The $7 Million Tease: 7 Ways Super Bowl Commercials Went 'Short-Form' For LIX Success

The traditional 30-second Super Bowl commercial is no longer the entire game. In a seismic shift confirmed by Super Bowl LIX in 2025, the real battle for brand attention is now fought in the pre-game hype and the post-game social media blitz, with "short-form" content reigning supreme. This strategy—capitalizing on teasers, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts—has become essential for justifying the staggering $7 million price tag for a single 30-second spot, turning a one-time broadcast moment into a weeks-long, multi-platform campaign. The savviest advertisers now view the Big Game as merely the crescendo of a much larger, bite-sized marketing symphony.

The transformation of the Super Bowl ad landscape reflects a broader change in consumer media consumption, where vertical video and instant gratification dominate. Brands are no longer relying on a single, expensive masterpiece; instead, they are maximizing content versatility, ensuring their message hits viewers on the couch, on their phone, and in their social feeds. This deep dive explores the critical strategies and top examples from Super Bowl LIX (2025) that defined the new era of the short-form Super Bowl commercial.

The New Playbook: Teasers, TikTok, and Topical Authority

The term "Super Bowl commercials for short" has two primary meanings that converged spectacularly during Super Bowl LIX (2025). First, it refers to the strategic use of pre-game teasers—short, often cryptic clips released in the weeks leading up to the game to build anticipation. Second, and more importantly, it signifies the comprehensive short-form video strategy that leverages platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts to extend the ad's life far beyond the final whistle. This dual approach is critical for achieving true topical authority in the crowded advertising space.

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The cost of a 30-second spot during Super Bowl LIX reportedly hovered around $7 million, making a single-platform approach fiscally irresponsible. The new playbook demands that advertisers maximize content versatility [cite: 4 in first search], turning their main commercial into a suite of assets: behind-the-scenes (BTS) footage, extended cuts, celebrity interviews, and user-generated content prompts, all formatted for the vertical, short-form environment.

For example, instead of one big hit, brands are now "capitalizing on short-form videos to propel" their campaign. This allows them to reach more sports-engaged audiences and drive engagement long after the game ends [cite: 5 in first search].

1. The Power of the Pre-Game Teaser: Building Hype for LIX

The teaser is the short-form content that primes the audience. These clips, often under 15 seconds, introduce a celebrity, a concept, or a mystery without revealing the final product. This strategy generates organic buzz, allowing the brand to earn millions of impressions before the Super Bowl LIX broadcast even begins. This pre-game content is essential for maximizing the return on investment (ROI).

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• The Celebrity Reveal: Teasers featuring A-list talent like David Beckham, Sydney Sweeney, and Ben Affleck for various campaigns in 2025 were released weeks in advance, immediately generating press coverage and social discussion.
• The Mystery Hook: Movie studios also embraced this, with teasers like the one for the *How To Train Your Dragon* live-action film dropping just enough footage to trend across social platforms.
• Taco Bell's Fan Involvement: Taco Bell, a notable LIX advertiser, used teasers to hint at fan involvement and celebrity photobombing, creating an interactive short-form experience that encouraged speculation and sharing.

2. The Short-Form Social Strategy: Extending the 30-Second Spot

The most significant change in Super Bowl advertising is the post-game amplification through dedicated short-form platforms. The goal is to avoid the ad being a one-off moment and instead make it a recurring piece of content across the digital ecosystem. This is where the true short-form video marketing magic happens.

Brands in 2025 prioritized a strategic short-form content operations approach. This includes:

• Behind-The-Scenes (BTS) and Extended Cuts: Advertisers maximized BTS footage and extended cuts to drive engagement. This provides a more authentic, "in the moment" feel that resonates with TikTok and Instagram Reels audiences [cite: 12 in first search].
• Platform-Specific Content: Instead of simply uploading the 30-second TV ad, brands created bespoke, vertical videos. For instance, Verizon utilized short-form content marketing operations to power hundreds of millions of impressions, demonstrating the scale of this digital push.
• Narrative Power Over Production Value: While the TV spot is high-production, the most effective short-form content often relies on a powerful narrative. Nike's "So Win" commercial was the most talked-about ad of 2025, racking up nearly 13,000 online mentions, proving the enduring impact of a simple, compelling story, perfectly suited for quick-consumption platforms.

3. Key Super Bowl LIX Short-Form Success Stories

Several brands from Super Bowl LIX (2025) executed the short-form strategy flawlessly, setting the benchmark for future campaigns. Their success proves that a short, disruptive, and authentic message is necessary to be effective in a very short time frame.

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Squarespace and Barry Keoghan

Squarespace's 2025 campaign, featuring actor Barry Keoghan and his donkey, Mosley, was a masterclass in content segmentation. The main ad was a "short film" that blended humor and stunning visuals. However, the campaign extended into short-form by releasing numerous clips and outtakes featuring Keoghan's antics and the donkey's charm. This provided continuous, easily digestible content for social media, keeping the brand's name circulating long after the game. It was an excellent example of using celebrity power to create shareable, bite-sized moments.

Hellmann's and The "Gloriously Simple" Strategy

Hellmann's utilized a strategy that was described as "gloriously simple". Their approach was to remind consumers of a simple fact—their product's value—but they used the Super Bowl platform to launch a campaign that was then reinforced with targeted, short-form video. This showed that even the most straightforward message can be amplified through the right digital channels, proving that the short-form content serves as a powerful echo chamber for the main message.

The Long-Tail Impact of Short-Form

The ultimate goal of the "commercials for short" strategy is achieving long-tail impact. The short-form content ensures that the brand remains relevant and searchable long after the immediate media coverage fades. By using YouTube Shorts and TikTok, brands maintain high visibility, driving brand awareness, consideration, and ultimately, sales lift. The initial buzz from the teaser and the main 30-second spot is just the beginning; the short-form content is the engine that propels the campaign for weeks, cementing the brand's position in the minds of consumers and proving the value of the multi-million dollar investment.