Taking a stand on a social or political issue isn’t anything new in advertising, and the biggest American ad show of them all—the Superbowl—is no exception. In 2017, we saw Audi take on gender pay inequality, Airbnb celebrate cultural diversity, and 84 Lumber condemn the border wall. Last week, Amy Schumer–who starred in a 2016 Bud Light Super Bowl campaign with Seth Rogen–announced on Instagram that she wouldn’t appear in any Super Bowl ads in response to how the NFL has handled the players’ kneeling protests.
“I personally told my reps I wouldn’t do a Super Bowl commercial this year,” she wrote. “I know it must sound like a privilege ass sacrifice but it’s all I got. Hitting the NFL with the advertisers is the only way to really hurt them.”
Schumer’s decision follows reports that Rihanna turned down an offer to perform during the Super Bowl halftime show (a slot since filled by Maroon 5) as a show of support for Colin Kaepernick. Are brands next? Former Airbnb CMO Jonathan Mildenhall, now cofounder and chief executive of the consultancy TwentyFirstCenturyBrand, told the Wall Street Journal that “all endorsement is support for the NFL and the cultural role the Super Bowl plays in society. It used to be proudly middle America. Now it has a divided narrative.”
In the same article, University of Pennsylvania political science prof Diana Mutz asked, “Will anyone remember who did not appear in Super Bowl ads? Or does the attention and influence necessarily fall to those who do? My guess is the latter.”
If last year is any indication, brands will shy away from overt political statements and treat the game as just that: a game. A time for lighthearted fun. And those who do say something know it’s possible to do so without sitting out the event altogether. Nike is an official supplier of the NFL, and yet there’s no confusion as to where the brand stands on the Colin Kaepernick issue.
Beyoncé used her now legendary halftime performance of “Formation” in 2016 to pay tribute to Black Lives Matter. So while appearing on the Super Bowl stage may imply endorsement of the NFL, perhaps more important is how that time is used.