Verizon to Activate Super Bowl Fan-Fests; Opts Out of Super Bowl Ads…Intuit, Heineken…

Our Sales Leads column discusses the latest brand and media agency initiatives. View past columns in the archives here.

• Verizon announces 30 simultaneous Super Bowl Fan-fests, opts out of Super Bowl ads…

  Verizon announced the first-ever “Super Bowl Fan Fest” event, in which Verizon will bring Super Bowl LIX to 30 cities across the country where the NFL has a local team. In 2025 Verizon will not be directly buying Super Bowl Ads.“In lieu of the ads, we’re dedicating all our focus and energy to delivering 30 simultaneous experiences that are exceptional and tell unique, localized stories in ways we’ve never done before. Advertising in the Super Bowl is an incredible opportunity to reach large-scale bases nationally. We’ve done it in the past with our iconic spots and will continue to do so in the future,” a Verizon spokesperson told Portada.

  The brand, which has been an NFL league sponsor since 2010, will use teams’ venues for free celebrations with F&B from local vendors, live local music and interactive games. In 2025, for Super Bowl LIX, Verizon is elevating the excitement to a national level with FanFest events in every NFL market and additional exclusive celebrations in New Orleans during Super Bowl weekend. On Sunday, February 9, Verizon customers and their guests will experience on-field access, meet-and-greets with NFL legends, live entertainment, and tailgate festivities. The events will also spotlight locally-owned small businesses, serving food and beverages crafted by celebrated local chefs. Verizon customers will be able to bring select guests to join in the celebrations, sharing the excitement with family and friends.

  “In lieu of the ads, we’re dedicating all our focus and energy to delivering 30 simultaneous experiences that are exceptional and tell unique, localized stories in ways we’ve never done before.”

  … Verizon media buys to promote Fan-Fests

  The Fan-Fests will be promoted through a diverse  array of media buys, including:

  *   A :60 spot debuted on NBC Sunday Night Football on January 5, and will continue to air on national broadcast during daytime TV and NFL games as well as OLV across CTV and social.
  *   Local radio buys in both English and Spanish.
  *   Robust creator plan taps into NFL fandom in both English and Spanish.
  *   Also promoting heavily to existing customers.

  Verizon’s media agency is Publicis Zenith Media. Momentum World is the experiential agency for the 30 cities Fan Fest activation.

• Intuit

  Intuit,  the global financial technology platform that makes Intuit TurboTax, Credit Karma, QuickBooks, and Mailchimp, launched its TurboTax brand campaign “Now This Is Taxes,” showcasing how its assisted tax filing experience, powered by its AI-driven expert platform, delivers a modern, mobile-first, ‘done-for-you’ approach that makes the old, complex way of doing taxes a thing of the past. With unbeatable pricing through its mobile app offer and faster access to refunds, TurboTax is spearheading a transformation of the industry. The integrated campaign will run in the US, with select spots airing in Canada, and is anchored by a series of films, including two Spanish and one French Canadian language version of key spots. It spans linear, streaming, podcasts, digital audio, digital video and social channels and includes integrations and collaborations with NCAA, Netflix, NFL, Prime Video, Spotify, TikTok, and YouTube. A series of films will be rolled out throughout the tax season including:

  -Now taxes is fast money. A food influencer chooses a better way to do his taxes, by matching with a TurboTax expert who can file his taxes and get him up to $4,000 instantly with a Refund Advance loan. All of this happens as he creates and posts his latest food masterpiece. Visit the TurboTax website for more details on Tax Refund Advance. Check out the campaign kick off spot here.
  -Now taxes is a breeze. A woman realizes she doesn’t have to feel stuck doing her taxes. She can hand off her tax prep to a TurboTax expert who can file for her in just hours while she does what she loves…running.
  -Now business taxes is easier. A small business owner no longer dreads his taxes when he files with a TurboTax small business expert, who not only does his taxes for him, but also provides year-round advice at no extra cost, so he can spend more time blossoming his business.
  -Now taxes is switching it up. A young couple switches from paying the same price to file their taxes year after year to TurboTax Live Full Service where they pay less than they paid their pro last tax season. This allows them to finish updates to their fixer-upper home. The TurboTax Beat Your Price Offer launches on Jan. 15, 2025.

• Honda – Nissan

  Honda and Nissan have officially announced plans to merge. After Volkswagen and Toyota, they aim to become the world’s third-largest automaker by sales volume. Both companies spend approximately US $800 million a year advertising in the U.S. Check out today’s Portada special feature on the implications of the Nisan-Honda merger for the combined company’s marketing and its service providers.

   

   

  Find out about Portada Live events planned for 2025. Portada Live events are highly curated; the agenda is designed to maximize knowledge-sharing and networking between top brand marketing, media agencies, and media executives. To find out about thought leadership and networking solutions at Portada Live and Portada digital media offerings, don’t hesitate to contact Sales Director Irma Gutierrez at [email protected].

   

• Cantera Negra Tequila

  High-end tequila brand Cantera Negra debuted with a cinematic spot, produced in collaboration with advertising agency Colossus, featuring the fiery story behind its hallmark tequila. The spots, shot by Academy-award-winning director Joachim Back, take on the aesthetic of classic Hollywood cinema, combined with the aesthetic of Sergio Leone Western movies. Formulated about 40 years ago by Don Alberto Becherano in Mexico, the brand was only launched in the United States in 2017. In 2022, it was acquired by Deutsch Family Wine and Spirits.
  The campaign will roll out across social media, focusing on the New York, New Jersey, and Texas markets, where Cantera Negra has a strong presence.
  

• Audible

  Audible has launched a new global campaign through London-based independent creative advertising and digital agency Fold7. The new campaign continues the online audiobook and podcast service’s first global brand campaign, ‘There’s more to imagine when you listen,’ launched in June 2024. The latest efforts are marked by a 40-second extended TV spot titled “Zen Commute,” which shows how one podcast or audiobook could transport its listeners into a peaceful, meditative state as they engage in daily activities.
  It taps into the experience of listening and how powerful audio storytelling could spark our imagination in ways other mediums can’t. Тhe efforts are supported by two other 15-second adverts highlighting how Audible has an audiobook or podcast for any and every audience.This extended iteration is focused on driving brand love and listening for Audible’s extensive wellness slate. The campaign aims to connect with audiences through the same creative and linguistic devices, driving discovery and exploration of their wellness category.

• Heineken

  

  Heineken’s brand new “0.0 Reasons Needed” campaign is coming out this month of January. Through the “0.0 Reasons Needed” campaign, the brand aims to uplift those who simply want to enjoy a Heineken 0.0 for its great taste, ensuring that everyone is allowed to embrace moderation if they want to. The series of commercials pokes fun at some of the stereotypes associated with choosing not to drink alcohol, such as assuming someone has to be the designated driver or that they are on a diet. Regardless of what people might assume when they see you enjoying a Heineken 0.0, there is no special reason behind it. The TV spots, directed by Hanna Maria Hendrich and shot in Barcelona, will air globally in January 2025. The campaign taps into the broader cultural point that people’s drinking habits are changing and asks whether we need “Dry January” and “Sober October” months of abstinence in our diary to choose non-alcoholic options. Alongside the campaign’s adverts, Heineken 0.0 is launching new research by Professor Charles Spence of Oxford University to show that despite the high acceptability of low- and soft drinks, choosing one can still turn people’s noses up. “The launch of Heineken 0.0 in 2017 revolutionized the non-alcoholic beverage industry,” says Nabil Nasser , Global Head of Heineken Brand. “A premium, high-quality brand offering a 0.0 has helped make moderation cool. It’s exciting to see this new research uncovering a growing social acceptance of soft drinks; not just accepted, but something people see as a cool, safe choice. That said, it’s clear there’s still work to be done with research that highlights the low and no judgement around alcohol still exists, so we need to be dynamic and creative in how we tackle these stereotypes. We’re proud of our great Heineken 0.0 and its role in helping to remove stigmas in this industry, so people can enjoy it without being judged. Maybe someone is the designated driver, or maybe they just fancy a refreshing Heineken 0.0 – our latest campaign proves the bottom line is that you don’t need a special reason to go alcohol-free.”

   

• United Supermarkets

United Supermarkets, a Texas-based grocery chain with stores in 54 communities across Texas and New Mexico. is returning its “28-Day Challenge” campaign to the United Supermarkets, Albertsons Market, Market Street, and Amigos banners starting January 1, 2025. The program, launched in January 2024, features interactive games and actions linked to customers’ Rewards! loyalty accounts that the retailer’s registered dietitian designed to help users establish realistic objectives for improved wellness. The promotion was developed with TCC Global, a leading loyalty program solution provider. “Most of us start the new year with a fresh set of goals for our lives and the 28-Day Challenge was created to help our guests make progress in their efforts on their journey to health. We had great feedback from a successful campaign in 2024, so the new 28-Day Challenge is even better and can be more impactful on that journey,” said Tony Crumpton, CMO at United Supermarkets.

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