Timing is everything; to release or not to release?

If you had told me six years ago, when I did my first Super Bowl spot, that we should release our spot early, every ounce of creative integrity would have left my body. This year, I pushed for it. 

For many years, the name of the game has been to release only teasers.

For many years, the name of the game has been to release only teasers, dangling celebrity talent, and encouraging you to tune in for the big game where all will be revealed. More recently, some of the 'big winners' of the night didn’t shield their ad in secrecy, but released it early. 

Above: State Farm's 2024 Super Bowl campaign benefited from an early release strategy.

Take State Farm. They were a standout in 2024 with their Like a Good Neighbaaaa Arnold Schwarzenegger spot. Not only did they win AdMeter (aka the people’s choice), but I’m willing to bet it KILLED with your mom, and even industry people seemed to like it (it was an “honourable mention” on AdAge). Yet, they didn’t veil their ad in secrecy, they released it on The Tonight Show in the week leading up to the Super Bowl.

So, what’s the magic of releasing early? There are a few big benefits:

The first is memorability. Did you know it takes seven times for a message to stick with someone? It’s brain science! So, if you can secure an awesome PR moment – and there are so many great media moments leading into the Super Bowl, from talk shows to the Grammys to the Pro Bowl – you’re giving your spot a better chance of being remembered. That means when people are voting that night on AdMeter, or shooting the shit on Zoom, waiting for stragglers to join, your commercial will have a better chance of being remembered.

So, what’s the magic of releasing early? There are a few big benefits.

The second is by releasing it early, you’re talking to the influencers of the Super Bowl commercial discussion. Hundreds of stories run in the trades surrounding Game Day, with creatives and strategists weighing in on what they like and the trends they are seeing. It doesn’t hurt to have influential industry experts praising your spot.

Above: Some Super Bowl spots wouldn't benefit from an early release, such as Coinbase's QR Code spot.

Then there are the everyday influencers, aka the people who are at the Super Bowl party “for the ads” (no judgement – I’m mostly there “for the buffalo dip”). If they love your spot, they’ll tell their friends to watch out for it, and shush the room when your spot comes on. Do you know how hard it is to shush a Super Bowl party? At McKinney we talk a lot about creating unfair attention for our brands, but it’s hard work! Especially on the night of the Super Bowl. So, these 'shushers' are worth their weight in gold. 

When you release your spot early, your brand and story get a singular moment in the sun.

Lastly, when you release your spot early, your brand and story get a singular moment in the sun. A moment where people can watch your spot and laugh/cry/gasp/appreciate. After the Super Bowl, much of the discussion is just ranking and comparing them to each other, and the message of the spot itself is buried in how it was received or where it ranked. 

There will always be instances where it makes sense to keep the element of surprise alive. No way the Coinbase bouncing QR code of 2022 [above] could have been released early. Or Tubi’s Interface Interaction in 2023 [below] that tricked us all into thinking we had sat on the remote. Both of those (in my opinion, ingeniously) took advantage of being in-the-moment and making us stop in our tracks. But that’s not the only path to success. And if you’re taking a different path, these days it makes sense to release early