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Lil’ Signals: The Super Bowl Playbook for Brands
Unlocking the Super Bowl’s Cultural Signals: What Brands Must Learn, Leverage, and Adapt to Stay Ahead
Khalil El-Amin
February 05, 2025
👋🏽 Hey There
Lil’ Signals is your go-to newsletter for decoding the cultural currents shaping our world.
Powered by Nichefire’s cutting-edge technology, we break down trends, tell compelling stories, and share actionable insights on how to tap into the power of cultural listening.
Stay ahead of the curve—one signal at a time.
Lil’ Signals drops every Wednesday morning! Today, we’re diving into the Super Bowl as a cultural blueprint—how brands should be using this moment to decode consumer sentiment, track cultural movements, and align their strategies with what truly resonates.
From Kendrick Lamar’s halftime takeover to the economic realities of tariffs impacting consumer behavior, we’re breaking down what brands should be watching, learning, and applying from this year’s Super Bowl.
Let’s dive in!! 🚀
Table of Contents
StoryTime
Super Bowl Sunday: A Masterclass in Culture, Connection, and Consumer Behavior
Super Bowl Sunday has always been special to me.
Growing up, football was my world.
I lived it, breathed it, and for the better part of my youth, I played it.
Every aspiring athlete dreams of playing on the biggest stage, and for football players, the Super Bowl is the pinnacle.
While I never got the chance to play in an NFL game, I was signed to a team, but my career never fully took off.
Even though I didn’t get to step onto the field during a game, I’ve had the privilege of watching friends and former teammates do just that, making their mark on the league and even the Super Bowl itself.
This year, I’ll be cheering for the Philadelphia Eagles—not just because I’ve always been a fan, but because of personal connections to the team.
My best friend since kindergarten is a strength coach for the Eagles, and I couldn’t be prouder to see him contribute to this championship run.
Sorry, Travis Kelce—you know I’ve got love for you, but this year, my loyalty lies with Philly.
But beyond the game itself, the Super Bowl is a masterclass in culture.
From the halftime show to the commercials to the way fans interact online, this event is a real-time snapshot of where we are as a society.
And for brands, it’s the perfect case study on how to show up in culturally relevant ways.
Why Brands Should Treat the Super Bowl Like a Live Cultural Study
For years, we’ve talked about how much brands spend on Super Bowl ads, but if you’re a brand and you’re not actively participating, you should still be studying it.
This is one of the few moments where people from different demographics, interests, and cultural backgrounds are locked in on the same thing.
Where else do you get a mix of die-hard sports fans, casual viewers who are just there for the halftime show, and people who only care about the commercials all in one place?
Rather than just looking at who’s advertising, brands should be asking:
Who is each ad speaking to?
What emotional levers are being pulled? (Nostalgia? Humor? Social impact?)
What cultural conversations are these brands tapping into?
Which ads actually move people to take action?
This is the real value for brands that aren’t running a Super Bowl ad.
It’s a focus group at scale.
The Power of Alignment: Cultural Signals from the Super Bowl
Let’s talk about Kendrick Lamar.
This year, Kendrick’s halftime performance has the potential to be one of the biggest cultural moments in hip-hop history.
He’s coming in fresh off what some are calling the greatest diss track of all time, proving that he can make music that moves people, not just thought-provoking "conscious rap."
The song has transcended hip-hop audiences.
My toddler daughters run in and start wiggling their heads when they hear it.
My mom, who isn’t a big hip-hop fan, loves it.
And while Drake is suing Universal Music Group, claiming they artificially boosted the song’s reach, we all know that’s nonsense—this song is everywhere because it resonates.
Brands should be watching this closely.
Kendrick’s Super Bowl performance is a live example of how culture moves.
What elements of his performance capture attention?
How does the audience respond in real-time?
How is the conversation around the performance unfolding online?
If you’re a brand, this is what cultural listening looks like.
The Super Bowl doesn’t just tell you what people like—it tells you why they like it.
How Brands Can Use Super Bowl Insights for Future Campaigns
So what does this mean for brands?
It means the Super Bowl should be treated as a learning moment.
Here’s how brands can apply these insights beyond game day:
1. Analyze the Creative Choices That Work (and the Ones That Don’t)
Instead of just watching the commercials for entertainment, study the patterns.
What themes resonate the most?
Are brands leaning into humor, nostalgia, social justice, or AI-driven innovation?
Which ads feel forced or out of touch?
For example, Perplexity AI ran an ad last year that stuck with me.
They positioned their product almost like a movie trailer, creating intrigue and curiosity.
The result?
I immediately looked them up, became an early adopter, and still use their tool today.
That’s the power of a well-executed campaign—it transforms awareness into action.
2. Use Social Media Reactions as a Live Focus Group
Which ads are going viral for the right reasons?
What memes are emerging?
Are certain ads sparking controversy or backlash?
You can’t always predict what will go viral, but you can study how culture responds.
For instance, every year, there’s at least one commercial that completely misreads the room.
These moments tell us what people reject as inauthentic—and that’s just as valuable as knowing what works.
3. Pay Attention to the Consumer Shifts Super Bowl Ads Reveal
The brands that win the Super Bowl ad game aren’t just throwing money at it—they’re tapping into something bigger.
The rise of plant-based and protein-packed snacks in Super Bowl food trends signals how consumer habits are evolving.
The dominance of AI-powered tech ads shows where mainstream innovation is heading.
The increasing emphasis on inclusive storytelling tells us what audiences expect from brands in 2025.
This isn’t just about commercials—it’s about reading the cultural landscape.
The Super Bowl is More Than a Game—It’s a Cultural Barometer
At the end of the day, the Super Bowl is a moment that brings people together.
Some people tune in for the game.
Some for the halftime show (and this year, Kendrick Lamar is about to shake the culture up).
Some are just here for the food and drinks.
And then there are people like me—obsessed with the ads and the storytelling.
But if you’re a brand, here’s the takeaway:
Whether or not you’re running an ad, the Super Bowl should be a key part of your cultural research strategy.
It tells you what’s connecting with audiences in real time.
It gives you a front-row seat to how culture moves.
And if you’re smart, you’ll leverage those insights to build your own strategy—one that aligns with where people actually are, not just where you want them to be.
What Are You Watching For?
I’d love to hear from you—what are you most excited about this Super Bowl?
What ads are standing out?
What cultural moments feel the biggest?
Drop a comment, send me a message, or hit me up on social media.
Let’s talk Super Bowl.
Because at the end of the day, this isn’t just about football. It’s about culture.
I’m excited to have you here and look forward to hearing your thoughts, suggestions, or questions.
Let’s explore the power of culture, one signal at a time.
Cultural Listening 101
Cultural Listening 101: Automating Trend Reports for Smarter Insights
Welcome back to Cultural Listening 101, where we break down the tools and techniques that make cultural trend analysis more efficient and actionable.
This week, we’re diving into Nichefire’s automated reporting feature, a game-changer for streamlining cultural intelligence across organizations.
The Challenge: Too Many Trends, Not Enough Time
Keeping up with cultural trends can be overwhelming.
Whether you’re a consumer insights analyst, a marketing strategist, or an innovation lead, sifting through trend data can be time-consuming.
The big question isn’t just what’s trending, but which trends actually matter to your organization?
The Solution: Automated Reports That Work for You
With Nichefire’s reporting feature, users can convert any dashboard into an automated report that gets sent out on a schedule. Here’s why that’s a game-changer:
Efficiency: No more manually compiling data—set up a report once, and let it run automatically.
Scalability: Reports can be sent to hundreds of stakeholders without needing extra platform seats.
Actionable Insights: Each report surfaces the top five trends from a selected dashboard, complete with AI-driven analysis on why they matter.
Deep Dive Capabilities: Click directly from the report into the dashboard for a more in-depth exploration of trends.
How It Works
Let’s say you’re tracking Iced Coffee Trends. Here’s how you’d automate a report:
Select an existing dashboard (e.g., “Iced Coffee Trends”).
Name your report and choose the frequency (daily, weekly, monthly).
Input recipient emails—anyone in your organization who needs to stay informed.
Click Create Report, and you’re done!
Beyond Reports: Democratizing Cultural Listening
One of the most powerful aspects of this feature is how it enables cultural intelligence to spread across teams.
No longer limited to analysts, these insights can reach marketing teams, product developers, and leadership, ensuring everyone is aligned with cultural shifts.
Real-World Impact
A major CPG brand uses this feature to deliver weekly insights to hundreds of marketers.
These reports are then archived into an internal database, making trend analysis searchable across the company.
The result?
Faster decision-making, more informed strategies, and a company-wide pulse on culture.
Final Takeaway: Aligning Teams with Culture, Effortlessly
Imagine if your leadership, product teams, and content creators were always aligned with the latest cultural insights.
With automated reports, that’s no longer a dream—it’s a reality.
Want to see it in action?
Reach out for a walkthrough and start making cultural listening work for you.
See you next week for another installment of Cultural Listening 101.
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Top Cultural Trends
Stay Ahead with Nichefire
In this new section, we’re diving into Nichefire’s unique tools to explore the top cultural trends shaping our world.
This week, we break down key insights from the Movements Matrix, spotlighting high-growth and emerging trends across 47 cultural categories
Spot Emerging Trends: Discover niche opportunities before they hit the mainstream.
Actionable Insights: Leverage cultural data to make faster, smarter decisions.
Comprehensive View: Analyze trends across 47 pre-trained cultural categories.
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