The Do’s and Don’ts for Marketing Around the Super Bowl

Consumers spent $18.6 billion (opens in a new window) for their Super Bowl festivities in 2025. It’s a game that is watched by over 200 million people. Almost 1/5th of that audience is watching just for the commercials. For most of us, $8 million is not in the budget for a 30-second ad, and we all tiptoe around using trademarked words. Your brand can still market around the Super Bowl’s general themes to make some noise and have some fun with your campaigns. 

Your clients host parties, your employees gather with friends, and everyone shares the experience on social media. The right branded promotional items put your company at the center of these moments. The trick is not to compete with the commercials on TV. Be a part of the party during the big game with custom logo promotional products. 

The Don’ts When Marketing for the Big Game

We are promotional product experts, not legal experts, but we know that before you launch any campaign tied to the Big Game in February, you need to understand trademarks and the legal boundaries. National Football League (NFL) strictly protects its trademarks, including the term “Super Bowl,” team names, logos, and even phrases commonly associated with the event. Using these trademarks in your marketing materials without proper licensing opens your business up to legal repercussions like cease-and-desist letters, fines, or disputes.

What to avoid:

• Using the words “Super Bowl” in ads, emails, social posts, or product descriptions
• Featuring NFL team logos, names, and uniforms
• Suggesting sponsorship, endorsement, or partnership with the NFL or its teams
• Running promotions like “Super Bowl Sale” or “Official Super Bowl Giveaway”

Building Your Strategy Ideas During Super Bowl Season

To create a buzz without creating headaches for your business, focus your campaigns around parties, food, and football fandom. Add your logo to football-themed items to win attention. Your audience will host parties, cheer for teams, boo their rivals, and argue about commercials just like everyone else. Football promotional items get your brand in the middle of these game day conversations. Strategically timed giveaways and football promotional gifts get your brand into the party. 

Idea # 1 - Turn Key Clients Into Raving Fans

Your biggest clients expect holiday gifts every December. A surprise in February as they get ready to watch the Super Bowl catches them completely off guard. Create VIP football promotional gifts for your top accounts. Think engraved beer glasses, gourmet snacks, and high-quality serving tools. Include a handwritten note that mentions their team preference if you know their team. Make sure they get the items before the game so they can pull them out at the party.

Idea # 2 - Build Brand Awareness at Community Events

Local watch parties and even youth football championship events let you support neighbors while building brand awareness. You create goodwill that traditional advertising can never buy. Sponsor a youth football league's version of the Big Game with branded footballs and foam fingers.  Provide football swag for the local sports bar's big screen event or partner with a food bank to hand out snacks with your logo on the packaging. Your community will have your brand at their side while they watch the Super Bowl. With these strategies, you position your brand as a community partner, not just another business on the block.

Idea # 3 - Be Part of the Game-Time Fun During Parties to Watch the Super Bowl 

The Super Bowl is an extraordinary event, with planners taking every detail into account. Professional event planners understand that details create memories. Your marketing should steal their best tricks. Build anticipation before events, create interactive experiences during them, and extend the feeling afterward.

Send clients and employees interactive items like prediction cards that they fill out and send a copy back, so they’re looking at your brand during the event. Follow up the week after with prizes for winners. This three-touch approach keeps your brand relevant before, during, and after the game.

Idea # 4 - Top Promo Picks to Be Part of Every Party Thrown to Watch the Super Bowl

You don't need a Fortune 500 budget to score extra points during the Big Game. Smart choices make an impact without breaking the bank. Give your audience promotional items that they will use even after the party ends. A quality bottle opener, serving utensils, or tailgating gear gives your brand more time with your audience than a 30-second commercial. You'll spend a fraction for year-round brand visibility.

Our promo product experts put together their top picks for Super Bowl giveaways. They include:

Branded Snacks & Gourmet Gift Boxes

Gourmet snack boxes are one less thing for hosts to plan and a great item for a guest to bring.  As everyone is watching the Super Bowl, your company joins the food spread when your branded treats hit the coffee table. The packaging catches eyes every time someone reaches for the pretzels or nuts. Plus, food gifts feel personal without being presumptuous about alcohol preferences.

Koozies

Every cold drink at a Super Bowl party needs a koozie. Your logo stays in guests' hands for three hours straight. People keep koozies to use year-round. You'll see them at summer barbecues, beach trips, and next year's game. The cost per impression beats any digital ad campaign you're running.

Bottle Openers

Your branded bottle opener becomes the hero of the party at least a dozen times. Hosts keep quality openers in their kitchen drawers for years. Guests ask where it came from, creating natural brand conversations. You want your company name on the tool everyone needs, but nobody remembered to buy. The utility factor makes your brand genuinely helpful.

Fun Noisemakers

Noisemakers give permission to participate during the game. Your brand becomes associated with the excitement of big plays and touchdowns. Kids love them, which means parents post photos on social media. You create energy and show your company knows how to celebrate.

Beer Mugs & Pint Glasses

Quality glassware takes your brand above the typical promotional cup. Recipients use branded mugs over and over again, not just the Super Bowl. When photos of the party are posted, your logo appears in social media photos without feeling forced.

Serving Utensils & Kitchenware

Your branded serving spoon touches every dish at the party. Hosts need these tools, and quality kitchenware stays around. Your brand is part of the hosting experience, not just another corporate gift. The practical value ensures your items avoid the junk drawer.

We also have a collection of party supplies, paper cups, and napkins to save hosts from buying boring, plain ones at the store. 

Football Promotional Items

Mini footballs and foam fingers tap directly into game day energy. Your employees' kids play with branded footballs all year long. These items photograph well for social media moments. For football fans, stress balls, football player rubber ducks, and even football-shaped lip balm are additional touches for any party. 

Your Next Promotional Drive Starts at the Coin Toss

The Super Bowl creates a moment when business and weekend fun naturally intersect. Your clients and employees want to celebrate. Your brand can be part of their experience in meaningful ways without crossing legal boundaries.

Start planning the promotional strategies you’ll use during the Super Bowl today. Choose products that align with the game, the halftime entertainment, and the cities and teams on the field. Have some fun with it because your enthusiasm will show through every branded item you send.

Your competition thinks promotional products are just any old thing with logos. You know that thoughtful gifts during the Super Bowl weekend create emotional connections that last all year. That's how you score during America's biggest game and turn it into your biggest marketing win.