Some would say Taylor Swift simply attended Super Bowl games to cheer on her footballer boyfriend. However, Swift's presence at the big game hit all the right notes, creating success for brands, retailers, and the NFL alike. We dissect how Taylor is becoming an ambassador without association for brands.
In the ever-evolving world of pop culture, one phenomenon reigns supreme alongside large sporting events like Super Bowl LVIII - Taylor Swift. This year's Super Bowl was watched by an average of 123.4 million people in the US, making it the most-watched broadcast since the 1969 Moon landing. Consumer research firm Numerator concluded from a flash poll that 20% of Super Bowl viewers were rooting for the Kansas City Chiefs because of the singer's relationship with footballer Travis Kelce.
Back when they were only rumored to be dating, Swift’s appearance at a Chiefs game boosted viewership in September 2023 as it was the most-watched National Football League (NFL) telecast from any network with 24.32 million viewers, as her fans popularly known as ‘Swifties’ with largely no interest in football tuned in to catch glimpses of the star in the audience.
While some would say it's just the pop star attending a football game to cheer on her footballer boyfriend, Swift's presence at the big game hit all the right notes, creating success for brands, retailers, and the NFL alike.
Taylor’s Midas Touch
Take her outfit, for example. Swift wore a pair of crystal-embellished, slit jeans to the game after returning to the States from her tour in Japan. This might have inspired her fans to do some shopping; at least, the numbers show that they did.
The Area crystal slit jeans which cost $695 and are currently sold out, according to the brand's website. Similarly, sales for a Kansas City thrift store called Westside Storey skyrocketed 1,000% after the singer wore one of the brand's vintage sweatshirts to a game.
A San Francisco, California-based upcycled clothing brand, Designs by Kristin, gained nearly 5,00,000 Instagram followers in less than a week after Swift wore the brand’s hand-made puffer coats. So much so, it helped the founder Kristin Juszczyk score a licensing deal with the NFL.
There have been comments from men not being happy about the attention the star has brought on, but her fans have become the newest target demographic for the NFL, as female viewership of NFL games has increased by more than two million since Swift's first game appearance, according to NBC. So much so that advertisers are utilizing this newfound relationship to draw eyes.
Skincare brand Cetaphil ran an advertisement showing a father and daughter bonding during the game as her love for the pop star makes her watch the game with her sports-loving father. The ad never mentions Swift’s or Kelce’s name. However, it does show the father wearing friendship bracelets, something Swifties love.
What’s more, Kelce-branded jerseys spiked 400% after she showed up to her first game and Travis Kelce held a Q&A session on his podcast ‘New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce’ for a segment called ‘No Dumb Questions,’ answering any questions her fans had.
Marketing 101 (Taylor’s Version)
The NFL is experiencing economic lifts from Taylor Swift's attention. Since her first appearance at her first Chiefs game, Swift has generated more than $300 million for the team and the NFL as a whole, according to Market Watch. A recent survey found that the Chiefs are considered the top brand in the league for more than 50 million Americans, and second-favorite in the nation.
Not many know that the Super Bowl love story flourished before she even began dating Kelce. Swift, who was born in Pennsylvania, released the song ‘Gold Rush’ in 2020, with the lyrics, "My Eagles T-shirt hanging from the door." She later confirmed she is a fan of the team and the NFL's social media posted about it.
It’s not just brands attempting to woo Swifties, the NFL has been consistently working on its TS strategy. They have been actively recording her reactions to the game, giving snippets into the Swift-Kelce romance through behind-the-scenes, thereby providing fodder for the fandom.
The NRF even anticipated a $17.3 billion total consumer spend on the 2024 Super Bowl – with an average household spend of $86.04. With 80% of that going to food and beverage purchases, bars and restaurants working to appeal to Swifties.
Brand Taylor: An ambassador without association
Today, brand association depends on a celebrity's social currency but TS’s influence is far beyond her following of 281 million on Instagram. She doesn't associate with brands officially and brands have to find other ways to create buzz.
During the Eras tour in 2023, fans across the US and the world were eagerly waiting to watch her concert. Keep in mind, this was her first tour in five years and tickets were sold out quickly. It was up to the hospitality and retail industry to woo her fans.
In the US, her tour could generate economic activity worth $5 billion. Her concert in Vegas brought tourism finally back to pre-pandemic levels. While the weekend she performed in Chicago had a 97% hotel occupancy rate. On the other hand, Arizona temporarily renamed itself as ‘Swift City’, appealing to the desired target audience.
Swift went on to extend her tour to reach a new audience with ‘Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour’, which was a three-hour film showcasing footage from the concert. This appealed to the audience who couldn’t fly to the cities she was touring in. This allowed them to dress up in her merchandise and provided an opportunity for retailers across the world to cash in.
As per an Inmar Intelligence survey of 300 apparel brands, 50% said they experienced increased demand for clothing during or after the Eras tour. After the release of The Eras Tour movie, retailers saw another over 50% increase in sales from merchandise and products. More than half of respondents also said the Eras Tour influenced their retail strategy and decision-making process.
Swifties x Taylor: The OG Love Story
The point is Taylor Swift doesn’t want to be known as just an artist - she wants to be known as a friend. Her social media posts give glimpses into her life that fans can feel connected to.
The parasocial relationship she has with fans helps brands bring attention to themselves if they play it right. During one of the Super Bowl games, Swift was captured eating a piece of chicken with ketchup and ‘seemingly ranch’ which was posted by a fan and went viral.
🚨| Taylor Swift was eating a piece of chicken with ketchup and seemingly ranch! pic.twitter.com/rpAOP2HFtT
No one could tell what brand the ranch was from but this presented an opportunity for brands from the similar category to jump in. Ranch brand Hidden Valley quickly capitalised on this by changing its Instagram bio to ‘Seemingly Ranch’, with memes about Swift, Kelce and the new catchphrase. Heinz shared a photo of a new condiment bottle: Ketchup and Seemingly Ranch, jokingly calling it ‘Seemingly Ranch (Heinz’s Version).’
And Swift, the savvy marketer, knows exactly how to keep her fans engaged. Whether it's dropping cryptic clues about her next project or teasing new merchandise releases, Swift knows how to create anticipation like no other. It's a skill that has led to sold-out concerts, record-breaking album sales, and now, a dominant presence at the Super Bowl.
She pays attention to what her fans are saying about her, often talking about how smart Swifties are in interviews.
Her utilising a trending dance move to her song in her concerts makes fans feel special as it clues them in on her paying attention to them.
The Eras Tour movie grossed $123 million worldwide. What’s more, universities like Stanford and Harvard are teaching courses on her business acumen.
With her astute understanding of fan engagement and anticipation, Swift continues to redefine the playbook for successful marketing ventures, leaving a mark on industries far beyond music.
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