Some viewers were glued to the field, others were fixated on the $7 million ad campaigns while a significant number were just there for the Rihanna concert.
The scale of the Super Bowl’s TV audience always makes for diverse social chatter, and this year’s game was no exception. From a nostalgic 90s movie tribute to a fake and frustrating channel change, here are the top five viral moments that sum up Super Bowl 57.
Fenty Beauty perfects product placement
There is always a significant Super Bowl audience that is only really there for the halftime show, and this felt especially true this year—”Happy Rihanna Day” and “It’s Riri Time” trended on social throughout the game.
Rihanna, who packed 17 years of music into a 13-minute performance, made a highly-anticipated comeback after a break from live performances. The pop star, who took full advantage of the spotlight by opting against a special guest, reminded consumers that she hasn’t thrived in a saturated beauty market by accident. Rihanna took full advantage of the free advertising opportunity by touching up her makeup with Fenty products in the middle of her set. The pop star’s pregnancy announcement only added an additional layer of excitement to the whole affair.
Blue Moon builds brand love
Molson Coors stood out by advertising three brands but letting only one reign supreme. After a 34-year ban from the Super Bowl due to Ab InBev exclusivity rights on the booze category, the “other” beer conglomerate wasn’t about to make a predictable entrance into the Super Bowl. After teasing its ad as a toss up between Coors Lite and Miller Lite—-which manifests as a classic bar fight between bros—Blue Moon steals the show in the last few seconds of the spot.
Fans fixate on a first field goal
If you’re going to aim for the post during the first quarter of the most televised event on the year, you need to prepare yourself for internet ridicule. Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker made his Big Game debut by failing to turn an even score into a lead for his team. As soon as he missed the mark, Twitter was quick to recognize the play as a “doink,” fixating on that moment as the game progressed. Butker would get the last laugh, however, by nailing the Super Bowl-winning field goal in the final seconds of the game.
Cher Horowitz dusts off her yellow plaid
When Alicia Silverstone promoted her partnership with fin tech commerce company Rakuten before the game, she proved just how much she hasn’t aged by making an effective appeal to Gen Z. The Clueless star announced that she’s bringing back her beloved character, while simultaneously referencing when Shawn Mendes broke the internet for saying his then-girlfriend Camilla Cabello was “giving Cher” during the 2021 MET Gala.
The internet adored Silverstone’s return to high school but said the only thing missing was her Clueless crush, Josh, played by Paul Rudd who starred in his own Super Bowl spot for Heineken 0.0.
Tubi reverse engineers virality
The streaming service knew it would get people talking with a 15-second ad that left viewers questioning what happened to the game! The campaign began earlier in the game with a :60 spot that sent viewers down an entertainment rabbit hole, Tubi then generated additional buzz, as well as confusion and frustration, with a simulation that seemingly took viewers away from Fox to Tubi, which happens to be owned by Fox. The spot immediately became a trending topic with users pointing to their psychological distress.
