what if the biggest brand in the world took on the biggest stage in the world?

the setup

apple is the biggest brand in the world

the world's most admired brand. the world's most mentioned brand. the world's most valuable brand. no media property has a bigger, more captive u.s. audience than the super bowl — 112.3m total viewers and 72% of u.s. households in 2022.

the problem

in-game ads are drowning in clutter

one super bowl broadcast holds 96 ads, 45 unique brands, 57 minutes of national air time, $545m in total ad spend and $5.6m per 30-second spot. quote from the trade press: "super bowl LV ads highlight marketers' disconnect with reality." breaking out as an advertiser is nearly impossible.

the opportunity

the halftime show is the exception

• 12 minutes of undivided attention — more viewers tune in for halftime than the game itself
• the weeknd (2021): 96.7m halftime vs. 95.2m game
• dr. dre & friends (2022): 103.4m halftime vs. 99.9m game
• even in an off year, halftime is 11× the grammys, 15× the bmas, 24× the amas and 35× the vmas
• halftime performances occupy 9 of the top 25 most-watched live performances in youtube history
• sponsorship rights are on the market — pepsi's deal is expiring

the audience shift

growing exactly where apple wants to be

• +100% year-over-year growth in streaming audience (5.7m → 11.2m in 2022)
• +192% year-over-year growth in hispanic audience via telemundo (647k → 1.9m)
• @apple's top follower markets: india, u.s., brazil, mexico

the strategic case

only apple music can own halftime

for other brands, sponsoring halftime is a means to an end — music as a competitive tactic. music is in apple's dna. apple products and services sit at the center of how the world makes and enjoys music, and apple music is the most globally accessible service in the portfolio. apple + apple music can redefine what halftime is.

the ideas

'what if' — extending halftime beyond 12 minutes

• use AR to let people experience halftime in a whole new way (6 in 10 viewers use a second screen during the game)
• let apple music subscribers control exclusive camera angles alongside the broadcast
• use the streaming spike big artists get post-show (+214% to +565%) to break new artists
• drop exclusive collaborations on apple music timed to the show
• 'hard knocks' but for the halftime show — filmed and released on Apple TV+ before the super bowl
• have the headliner release a visual album shot on iphone, on @apple

why it matters

a moment at scale, not a media buy

the halftime show reaches a bigger, more captive audience in a single moment than any product launch or ad ever can. this pov is about redefining how the world experiences events at scale — and putting apple music at the center of it.