When the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs take the field on Sunday, only one team will claim victory. However, in the days leading up to the Super Bowl, the competition among companies to dominate the branding game has been just as fierce.
With Super Bowl commercials becoming increasingly expensive—this year’s 30-second spots cost a staggering $5.6 million—many advertisers are looking for alternative ways to generate buzz around the event. And if they can do it for a fraction of the cost, all the better.
Outdoor and ambient advertising tied to the game present a compelling alternative. Not only are these methods significantly cheaper than Super Bowl commercials, but they also have a strong chance of going viral in today’s social media-driven world. And let’s not forget the audience—these football fans are highly desirable. Super Bowl tickets alone cost nearly $6,400 this year, not including the additional expenses for lodging, food, and transportation that die-hard fans willingly pay.
What makes advertising around the Super Bowl so exciting is the opportunity to go bold, be outrageous, and grab attention in the most creative ways possible. There’s no other platform that invites such audacious and inventive campaigns. Below, we spotlight 10 memorable outdoor Super Bowl advertising campaigns from recent years—and some from further back—that have truly made an impact.
1. Pepsi Trolls Coca-Cola in Its Home Territory
The 2019 Super Bowl took place in Atlanta, where Coca-Cola is headquartered. But Pepsi had the Super Bowl sponsorship, and the country’s No. 2 cola brand was all too happy to rub it in No. 1’s face. Pepsi took out ads across the city, including a subway station domination and a slew of transit ads, with the cheeky theme: “Pepsi in Atlanta: How refreshing.”
2. Saints Fan Declares: ‘They Reffed Up’
The New Orleans Saints firmly believed they deserved a spot in the Super Bowl. However, a controversial call during the NFC Championship went against them, leaving the Saints to sip hurricanes on game day instead of suiting up. Fans were outraged, but one fan took it a step further—he rented billboards around Atlanta to voice his frustration over the NFL’s botched call.
The signs criticized the referee’s decision, with captions like “NFL Blew It,” and were strategically placed throughout the city. One billboard, sponsored by Matt Bowers, the fan who funded the campaign, even appeared near the Super Bowl stadium, ensuring the message couldn’t be ignored.
3. Skittles Pulls Out of the Game and Gets More Attention
Skittles had a long history of advertising in the Super Bowl, but in 2018, the candy brand decided to take a bold and unconventional approach by sitting the game out. Instead of running an ad during the game, Skittles created a Super Bowl commercial and showed it to only one person in the entire country.
The company even paid for a celebrity, David Schwimmer from “Friends,” to star in the ad. While most brands spent millions to appear in the year’s most-watched TV program, Skittles opted for this highly unusual and exclusive stunt. And it paid off in a big way—the campaign generated massive buzz and earned the brand several prestigious Cannes Lions awards.
4. GoldenPalace.com Goes Bare
Does anyone remember the days before GoldenPalace.com made streaking a Super Bowl tradition? They were simpler times, no doubt, but arguably less entertaining. The online gambling site became infamous for paying streakers to try to make it onto the field during the big game.
While NFL security has since become savvy to this stunt, one moment stands out: during the 2004 Super Bowl, renowned British streaker Mark Roberts made his fully unclothed debut. With the brand’s name tattooed across his body, Roberts ensured GoldenPalace.com was impossible to miss. The bold stunt worked—website traffic quadrupled after his appearance, proving that sometimes, outrageous antics can pay off.
5. Doritos Does Variations on a Theme Before the Super Bowl
For years, Doritos grabbed headlines with its user-generated content ads, long before the days of TikTok. These ads had a similarly madcap and creative feel. However, a few years ago, the snack brand switched gears, opting for memorable stunts over pricey Super Bowl commercials.
One standout moment came when Doritos sponsored a world record attempt during the Super Bowl: the Tallest Suspended Football Party. The event featured 22 daring participants chilling 13 floors above ground, suspended by a crane, as they watched the game happening nearby at Levi’s Stadium. The stunt perfectly captured Doritos’ bold, unconventional branding and became a memorable part of Super Bowl history.
6. Super Bowl Countdowns
You don’t have to wait for Super Bowl season to associate your brand with the big game. One creative advertiser ran a clever campaign in Minnesota, counting down the days until the Super Bowl, which was set to take place in Minneapolis.
The campaign wasn’t just a smart advertising move; it also generated goodwill and excitement for the event coming to town. By tying the billboards to a specific time and place, the ads felt relevant and engaging, creating a memorable buzz for locals eagerly awaiting the game.
7. Rolling Billboards Targeting Gambling Addicts
For many, the Super Bowl is a time of excitement and celebration. But for others, the game can highlight more serious issues, particularly for those struggling with gambling addiction. Recognizing this, the Council on Compulsive Gambling of NJ launched a powerful campaign during the 2014 Super Bowl, hosted in New Jersey.
The organization deployed rolling billboards designed to target compulsive gamblers, raising awareness about the dangers of gambling addiction. The timing was perfect—during one of the biggest betting events of the year—ensuring the message reached those who needed it most. The campaign served as both a reminder and a call for help, offering support for those facing challenges related to gambling.
8. Sheriff Joe Arpaio Shows up in Times Square
In 2015, the Super Bowl took place in Glendale, AZ. Controversial Sheriff Joe Arpaio seized the opportunity to address New Yorkers traveling to Arizona for the big game with a bold advertisement placed in Times Square.
The ad featured Arpaio welcoming visitors to his state while issuing a firm reminder to obey the law during their stay. The campaign, aimed at travelers making the cross-country trek, sparked plenty of conversation and highlighted Arpaio’s polarizing reputation. It was a memorable move that tied a local political figure to the national spectacle of the Super Bowl.
9. The Tom Brady Humiliation Billboard
While this billboard went up after the big game, it perfectly showcased the power of outdoor advertising. Following Super Bowl LII, a New England Patriots fan promised to fund a billboard highlighting Tom Brady’s game-sealing fumble—if a Philadelphia Eagles fan could generate enough social media engagement for a tweet outlining their playful wager.
As expected, Twitter delivered. The tweet gained massive traction, and true to his word, the Patriots fan followed through. The resulting billboard not only delighted Eagles fans but also demonstrated how social media and outdoor advertising can work together to amplify a message in a fun and memorable way.
10. The Super Bowl Shuffle
Can the delightful weirdness of the Super Bowl Shuffle be considered an outdoor stunt? We think so. The Chicago Bears’ iconic performance art piece excited fans and generated massive buzz leading up to the big game.
Released in 1985, the Super Bowl Shuffle wasn’t just a catchy music video—it was a cultural phenomenon. The playful, self-assured anthem helped solidify the Bears’ image as unstoppable contenders, hyping up fans and ensuring their road to the Super Bowl was filled with anticipation and excitement. This unique campaign blurred the lines between sports, entertainment, and advertising, leaving a lasting impression in Super Bowl history.
