How fashion brands rode the Super Bowl wave

Apart from the halftime show, brands’ outfitting opportunities at the Super Bowl included the players’ pre- and post-game looks and the looks of their celebrity friends and fans. Louis Vuitton outfitted Chiefs players Skyy Moore and Patrick Mahomes for their big-game arrivals, while Amiri dressed Travis Kelce. High-profile celebrities attending the event this year included Taylor Swift, Bella Hadid and Blake Lively. Justin Beiber wore Marine Serre and Swift wore Dion Lee. Meanwhile, Lively wore Adidas and jewelry from Stephanie Gottlieb and Tiffany & Co. 

“Taylor’s involvement this year took the event to another level globally, with interest in her every move,” said Krista Corrigan, analyst at retail analytics company Edited.

According to early-reported numbers, this year’s TV viewership of the Super Bowl reached well over 100 million. That included an increase in viewers in the U.K., with viewership of NFL games growing as more games are played in London stadiums.

“On February 5, Kim Kardashian’s Skims announced Usher as the new face of its menswear campaign. It is a prime example of a brand capitalizing on the opportunity ahead of Usher’s halftime performance,” Corrigan said.

While partnering with big names for marketing and commercial opportunities can bring success for brands, Corrigan noted that “those with limited resources can still tap into the hype through social media and influencer marketing.”

The wife of San Francisco 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk, for example, created custom jackets for celebs attending playoff games. “With several celebrities, including Taylor, sporting her designs in the past few weeks, it caught the attention of consumers and the NFL,” said Corrigan. “It landed her a licensing deal and resources to scale her brand into something special.”

Women constituted about 49% of the total viewership this year, rising 9% compared to previous years, presenting an opportunity for fashion and beauty brands. “For the first time, we saw beauty brands like NYX purchase coveted ad slots to run during the game,“ Corrigan noted. And fast fashion brand Temu reportedly paid over $15 million to secure three 30-second spots during the game.

The halftime show’s fashion impact was especially evident last year, after Rihanna sported a look inclusive of pieces by Alaïa, Loewe, Salomon and Jacob & Co. Rihanna’s red Loewe bodysuit generated $4.7 million in media impact value, while the Alaïa puffer brought in $3.2 million, the MM6 x Salomon sneakers drove $2.2 million and the Jacon & Co. watch drove $705,000. The 2023 Super Bowl, as a whole, generated $550 million in media impact value, $30 million more than the previous year. Media impact value is a unique algorithm developed by Launchmetrics designed to evaluate and compare the effectiveness of various media placements and mentions. 

Following Rihanna’s performance, for the nine months ending September 30, Salomon reported revenues of $949.3 million for its “sportstyle” division, which includes the featured sneakers. That was a 35% increase compared to the year prior.

“The Super Bowl opportunity is no longer isolated to just one audience type,” Corrigan said. “Brand experiences, pop-ups, product launches, and athlete or celebrity partnerships are just a few tactics for brands that got involved.” 

NFL merchandise brand collaborators are reaping the benefits of the celebrity association, too. The NFL works with over 250 brands, including Boss and Vera Bradley, on designer collaborations.

According to Edited data, online sellouts of Travis Kelce NFL merchandise, including jerseys, spiked 138% in September 2023 versus the previous month, after news spread of the athlete’s relationship with Taylor Swift. New Travis Kelce merch has since flooded the market, with the number of options up 169% in the fourth quarter, compared to Q3. In January, there were more Travis Kelce products on the market than in any of the previous six months.