The case for and against influencer-led Super Bowl ads

“It’s just viewership demographics. You cast a really wide net of people watching it, and you want as many people as possible to recognize the person you’re putting on the screen,” said Jerry Hoak, chief creative officer at The Martin Agency. (Ritz, a client of The Martin Agency, will air a 30-second commercial during the third quarter of this year’s Super Bowl. The agency declined to share further details about the spot.)

Brands like Bud Light and Raisin Bran will feature celebrities in their Super Bowl ads this year.

Some brands have taken a stab at influencer-led spots in the Super Bowl, including Poppi soda brand’s 2025 in-game commercial featuring influencers Alix Earle and Jake Shane. There was also TikTok star Addison Rae who was the face of Nerds candy’s 2024 spot.

And while last year’s IAB report predicted that the U.S. annual creator economy was set to reach $37.1 billion, that figure is set to increase to $43.9 billion this year.

Last year, 148 brands activated creators during Super Bowl week, up from 103 in 2024, according to CreatorIQ. Meaning, there may be a case to be made for influencer and creator-led Super Bowl spots.

Here’s a look at the arguments for and against using creators and influencers in Super Bowl ads:

The case for creator/influencer-led Super Bowl spots 

Let’s start with the obvious: costs. Part of what makes the creator economy and influencer marketing such a draw for marketers is cost efficiency. Star salaries for last year’s Super Bowl ads ranged from $3 million to $5 million, according to Hollywood Reporter. In comparison, the average mega-influencer on TikTok (more than a million followers) costs around $2,500 and up per post, according to Shopify data.

There’s also the halo effect that creators and influencers carry. It’s likely a broadcast spot featuring the likes of Lisa Beasley, who known as Corporate Erin on social media, or Caleb Hearon, podcaster and comedian, that would inherently generate social media buzz, experts say. Creators consistently publish content tied to their Big Game campaigns “making them a more dependable engine for post-game engagement,” Alex Rawitz, director of research and insights at CreatorIQ, told Digiday via email.

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It’s why brands have increasingly incorporated social media stars into their greater Super Bowl ad strategies. 

“It’s a Super Bowl campaign on its own. It’s just leading up to the big singular moment, which was the in-game spot,” said Garrett Smith, agent for endorsements at United Talent Agency (UTA).

Influencer and creator content can also be replicated across out-of-home billboards, streaming ads and other channels, similar to celebs.

Speaking of audiences, influencers and creators have better trust with Gen Z shoppers, experts say. For Gen Z-focused brands, a spot featuring the comic, model, and creator Quenlin Blackwell — known online as Quen — may be a better bet than actor Nicholas Cage. 

“There is a world of consumers who are actively on social,” said Aaron Francois, associate strategy director at Wasserman. “Meet them where they are instead of asking them to pay attention to what you do,” he added. 

The case against creator/influencer-led Super Bowl spots 

Influencers and created have social cachet, sure. But the Super Bowl is famously about mass appeal, especially as one of the last monocultural moments in America. Mass marketers face a conundrum in leveraging digitally native influencers over mainstream super stars in Big Game spots. 

Perhaps the biggest drawback of a creator or influencer-led Super Bowl ad is limited recognizability and reach, marketers say. As sports marketing draws more competition, from both brands and other sporting events, marketers face increased pressure to get the Big Game right.

Case in point: Avocados From Mexico has advertised from the sidelines of the Super Bowl these last few years, still prioritizing celebrities like actors Rob Riggle and footballer Rob Gronkowski in the main campaign. 

“Having that face is very important for us to have the omni-channel support that we found is successful for the brand,” said Alvaro Luque, CEO and president of Avocados From Mexico. While influencers have cornered social media marketing, celebrities are more likely to land press and earned media, Luque said. 

Already this year, advertisers have shelled out more than $1 billion on actors, musicians, athletes and other high-profile personalities, according to talent payment and advertising operations company XR Extreme Reach. 

“The danger is [an influencer] just being too small, and the Super Bowl is appealing to hundreds and millions of people, both here and all over the world,” said The Martin Agency’s Hoak. 

This year, clients are asking for talent anyone could easily name, said Brett Duchon, agent for commercial or endorsements and voiceover at UTA.

“We had a buyer that we worked with closely say to us, when they’re looking for talent, they want the second they’re on screen for people to recognize them,” he said, declining to share further details.

UTA’s Smith added, “”It’s almost a safeguard to the brand to get somebody who’s instantly recognizable.” While influencers are more cost-effective, they lack this broad recognition, calling into question the return on investment, per the UTA agents. 

For now, marketers continue a double-pronged approach, leveraging influencers and creators in supporting roles while celebrities are Super Bowl commercial mainstays. That’s not to say that the roles won’t one day reverse, per experts. 

“We love creators, and we know that that’s not only the present,” said Luque. “It is the future that is going to continue to grow and grow and grow.”