The Denver Broncos beat the Carolina Panthers—and Coldplay, Beyoncé, and Bruno Mars put on a colorful show—during Super Bowl 50 on Sunday. Though the game took place some 40 miles south of San Francisco, the City by the Bay was the central hub for major celebrations leading up to the big game. This year's event landscape saw several returning hosts, including DirecTV, Bud Light, Playboy, Rolling Stone, Maxim, Animal Planet, and ESPN. In the tech-savvy city of San Francisco, many of the brands brought new technological features—including virtual reality—to their bashes.
There were also new events born of first-time partnerships, including a concert series presented by Pepsi and DirecTV. And some brands, including New Era, hosted major Super Bowl events for the first time this year. Here's a look at how companies used the global platform of Super Bowl 50 to spread brand awareness.
This year, DirecTV partnered with Pepsi to present a series of events surrounding the Super Bowl. Held at Pier 70, the events were meant to showcase music, technology, and art. The Thursday-night kickoff, dubbed DirecTV and Pepsi Super Thursday Night, featured a concert from Dave Matthews Band. Organizers wanted the concert venue to provide maximum fan engagement and brought in a cutting-edge sound system, arty designs, and projection-mapped photo walls. Murphy Productions built and designed the venue. Kuki Design handled decor.
Bud Light took over San Francisco's Union Square to create a 30,000-square-foot "fan haven." Open to the public aged 21 and over, the activation featured a beer garden serving Bud Light in commemorative cans and bottles; proceeds from Bud Light sales benefited the United Way of the Bay Area's poverty-fighting programs. There were also interactive football-theme activities, including virtual opportunities to catch a football, block opponents, and do a touchdown dance. Mosaic once again produced Bud Light's Super Bowl activations.
The activation served up 32 grilled cheese sandwich variations, each inspired by an N.F.L. team. The sandwiches were created by Top Chef alum Casey Thompson. Options included the "Cheese Steak," inspired by the Philadelphia Eagles.
Instead of its traditional Bud Light Hotel, the brand hosted the "Bud Light Party" at the Clift Hotel. The activation was inspired by a presidential campaign headquarters and coordinated with the beer brand's new marketing campaign. Guests were invited to snap photos at the same podium that was featured in its Super Bowl commercial, which featured actors Amy Schumer and Seth Rogen.
Projection-mapped images appeared on the exterior of the venue at Pier 70. Both the DirecTV and Pepsi logos also appeared in lights on the building's façade.
On Saturday night, DirecTV once again hosted its "Super Saturday Night" party, which is open by invite only and is known for featuring big-name talent. (Last year, Rihanna and Kanye West appeared.) This year's event took place at the same Pier 70 venue that hosted the Thursday- and Friday- night concerts, and Run-DMC was one of the acts.
Red Hot Chili Peppers also performed at the Saturday night bash. The band put on a 60-minute set which featured songs such as "Under the Bridge," "Californication," and "Otherside."
Additional events from Pepsi included the private Kola House preview at Pier 70 on Friday. The pop-up event provided a sneak peek at Kola House, a lounge and event space the brand will open this spring in New York's meatpacking district. At the event, guests could sample specialty drinks created by so-called "cocktail creator and flavor chemist" Alex Ott. Drinks included the white-cranberry "East Meets West," which contained ingredients such as Persian cucumber and California lime.
ESPN, a returning Super Bowl party host, held its bash on Saturday night at Fort Mason. With production and design from Event Eleven, the event featured a performance by Nick Jonas and his surprise guest, brother Joe Jonas.
Fort Mason is a former military port facility, and Event Eleven's design paid homage to the building's nautical past. Elements of decor included dock pylons, fishing cages with pulleys, nautical ropes, and other thematic props.
Inside, there were custom chandeliers made from Edison bulbs and nautical ropes, candlelight, and areas devoted to various sponsors. Express, for example, hosted a station where guests could pick up screen-printed T-shirts with the "ESPN the Party" logo. At the bar, servers poured drinks from sponsors Coors Light and Mercedes-Benz. Lux Lounge Event Furniture Rentals provided some of the rentals.
A photo activation from Mercedes-Benz let guests pose in front of a model vehicle and a backdrop featuring San Francisco's iconic Golden Gate Bridge.
Another returning event host, Maxim, formed a new partnership with Los Angeles nightclub Bootsy Bellows this year. The two brands hosted an event on Saturday night at Treasure Island. The custom venue was fitted with a concert-style sound system, LED video walls, and V.I.P. tables with bottle service. Featuring performances from A$AP Rocky and Lil Wayne, the event was produced by Karma International.
Dodge was a sponsor and hosted a "Thrill Ride Experience" that let guests test out its high-performance vehicles.
Rolling Stone partnered with Talent Resources Sports to host its party at the San Francisco Design Center on Saturday night. The venue's look recalled the interior of a nightclub.Â
The event featured entertainment from several acts, including singer Elle King (pictured), DJ Irie, and Avicii. Toast handled production, talent, and celebrity wrangling.
The event's talent lineup was featured in glowing signage that appeared behind a miniature mock-up of the Golden Gate Bridge.
A new activation was a V.I.P. lounge from the nightclub chain Tao. Filled with plush lounge furniture, the space offered bottle service from Belvedere vodka.
The entrance was lined with a branded step-and-repeat, where celebrity guests including actors, athletes, musicians, and Jiff the Pomeranian posed.Â
Playboy hosted its party in a tent spanning Lot A of AT&T Park on Friday night. "This year, we are literally building our venue from the ground up, with a structure tent within [the park]," said Amanda Civitello, Playboy's vice president of events and promotions, before the event. "This allows us the freedom to design the event from scratch to ensure party guests have an amazing experience, as well as integrate our advertisers organically into the overall look and feel." Civitello worked with the Visionary Group to produce and design the event, which drew some 2,000 guests.
Sponsors included Dodge. As V.I.P. guests arrived, they traveled through a "time portal tunnel" that showcased visuals from Playboy and Dodge's past, including photos of vintage cars and magazine covers.
Additional activations from Dodge included an interactive hologram of the brand's signature "hellcat."
Playboy's March issue will be the first to feature the brand's highly publicized redesign. To get a sneak peek at the issue, guests could post to Instagram to receive a copy from a social-media-activated vending machine.
Effen was another sponsor. The vodka brand hosted a "Molecular Mixology" bar, featuring a cocktail list curated by local bar Benjamin Cooper. Drinks included the Effen 75, made with Effen vodka, elements of bergamot citrus, orange liqueur, and a champagne float of spiced cranberry bubbles. The event also featured 24 Playboy Playmates in the brand's iconic bunny costumes.
Animal Planet aired its popular Puppy Bowl on Sunday. In honor of the televised event, the company staged the Puppy Bowl Cafe in the Ferry Building Thursday to Sunday. The café served snacks and drinks daily and was open to the public.
The activation featured a live replica of the Puppy Bowl each day and drew more than 5,000 guests daily.
For the first time this year, guests could use virtual reality devices to feel as though they were watching the puppies' "scrimmage" from the center of the field.
New Era teamed up with the N.F.L. to host the three-day New Era Style Lounge in the Parlor room inside the Battery from Thursday to Saturday. The event, which marked the first major Super Bowl activation from New Era, invited V.I.P. guests to stop by and receive gifts from Levi's, Bose, Colourpop, Acustom Apparel, IV Doc Vitamin Bar, Fresh, Noir, and Reddit. New Era also provided customized caps. A OK produced the activation.
Activities included a "Lip Sync Battle," which pitted celebrities against athletes. The fun competition was hosted by SpikeTV.
Levi's hosted a custom denim bar at the lounge (pictured). Guests could also customize a set of Bose headphones.
On Saturday night, the style lounge hosted a party that featured a performance from rapper Future (pictured). DJ Mia Moretti opened the night, and Diplo was the final act.
The Bleacher Report hosted its first-ever Super Bowl party at the Mezzanine on Friday. Presented by Go90 and with sponsorship from Jim Beam and Bose, the night featured a performance from Zac Brown Band. The night's beneficiary was the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America.
The entrance to the event was decked with custom hashtags and prompts for guests to download Go90, which streams live sports.Â
Jim Beam set up a custom bar, where specialty cocktails included a Jim Beam Apple & Soda. Â
Two charitable events, Glazer Palooza and Suits and Sneakers, joined forces this year to host one event. Presented by H.Wood Group and Vault Experiences, the event was held on Wednesday at Pier 27. The event centered on a fashion show produced by Phoenix Fashion Week, which featured athletes walking in a fashion show. A portion of proceeds benefited Merging Vets & Players.
Rocker Tommy Lee was one of the event's DJs.
Large-scale events held outside of San Francisco included the City of Santa Clara's "Super Community Celebration," which drew some 10,000 guests on Sunday. Produced by Caravents, the event featured a performance by Huey Lewis and the News, as well as a fireworks show sponsored by Silicon Valley Power.
