USAA’s annual Salute to Service Lounge at the NFL fan festival offers an exclusive space for military members, veterans, USAA members and their families to hear from and meet NFL players and legends, participate in EA Sports’ Madden NFL experiences, and see the impact of the brand’s military support initiatives and nonprofit partnerships.

While the panels, talent appearances and venue design change to fit the SBX’s host city, the lounge’s aim remains the same: to reflect USAA’s “deep commitment to serving those who serve our country for over a century,” says Krissy Gorsuch, director-sponsorships at USAA, who takes us inside the activation’s strategy, development and touchpoints.

Optimizing Schedules and Venues

USAA expanded the lounge’s programming this year in San Francisco, adding a third day to have it open on the SBX’s Military Appreciation Day on Feb. 4, when all military members and their families receive free admission, courtesy of the Wounded Warrior Project.

“For the seven sessions that we had, we reached max capacity every time. We always are able to get every single body in that room for these sessions, and we get great feedback from them,” Gorsuch says. “We started to see, the past couple of years, that we have a lot of repeat visitors who have been to this before in prior years at the different markets that we’re in, and they love it so much that they continually come back to SBX just to seek out the Salute to Service Lounge. It’s been really exciting to see that it’s gained that much momentum.”

This year, lounge visitors enjoyed a new vantage point away from the Moscone Center’s main convention floor with other brand activations, instead convening in an upstairs ballroom. The enclosed space allowed for a more intimate, private setting—no crowd noise or thumping music peripherally heard during Q&A sessions.

“Every year, placement is a little bit different. It’s highly dependent on the space, the capacity, what we’re able to do within the floor of SBX itself,” Gorsuch says. “It worked out well for us this year because we were really the only thing on that level before you went down to SBX, and we had a registration booth, which was the first thing you saw when you walked in through the doors, so people saw the branding right away and automatically knew that we were there.”

Distilling the Right Branding Combo

In December, USAA launched its new creative platform called “Taking Care of our Own,” which was incorporated into the lounge’s branding through large display panels and a video board that, during sessions, ran videos and messaging highlighting USAA’s year-round Salute to Service efforts. Gorsuch says the team takes into account the balance of Super Bowl and NFL branding with that of USAA.

“We know people are coming to SBX and to our activation with the energy of the Super Bowl, so we want to lean into that and leverage the spirit of the city, the color palette and the style guide that we work with the NFL on. But we also want people to understand that this is a USAA space that we’re bringing to our members,” she says. “When people walk in, they get the excitement of the Super Bowl branding, and as they’re walking out, the last thing they see on the exit walls is the USAA branding for a good reminder of how USAA is showing up for the military community.”

Leveraging Authentic Talent Partnerships

A special surprise for attendees, USAA invited Ellie and Emma, two golden retriever therapy dogs with more than 17 million followers on social media (@elliegoldenlife). Along with their owner Kevin Bubolz, an Army veteran, they spent time with attendees, gave out pawtographs, helped pack 2,500 care packages for veterans at the lounge, and introduced Salute to Service Award recipient Christian McCaffrey of the San Francisco 49ers on stage.

The dog influencers and McCaffrey were among several celebrities brought into the lounge, including Jaxson Dart, quarterback for the New York Giants; Emeka Egbuka, wide receiver for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers; CeeDee Lamb, wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys; Rome Odunze, wide receiver for the Chicago Bears; and, of course, brand ambassador Rob Gronkowski.

“One of the things that we look for when we’re partnering with talent is to ensure that they have an authentic military connection to maintain authenticity of the lounge,” Gorsuch says. “They’re coming to talk about their understanding and appreciation of the military, and it just comes through so much more authentically when they have that personal relationship and they understand the service and sacrifice behind what our service members go through.”

Bringing AI into the Mix

New for this year, an AI photo op was built into the queue space to engage fans as they waited for the lounge to open. In collaboration with EA Sports’ Madden NFL, of which USAA is the Official Salute to Service Partner, the photo booth ran an AI body scan of each participant, and they could then choose a Madden-inspired pose for the image that was available as a printout and downloadable file to share on social media.

“Last year, we had our own gaming kiosks so our guests who were waiting for the lounge could play Madden,” Gorsuch says. “And this year, we wanted to take it a step further so people could walk away with a keepsake and a memento of their time in the Salute to Service Lounge while keeping that interaction with Madden. It was a lot of fun, and we got some great feedback on it.”

Upcoming NFL Activations

In August, USAA and the NFL announced a multiyear extension to the longtime partnership. As the Official Salute to Service Partner of the NFL, USAA leads military appreciation throughout the season, particularly at Super Bowl, Pro Bowl Games, NFL Draft and NFL Kickoff. It is also the presenting sponsor of the Salute to Service Award, contributing $25,000 in the name of the award recipient to the military aid societies representing all U.S. military branches. New plans are on the horizon to enhance USAA’s international presence, and a one-hour Salute to Service broadcast show is in development.

Gorsuch says site visits for the next SBX in L.A. will start in the summer, and the team will evaluate the space to figure out how to “make the lounge bigger and better every year.” Talent partnerships are also on their radar year-round, with an eye particularly focused on the upcoming NFL Draft in April and working with incoming draft prospects who have military connections. Rookies and fan-favorites may be tapped for the next edition of the lounge.

“We had tremendous success this year with the content that came out of the lounge, and we’re looking at that a little bit differently—how we tell the story of the lounge, the veterans we invite to it and the talent and players involved in our Super Bowl experiences,” she says. “We’ve seen some great growth in our social engagement from last year to this year, which is a big indicator of the interest and excitement that people have for the lounge.” Agency: 160over90.

Photos: Courtesy of USAA; Juanita Chavarro Arias

Related:

• Physical Recreations, Digital Engagements Power USAA’s Army-Navy Game Activation
• From Jersey Mike’s Shore to Visa Print Shop, Top 12 Activations at Super Bowl LX Experience

The post USAA’s Sponsorships Director Talks NFL Talent Partnerships and Optimizing a Lounge appeared first on Event Marketer.

Sporting tentpoles like the Super Bowl are, at their core, a platform for consumer engagement. But following in the footsteps of other properties, like NBA All-Star Weekend and its 26-year-old Tech Summit, the Bay Area Host Committee (BAHC) and the NFL saw an opportunity to elevate partners, and engage key stakeholders in town for the colossal football game in what’s next out of Silicon Valley.

The result was the first-ever Super Bowl LX Innovation Summit held at SFMOMA on Friday, Feb. 5, featuring a white-glove hospitality experience and an eight-hour agenda of immersive presentations, high-profile panelists and networking for more than 500 c-level leaders and VIP attendees across tech, sports, media, government and beyond (Agency: BeCore). YouTube served as presenting partner of the Summit and its ceo, Neal Mohan, joined the speaker lineup, which included Amy Howe, FanDuel’s ceo, and Andrew Bosworth, Meta’s cto.

“Our vision was simple but ambitious: to create a moment where the world’s highest-level innovators and thought leaders didn’t just gather to talk about the future—they gathered to shape it together,” Zaileen Janmohamed, BAHC president and ceo, told EM.

Here’s a look at the platform for business conversations around one of the biggest fan events of the year and why quality, over quantity, drove the event strategy.

Intentionality

C-suiters by nature are connectors of the dots, and so the Summit team offered a clear value proposition and throughline of storytelling for prospective attendees. Rather than leverage stock photography for the event creative, the BAHC’s minimal black and white branding allowed copywriting around the key messages to take the focus instead. From the save-the-date on through to the check-in process via a mobile app, the experience was all about quiet efficiency and deliberate decision-making.

The Right Venue

Even business leaders crave a change of pace, and the SFMOMA’s gallery spaces naturally offered moments of reflection, connection and inspiration. YouTube took over the museum’s atrium offering a welcome moment with barista stations serving up craft pours with branded foam designs. Morning coffee was an event in and of itself, with the gallery spaces open for meandering.

Flexibility

The day started off with high-profile presentations, broke for lunch and networking, and then concluded with a track of sessions that let attendees dive into topics that interest them most, choose-your-own-adventure-style. They could come in for a few sessions, leave for meetings, and then come back. However, the team designed the first session of the day to be just as compelling as the last session of the day, leading the attendees into a happy hour experience.

Layered Content

The event balanced main stage content (seven keynote-style sessions) with interactive breakout panels (six), with the hosts of the No. 1 business and technology podcast, “Acquired,” serving as guest moderators. In this way, the stage conversations were complex, with every word spoken something the attendees would hang onto. Kevin Yeaman, Dolby ceo, and Giles Baker, svp of OptiView, led a CES-style keynote on the power of immersive sound and vision, and how experiences like live sporting event-viewing are evolving.

“When partners don’t just activate but genuinely co-create the experience, attendees feel that authenticity,” Janmohamed says. “From the NFL’s executive partnership on content and strategy to many of our partners providing strategic counsel and participation, every partnership layer mattered.”

Stage-to-Floor Engagement

The team designed collaborative and additive partner experiences. Premiere partner Dolby, which hosted the BAHC’s Super Bowl LX kickoff party, transformed the main stage into an immersive, sensory experience using Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos for all the content there. And a Technology Playground brought the conversations on stage to life.

Our editors were on-site at the Summit to experience Meta’s latest smart glasses activation—the Oakley Meta Vanguard glasses and the Ray-Ban Meta Headliner glasses. Brand ambassadors led us and the attendees through interactive tests of its products, activated by voice commands and hand gestures, and after trying a few pairs on, we snapped a photo printed onto a sticker.

Talk about seeing into the future.

Photo credits: Courtesy of Bay Area Host Committee; Juanita Chavarro Arias

Related:

• Three Production Lessons from the Ryder Cup Main Stage Ceremonies
• AI-Driven Keynote Tips from AMD’s Next-Gen Presentation at CES

The post Steal-worthy C-Suite Event Ideas from the Super Bowl LX Innovation Summit appeared first on Event Marketer.

Walking around San Francisco ahead of Super Bowl LX, you wouldn’t have known the Bay Area was hosting the NFL’s championship game that saw the Seattle Seahawks win over the New England Patriots on Feb. 8.

The sports spirit was minimal—a few NFL banners hanging outside of bars or fans repping San Francisco 49ers jerseys. Unless you hung out by the piers or hit the Moscone Center for the Super Bowl Experience, the city moved like any other day… with a lot of extra traffic.

Still, when we made it to the brand activations at tourist hot spots and Fisherman’s Wharf, the fans and passersby were enthusiastic about jumping into games, snapping photos and getting free samples. A lucky few saw an NFL star briefly climb in and out of a black SUV or stop into a pop-up for meet-and-greets. We even came across an ESPN live broadcast at Sue Bierman Park.

Plus, with Levi’s Stadium located in Santa Clara, CA, brands took the opportunity to activate across the entire Bay Area, from Oakland to San Jose. We mostly stayed in San Francisco and covered a lot of ground over two days (10 miles of walking per day) to see as much as we could. From Levi’s Home Turf to Old Spice’s Unrivaled Freshness Experience, let’s take a look at the action.

BAHC Super Bowl LX Innovation Summit

The Bay Area Host Committee (BAHC), in partnership with the NFL and presenting partner YouTube, hosted the BAHC Super Bowl LX Innovation Summit on Feb. 6 at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. About 600 attendees gathered for mainstage keynotes, breakout panels and immersive presentations from YouTube and premier partner Dolby. (Agency: BeCore)

In addition to participating in the CXO Spotlight Series, Meta activated two booths in the museum showcasing its Ray-Ban Meta AI glasses and Oakley Meta AI glasses. Brand ambassadors led us through interactive tests of its products, activated by voice commands and hand gestures, and after trying a few pairs on, we snapped a photo that was printed onto a sticker.

Bud Light Presents Post Malone & Buddies Concert

Bud Light teamed up with Post Malone for another Super Bowl concert that featured a few of the singer’s “Buddies,” including T-Pain and Quavo. The event took place on the evening of Feb. 6 at Fort Mason’s Festival Pavilion, which was completely transformed with neon blue Bud Light branding, bars, couch seating areas, beer served from the beds of blue pickup trucks, and several vignettes.

Fans could take photos in a comfy living room scene with Post Malone art and inspired décor, drink beers while sitting in folding chairs in a tool-filled garage (à la “Big Men on Cul-De-Sac” from last year’s Super Bowl TV spot), and play pool or pinball in a carpeted game room. (Agency: Weber Shandwick, p.r.)

Captain Morgan’s Cross-country Tailgate

Captain Morgan took a bicoastal approach to its Super Bowl LX campaign, launching a full-scale, football tailgate takeover in Gainesville, FL, that featured EDM duo TWINSICK, signature Captain Morgan cocktails and on-the-ground challenges. Over on the West Coast, the Official Spiced Rum of Super Bowl LX partnered with NBC’s “On Brand with Jimmy Fallon,” inviting the competition series’ contestants to pitch creative campaign ideas to brand executives.

The winning concept, “Speak Your Spice, Earn Your Stache,” came to life outside Levi’s Stadium at the NFL Gameday Experience tailgate and on the streets of San Francisco. Captain Morgan’s massive 40-foot boat drew in fans 21 and older for interactive games, surprise challenges and cocktail samples. (Agency: Taylor, p.r.)

Photo credit: Captain Morgan

Cutwater Spirits’ Pop-up Bar

Just outside the Ferry Building, Cutwater Spirits popped up a blue shipping container that was transformed into a bar. In addition to the build, marquee signage and a patio seating area had passersby stop in on the sunny, breezy day. At a Cocktail Bar extension, brand ambassadors distributed samples and branded totes. (Agency: Turnkey)

Don Julio’s ‘Ready P’al Show’ Trolley

On Feb. 7, Don Julio continued its “Ready P’al Show” campaign from its Cardi B-headlined party the night before by taking over a trolley. While cruising around the city, riders were treated to a mobile dj set by Diplo before ending at a well-known Mission District taquería for a live set, cocktails and tacos. (Agency: Hunter, p.r.)

Photo credit: Getty Images; UVT Agency

Levi’s Home Turf

With its headquarters in San Francisco, and as the holder of the naming rights to the 49ers’ stadium, Levi’s activated an experiential campaign that welcomed football fans to its hometown. Home Turf popped up at One Montgomery in San Francisco’s financial district, Feb. 5-7, and presented product collabs, music performances by Bay Area rapper LaRussel and a marching band, the Tiny Desk Experience, a Wear Longer Project panel and workshop, and an Empire Records music exhibition.

Five local Levi’s stores also hosted activations. A branded Airstream housing The Levi’s Tailor Shop anchored the Levi’s Plaza experience outside its corporate office. Consumers could get their purchases tailored or customized with buttons and patches. The 49ers cheerleaders visited the Airstream for photos. Other stores featured football displays, and local artist Apex created several murals around town for Levi’s. (Agency: Moment)

Photos: Courtesy of Levi’s

More Super Bowl LX Coverage:

• Our Ride Through San Francisco on the Fashion-driven Smirnoff Trolley at Super Bowl LX
• How Uber Eats Invited Fans to Investigate a Super Bowl Marketing Conspiracy
• From Jersey Mike’s Shore to Visa Print Shop, Top 12 Activations at Super Bowl LX Experience

Marriott Bonvoy’s ‘Suite’ Events

“Pitch Perfect” star Adam Devine, Marriott Bonvoy’s Fanbassador, surprised fans at the Ferry Building on Feb. 4 with an a cappella performance alongside NFL stars George Kittle, Jordan Mailata and Bijan Robinson, as well as professional vocal group Fundamentally Sound. Performing as “The Golden Keys,” the group sang a playful, riff-off-inspired rendition before selecting the winner of the 10^th annual Marriott Bonvoy Super Bowl Sleepover Suite that gave a lucky fan the opportunity to wake up inside Levi’s Stadium on gameday. (Agency: MKTG)

On Feb. 6, Marriott Bonvoy House presented by Visa took over The San Francisco Mint offering Marriott Bonvoy members and Visa guests an elevated Super Bowl kickoff celebration. Attendees could pop into the photo studio for professional shots, get personalized luggage tags, and enjoy “a taste of the bay” and sips of Cable Car Cocktail and Golden Coast Heatwave across the historic venue’s many rooms. The evening’s showstopper was a performance from The All-American Rejects, but even after the concert ended, attendees kept dancing the night away. (Agency: 160over90)

Photo credits: Peter Barreras/AP Content Services for Marriott Bonvoy (a cappella performance); Juanita Chavarro Arias (Marriott Bonvoy House)

Nike x Dick’s Sporting Goods

Over in Daly City, CA, Nike brought its Chase the Smoke campaign to Dick’s Sporting Goods for a two-day podcast and product experience. From Feb. 6-7, daily store activations included Nike apparel personalization with patches and vinyls, gaming in the Madden Lounge, a branded photo booth and athlete appearances.

The lounge was converted into an in-store podcast studio with bench seating for a live audience, and four podcast recording sessions took place throughout the weekend, including the New York Giants’ “Her Playbook” podcast, “The Schultz Report” podcast, and a podcast hosted by sports reporter and ESPN analyst Kendra Andrews. (Agency: Tara Wilson Agency)

Photo credits: Juanita Chavarro Arias; Tara Wilson Agency/Whitten Media (onstage session)

Old Spice’s Unrivaled Freshness Experience

Embarcadero Plaza was packed with fans waiting in line for freshness. Open Feb. 5-7, Old Spice’s Unrivaled Freshness Experience was housed inside a 53-foot double expandable trailer, and the branding all over the vehicle enticed passersby to ask, “What is this for?” Attendees snapped photos with an oversized deodorant and branded lockers.

When we arrived on the scene, the experience was temporarily closed as 49ers tight end George Kittle made his way through. He then emerged, along with the Old Spice Man, Isaiah Mustafa, and took the time to meet fans. (Build: Lime Media)

PepsiCo’s Sampling and Challenges

At Pier 39 in Fisherman’s Wharf, Feb. 6-8, PepsiCo returned to the Super Bowl with its signature Pepsi Challenge experience and added an interactive tailgating game that invited fans to test their strength against other players by pushing tackle sleds. A large screen tracked the leaderboard and displayed participants’ progress for onlookers to cheer on.

Tostitos drew buzz with its branded food delivery robots that roamed the pier with chip bags. A special touch, NFL players interacted with fans as the robot. The Tostitos Fiesta Zone sampling stand also served up chip dishes and salsa. (Agency: New Creatures)

Smirnoff’s We Do Game Days Trolley Ride

As the culmination of its NFL season campaign, We Do Game Days, that dropped limited-edition merch giveaways, Smirnoff transformed a trolley into a daylong fashion-driven experience that took influencers, brand guests and media on a ride through the city with surprise stops along the way. First, we gathered at Italian restaurant Morella, where Smirnoff took over half the space and splashed it with football-themed brand items, including foam fingers, towels, beaded necklaces and mini footballs.

Then, the trolley transported us to a site near the Golden Gate Bridge for a Smirnoff pop-up, where the stage was set for officially licensed NFL designer Aleali May to unveil her custom, Smirnoff-commissioned varsity jacket that was gifted to the grand prize sweepstakes winner in attendance. The group then boarded the bus to continue on to a tour of San Francisco bars. (Read more about our Smirnoff Trolley experience.) (Agency: Taylor, p.r.)

Starter x NFL Shop

Sports apparel brand Starter collaborated with the NFL on a four-day pop-up shop in Union Square that featured Super Bowl LX products in the front, customization stations in the center and a content studio in the back. At the Starter Lab, consumers could personalize their Starter jackets with patches of their favorite NFL teams, vintage Starter logos and exclusive branding elements.

After its debut at Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans, Starter Live returned as an in-store podcast studio with sessions running during store hours. Podcast guests included Jim Weiss, Adam “Pacman” Jones and T.J. Ward. We were lucky enough to run into Sean Paul on our visit to the shop.

Starter also had a presence inside the Super Bowl Experience’s NFL Shop presented by Visa. Like last year, the brand themed its store footprint to the host city and stationed a Starter trolley photo op in the center. (Agency: Wanderlust Public Relations, p.r.)

The One Party by Uber

Down at Pier 48, Uber went with a gold-drenched homecoming theme for The One Party to kick off Super Bowl weekend on Feb. 6. Cheerleaders, lockers, trophies and oversized foam fingers created tons of photo moments, and attendees enjoyed performances by Shaboozey and Olivia Dean. (Agency: David Stark Design and Production)

U.S. Bank’s Gridiron Bus

U.S. Bank partnered with nonprofit Hoopbus on its Pier 39 activation, from Feb. 5-7, that saw 49ers legends, players and cheerleaders visit The Gridiron Bus. Fans lined up for a chance to throw a football through targets on top of the bus to win prizes.

X Football City Diner

X converted the Fog City Diner into the futuristic X Football City Diner on Feb. 6 to show invitees how fans engage with sports and live games on the social media platform. The exclusive “Creator Panel: The Future of Fandom” brought together moderator Monique Pintarelli, head of global advertising at X, and speakers Adam Schefter, senior NFL insider at ESPN; Trey McBride, Arizona Cardinals tight end; and Julie Lee, director-brand and sports marketing at Lowe’s, to discuss fandom and leveraging the platform to reach audiences.

Attendees enjoyed hors d’oeuvres and craft cocktails like the Early Meeting Espresso Martini and Neural Heat Margarita at the “Grocktail Party.” Tesla’s Optimus humanoid robots were also on-site to interact with attendees, and one handed out embroidered caps and posed for photos.

Xfinity x Lyft

Comcast’s Xfinity made its Super Bowl debut with an ad that reimagines the world of “Jurassic Park,” but that same movie spirit hit San Francisco ahead of the Big Game in the form of a T. rex billboard on Market Street, a dinosaur projection on the Hobart Building and “Jurassic Park”-wrapped Lyft vehicles that drove around the city all week. (Agency: Carmichael Lynch)

Photo: Courtesy of Xfinity

Photo credit (unless otherwise stated): Juanita Chavarro Arias

For agency credits or questions related to Super Bowl LX coverage, email Juanita Chavarro Arias at jchavarro@accessintel.com.

The post Super Bowl LX: 16 Brand Activations That Took Over San Francisco’s Piers and Hot Spots appeared first on Event Marketer.

The NFL’s 32 teams were well represented by fans sporting their favorite jerseys, and while pride for the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots appeared strong, they were vastly outnumbered by fans of the hometown team, the San Francisco 49ers, with queues created specifically for the 49ers’ uniform photo op that attendees can usually just walk up to. Toyota’s in-booth Fandom Meter actually ranked the top three represented teams as the 49ers, the Las Vegas Raiders and the Los Angeles Chargers.

With fandom around every corner, we rounded up the top 12 experiences that resonated with fans and drove hype around the Big Game. And trend alert: More brands seem to be creating experiential threads to their big-spend commercial campaigns. (Check out our video tour of Super Bowl LX Experience on Instagram.)

More Super Bowl LX Coverage:

• Super Bowl LX: 16 Brand Activations That Took Over San Francisco’s Piers and Hot Spots
• Our Ride Through San Francisco on the Fashion-driven Smirnoff Trolley at Super Bowl LX
• How Uber Eats Invited Fans to Investigate a Super Bowl Marketing Conspiracy

America250

With this July 4 marking the 250^th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, America250 is traveling around the country to commemorate the upcoming milestone. The national nonpartisan organization made a stop at the Super Bowl LX Experience to invite attendees to record a birthday message for America. In front of its branded Airstream, participants could don Uncle Sam-inspired foam hats and helmets and record their video message. Lots of “Kickoff Energy” to go around.

American Heart Association

The American Heart Association deployed its Nation of Lifesavers Mobile CPR Unit to SBX to teach fans how to save a life. Qualified CPR trainers provided Hands-Only CPR instruction to attendees who walked into the booth ready to learn. They came away with knowledge of the correct rate and depth of CPR compressions needed to join the association’s Nation of Lifesavers movement, which aims to double survival rates by 2030.

Invisalign Smile Zone

The Invisalign Smile Zone was packed when we showed up on the scene, as kids took over the adjacent Play Football Field, presented by Invisalign, for flag football skills drills. Inside the illuminated “confidence clicked in” booth, young fans lined up for their turn to jump into a blue foam pit photo op.

Throughout the week, Invisalign hosted several events with NFL stars, including a Flag Football Experience with Boys & Girls Clubs of America led by 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk, Confidence Confirmations with designer and WAG Kristin Juszczyk, Brand & Scan Live with general practitioners and orthodontists, and Girls Flag Football Empowerment Day with flag football quarterback Diana Flores and flag football player Ashlea Klam. (Agency: Zeno Group, p.r.)

Jersey Mike’s

Jersey Mike’s brought the Jersey Shore to the Bay Area with an interactive footprint designed to look like a pier, complete with a lighthouse, sandy carpet, beachy backdrops, fishing games, surfing simulators, photo moments and, of course, a free sub station. (Agencies: LDJ Productions; Van Wagner X)

Lowe’s Earn Your Sunday Tour

An annual staple, Lowe’s refreshed its booth strategy this year, one of the largest footprints at Super Bowl LX Experience, with the Earn Your Sunday Tour, anchored by a double-decker trailer. A white picket fence separated several stations that included a Madden NFL 26 video game cover photo op, Laundry Toss with LG and the chance to get a copy of a house key made at a kiosk. Former NFL running back Frank Gore, who played for the 49ers for most of his career, drew huge crowds of fans who rushed to the booth for a photo.

Watch our Super Bowl LX social coverage:

• Top Activation Moments Around San Francisco
• Inside Uber Eats’s SBX Conspiracy Theory
• Inside the Super Bowl LX Experience
• Super Bowl LX Evening Events and Performances

Novartis

Official Pharmaceutical Partner of the NFL, Novartis launched its “Relax, it’s a blood test” national prostate cancer awareness initiative at SBX with the “Relax Your Tight End” booth that offered several calming touchpoints.

With the goal of making cancer screening feel less intimidating and more actionable, Novartis encouraged attendees to take a rest in one of six Relax Pods (MetroNaps EnergyPods) and also add their touch to a paint-by-numbers wall of a mountain scenery depicting former NFL tight end Rob Gronkowski riding a horse. The company then aired its “Relax, it’s a blood test” commercial during Super Bowl LX, featuring several current and former NFL tight ends.

On the other side of the exhibit hall, as part of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Novartis popped up a 10-foot-by-10-foot display made up of several NFL helmets, footballs, pom-poms and pennants encased in glass boxes that formed an arch for attendees to pose under for a branded photo op. (Partners: Bespoke Sports & Entertainment, lead agency; ASV Inc., photo op build)

Rocket Mortgage

Designed to feel like a San Francisco-style neighborhood (tying into its Super Bowl TV spot), Rocket Mortgage’s red-washed activation took attendees through an immersive geo-guessing game, bus stop photo ops and a crowd-sourced white board of responses to the brand’s prompt: What does it mean to be a good neighbor?

When we visited the booth, Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins was going through the different touchpoints and then meeting fans for photos on the front steps of a house façade. He, and other NFL stars who stopped in, went through the Neighborhood Combine that included a trash can push, grocery bag bench press and mailbox vertical jump. Attendees swarmed the booth while Cousins was there to watch him take on the challenges. (Agencies: 160over90, p.r. and entertainment marketing; No Hot Ashes, experiential; Supper, creative direction and design.)

Satisfying Catches presented by Snickers

Football games and skills challenges are available at SBX every year, but they’re rarely fully branded by their sponsors. Snickers caught our eye with its chocolate bar theming of the Satisfying Catches obstacle course that led to a final football catch and dive into the Snickers end zone mat. For their efforts, participants were rewarded with Snickers Ice Cream, Snickers Peanut Butter or Skittles from the Snickers Ice Cream Truck.

Toyota Touchdown Drive

Toyota arrived at SBX with a new footprint, Toyota Touchdown Drive, which offered four zones: The Drive, The Dance, The Draw and The Drop. First, The Drive had attendees race custom NFL team-branded mini bZ slot cars that went through and around an actual Toyota bZ car. At The Dance, fans stepped into the bed of a Toyota Tundra to perform a touchdown dance that was recorded and delivered as a digital video to their mobile device. That’s where we saw the most enthusiastic fans of the day.

The Draw featured a tech-forward art moment in a Toyota Tacoma where an AI sketch robot brought fans’ game face to life. And finally, The Drop challenged participants’ Team Toyota knowledge with trivia for a chance to win a collectible jersey keychain—all from inside the new Toyota RAV4. The brand also hosted the second annual Toyota x NFL Flag Glow Up Classic exhibition game that spotlighted two local San Francisco high school female flag football teams at SBX.

Uber Eats

Like Novartis and Rocket, Uber Eats based its activation around its Super Bowl commercial concept, popping up immersive evidence rooms that investigated the conspiracy that football was invented to sell food. We explored an office with photos, clippings, notes and illustrations linked together “murder board”-style, and then headed into a secret room behind a bookcase with “A Buffet of Evidence.” Check out our full breakdown of the space, and head to Instagram for a walkthrough. We certainly left feeling hungry for the truth. (Agency: David Stark Design and Production)

USAA Salute to Service Lounge

USAA continued its annual tradition of hosting the Salute to Service Lounge, open to USAA members, current and former military members, and their families. While it’s usually located on the SBX show floor, this year, the lounge was hosted in a street-level ballroom at the Moscone Center, creating an intimate venue for panel sessions and events that featured NFL players and talent.

Also new for 2026, the lounge opened Wednesday for Military Appreciation Day, in which all military members and their families receive free admission to SBX, courtesy of the Wounded Warrior Project. (Agency: 160over90)

Visa Print Shop

In collaboration with local artists, Visa created a hands-on makerspace experience for fans to personalize NFL-inspired prints. They chose a chant or their own message for the gameday poster, and then artists airbrushed in their name or favorite team. As a finishing touch, participants selected San Francisco-themed stamps to add.

Photo credit: Juanita Chavarro Arias

For agency credits or questions related to Super Bowl LX coverage, email Juanita Chavarro Arias at jchavarro@accessintel.com.

The post From Jersey Mike’s Shore to Visa Print Shop, Top 12 Activations at Super Bowl LX Experience appeared first on Event Marketer.

Smirnoff invited us for a ride on the trolley on Jan. 7, and with surprise stops along the way, it was our top-ranking experience from the Super Bowl LX weekend. Come aboard on our play-by-play of this mobile event (and check out our video footage here).

Kickoff Cocktails

The journey began at Italian restaurant Morella, where Smirnoff took over half the space and splashed it with football-themed brand touches, including foam fingers, towels, beaded necklaces and mini footballs. Servers in Smirnoff shirts came around with hors d’oeuvres and two signature cocktails: the cold brew and mocha Smirnoff Caffetini and the cucumber, mint and lime Smirnoff Joe Cooler. After some mingling and photo booth action, we left the gathering spot to get on the trolley.

The classic vehicle featured logos, bottle graphics and “We Do Game Days” campaign messaging across the side that had passersby pulling out their phones and pausing their jogs to take in the mobile brand moment.

A Content-worthy Journey

Inside, “We Do Game Days” banners lined the handrails, and Smirnoff pillows and blankets were draped on the wooden benches. With everyone on board, the trolley made its way to a pop-up event set up in the parking lot in front of Stilwell Hall, a little over a mile away from the Golden Gate Bridge, which made for an incredible backdrop. Not to mention, spectacular views of the marina, beaches and Palace of Fine Arts had riders oohing and aahing the whole way there.

We disembarked and walked through a giant inflatable Smirnoff football helmet. At the end of the tunnel, brand ambassadors served up mini bottled cocktails (everyone loved the Sminis), and the grassy stage was set, beside a giant inflatable Smirnoff bottle, to unveil a custom varsity jacket created by officially licensed NFL designer Aleali May.

Watch our Super Bowl LX social coverage:

• Top Activation Moments Around San Francisco
• Inside the Super Bowl LX Experience
• Super Bowl LX Evening Events and Performances

Meet-and-Greets

It marked the final We Do Game Days drop of limited-edition, Smirnoff-commissioned merch giveaways that also featured Gavin Mathieu, founder, creative director and designer of Supervsn, and NFL WAG Kayla Jones, founder of Women With Ballz and wife of Denver Broncos lineman D.J. Jones. Jones joined the trolley excursion and sported her custom-designed Smirnoff- and Super Bowl LX-branded football purse for the occasion.

After intros from brand partner Claire Kittle, wife of San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle; Jennifer Holiday Hudson, North America brand leader at Smirnoff Vodka; and the designer herself, the red curtain was pulled back to reveal the one-of-one gameday jacket in a glass case. May gifted her design to the grand prize sweepstakes winner who showed off the new jacket on stage. The group then boarded the bus to continue on to a tour of San Francisco bars, which were flooded with Smirnoff guests, influencers and fans.

Event Extensions

In addition to the trolley activation, throughout Super Bowl LX week, Smirnoff presented A Night of Pride with GLAAD, served as the official vodka sponsor of the Sports Illustrated Tight Ends & Friends Party, teamed up with The Female Quotient and DraftKings on a brunch event, and lastly, activated the We Do Game Days platform at Levi’s Stadium with the Runout Tunnel Party on Super Bowl Sunday.

Cheers to the Smirnoff Trolley. Agency: Taylor, p.r.

Photo credit: Juanita Chavarro Arias

Related:

• How Uber Eats Invited Fans to Investigate a Super Bowl Marketing Conspiracy
• Super Bowl LIX: The Sights, Sounds and Flavors We Took in Around the Big Easy

The post Our Ride Through San Francisco on the Fashion-driven Smirnoff Trolley at Super Bowl LX appeared first on Event Marketer.