds of airtime and millions more in production and media, it's one of the most consequential marketing decisions a brand can make. Audiences show up emotionally invested and paying attention. They expect to be entertained. They demand to be surprised. For the right brand at the right moment, it's worth every dollar. 

But amid all the pressure to secure a spot, one key question is too often overlooked: Who's in the room when this decision gets made? 

Choosing whether to invest in the Super Bowl isn’t solely a media decision. It’s not a creative decision. It’s not even a strategy decision. It requires all three disciplines working together from the same information at the same time. 

When these functions operate in silos — as often happens when media, creative and strategy are spread across different agencies — disconnects emerge.  A media team optimizing for reach pushes toward the Super Bowl, even when the creative concept doesn't align with the heightened entertainment expectations of that environment. And then there’s the strategist, who knows your client’s sales cycle timing like the back of her hand — and can tell you that the Super Bowl’s timing isn’t a fit. Without everyone at the same table, these misalignments don’t surface until millions of dollars are already committed. 

The stakes are too high for that.   

When the Super Bowl Is Right 

Make no mistake: the Super Bowl remains advertising’s biggest stage, and for the right brand at the right moment, it’s worth every dollar. 

Viewers pay more attention to advertising during those four hours than at any other moment of the year. It’s an extraordinary gift for brands ready to seize it. 

But it’s also a gauntlet. Recycling existing creative almost always falls flat, which is something even major national brands have learned the hard way, landing mid-pack in the rankings and generating no conversation. The Super Bowl rewards boldness and punishes mediocrity. Brands should only step into that arena with something new, something breakthrough, something built to compete against everyone else’s best work.   

Playing the Right Game 

When the stars don't align, your $8 million can work a lot harder elsewhere. Indeed, regional and culturally significant sporting events often offer something the Super Bowl can't: emotional intensity tied to place. 
 
Think about Ohio State versus Michigan, a rivalry that stops two states cold — and commands national attention while doing it. Or the Kentucky Derby, where tradition and spectacle converge in a way that defines an entire region, while still drawing viewers from coast to coast. These moments won’t match Super Bowl reach, but they can deliver something even more valuable for certain brands: contextual relevance, where the message resonates because of when and where it appears. 

When it's time to weigh the options, the math is straightforward. Can your brand own the moment, or will it get lost in the noise? Is it better to be one of 50 advertisers fighting for attention or the standout in a more focused environment? Will the moment amplify your message? Or are you just chasing the audience? 

The Disciplined Approach 

Sports marketing opportunities are more varied than ever before. But capitalizing on them requires more than chasing trends. It requires a disciplined process — one that brings media, creative and strategy together before the buy is made, not after. 

The brands that get this right aren’t just optimizing for reach. They’re finding the moments where message and audience intersect with something bigger: regional pride, cultural tradition and the shared experience of watching something that matters.