“[You’ll see] influencers as a complementary part of the program to get your commercial messaging out into the world,” said Nick Miaritis, VaynerMedia’s chief client officer. “It used to be Good Morning America would premiere the ad, and that would get you the exposure. Fewer and fewer people are tuning into that.”

Super Bowl creators on the ground

The league itself, eager to expand its following beyond traditional fans, is also looking to invest long-term and partner with creators for “months or years” beyond the Big Game, said NFL svp of marketing Ian Trombetta.

He used Druski as an example: The comedian and content creator was a guest referee at last year’s YouTube Flag Football Game, and this year, he’s a team captain, facing Colombian singer J Balvin and playing alongside former NFL player Michael Vick and other creators like Ross Smith, Marlon Garcia, and Deestroying. At the same time, Tequila Don Julio has also tapped Druski for a social series leading up to the Super Bowl.

“So many of our partners are now seeing the NFL tied to the creator economy in a much more intentional way,” Trombetta said.

This week, Santa Clara, California — where the Seattle Seahawks will face the New England Patriots on Sunday — has already hosted parties and events for creators and celebrities steeped in fashion, music, and culture thanks to the league’s efforts to widen its scope (and the fanbase naturally diversifying thanks to player-creators and their families, who are often also creators).

“The whole weekend is about creating moments that feel real and uplifting,” said Dhar Mann, who was named the NFL’s “chief kindness officer” last month ahead of the big event.

Naturally, the political undertones surrounding the halftime show featuring Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny have made the Super Bowl something of a cultural battleground, with President Trump himself pushing an “alternate” halftime show starring Kid Rock.

“The creator economy is going to make noise,” said Deneka Dosant, group director at creator management agency Kensington Grey. “Because there are so many Latinx creators that are going, whether it’s a paid opportunity, a brand opportunity, or not, they are going to go out of their way to make so much content behind it, and so it’s going to be impossible to drown out.”

This year, especially, has expanded the opportunities available for mid-tier creators, with followers in the 100K–500K range, said Lily Comba, founder of influencer marketing agency Superbloom.

Bad Bunny’s upcoming performance has already seeped into advertising, including Duolingo’s “Bad Bunny 101” Spanish course and Melissa McCarthy rolling her Rs in an e.l.f. ad.

“Any increase in Latinx creator presence is less about targeting and more about mirroring the mainstream audiences already engaging with the moment,” said Maria A. Rodriguez, vp of comms and marketing at Open Influence.

Still can’t break the small screen

True, creators are showing up in paid amplification on social media, branded activations, and Super Bowl parties. Where you won’t see them: the small screen during game time. 

With 30-second Super Bowl ads going for up to $10 million, brands are relying on the old playbook. A-list celebrities are expected to dominate ads. Meanwhile, influencers and creators are leveraged to amplify brand marketing messages before, during, and after the Big Game. 

“Creators are still incorrectly viewed as distribution and not as strategic partners,” said Jonathan Chanti, the CEO and co-founder of Reign Maker Group. “I really think it’s just a matter of people playing it safe on a very big moment and playing to a playbook that they already know.”

Any influencer that does show up in an in-game ad has celebrity status themselves, or “the top most recognizable creators who have built massive audiences,” said Noah Eisemann, global managing director of social and influencer at VML. Think MrBeast with Salesforce or Paige DeSorbo in Kinder Bueno’s ad.

Case in point: Grubhub is partnering with influencers like Bethenny Frankel, Kat Stickler, and San Francisco-based couple The Woods across social media. Rehydration company Liquid I.V. will air its first Super Bowl ad this Sunday, but it’s using creators like Bretman Rock, Allison Kuch, and Vanilla Mace, to extend messaging.

Meanwhile, Grubhub’s Super Bowl ad spot features George Clooney.

Pringles is foregoing an influencer activation for its Big Game spot this year. Instead, the Mars-owned snack brand is hanging its hat on its celebrity star Sabrina Carpenter, and her existing fanbase acts as an organic, powerful “online influencer community,” said Diane Sayler, senior director of full funnel marketing for salty snacks at Mars Snacking.

Pressure to do more with fewer dollars continues to loom over marketers. Using celebrities in ads can be a hack.

“We’re really leveraging celebrity for authority,” said Christopher Krautler, director of brand marketing and consumer communications at Grubhub. “They bring that prestige and credibility, but we also have influencers, because they are really all about creating relatability and utility around this.”