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Welcome to The Brief by Kuro House, your daily dive into the most intriguing stories shaping the marketing world. Today, we’re zooming in on the Super Bowl’s evolving advertising playbook, from staged celebrity sightings to the rise of health-conscious brands. Let’s get into the details behind the campaigns making waves and the strategies turning heads.
First up, let’s talk about William Shatner’s recent “paparazzi” moment, which turned out to be anything but accidental. According to Adweek, photos surfaced earlier this week of the 94-year-old actor caught eating Raisin Bran in his car, snapped by gossip sites like TMZ and MailOnline. But what seemed like a random breakfast-in-traffic moment quickly raised eyebrows as more images emerged—Shatner, Raisin Bran box in hand, stepping out of his car as if he just ran a cereal errand. The coincidence was too much to ignore, and as it turns out, it was all a carefully staged campaign by VaynerMedia, setting up Raisin Bran’s first-ever Super Bowl ad. This is a big move for WK Kellogg Co, the cereal’s parent company, which hasn’t appeared in the Super Bowl spotlight in over 15 years. The ad, set to air just before halftime on streaming platforms and in select regions during the game, leverages Shatner’s larger-than-life persona to poke fun at tabloid culture while nudging viewers toward better gut health—a timely message as nutrition and wellness take center stage in this year’s “Wellness Bowl.” This campaign is part of a growing trend: brands like CeraVe and Velveeta have used similar faux-candid tactics, sending celebrities into the wild with products conspicuously in tow to spark speculation and conversation. For Raisin Bran, the mission was clear: get people talking about fiber, and do it with a wink. Mission accomplished.
Sticking with the Super Bowl, Liquid Death is back with another high-energy campaign, this time promoting its new Sparkling Energy drink. As reported by Adweek, the rebellious water brand will air a 30-second national spot during the first half of Super Bowl 60, created entirely in-house by its creative team and production arm, Death Machine. The teaser, released just yesterday, features a surreal lineup of grinning papier-mâché heads—classic Liquid Death irreverence. Sparkling Energy, which launched in December, quickly shot into Amazon’s top 20 brands by market share and has held steady since. The drink is positioned as a “better-for-you” alternative, with just 100mg of caffeine and a formulation developed alongside longevity expert Dr. Darshan Shah. This healthy angle aligns with a broader shift in Super Bowl advertising this year, as more brands—from Raisin Bran to prebiotic soda Poppi—lean into wellness messaging. Last year, Liquid Death’s “Safe for Work” ad, which featured professionals like surgeons and judges drinking their sparkling water on the job, was the third most engaging ad of the game, and topped both the health and beverage categories. Expect more of that signature humor and energy as Liquid Death cements its reputation as a disruptive force in beverage marketing.
That’s it for today’s most engaging stories—the kind of campaigns that don’t just advertise, but spark genuine curiosity and conversation. As we head into Super Bowl weekend, keep an eye on how brands are blurring the lines between entertainment, influencer culture, and traditional advertising. Thanks for tuning in to The Brief by Kuro House. Stay sharp, and we’ll catch you tomorrow with more insights from the front lines of marketing.
