Harmonizing Generations: Taylor Swift’s Touch in Cetaphil’s Heartfelt Super Bowl Ad

Ashna Siddiqui
Marketing in the Age of Digital
4 min readJul 15, 2024

Winning Across Channels: Cetaphil’s Super Bowl Storytelling Strategy

In today’s marketing environment, brand storytelling across digital and conventional media poses a significant obstacle. To captivate viewers, brands must craft storylines that flow naturally across all channels. The 2024 Super Bowl ad from Cetaphil is a powerful illustration of how companies can do this by integrating popular culture with meaningful narratives.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhybTrAJqK8

The Heartwarming Storyline

Cetaphil’s ad tells a moving story of family bonding within the context of NFL interest and Taylor Swift’s cultural impact. In an attempt to close the distance between himself and his teenage daughter, a father first encounters her lack of interest in football, but succeeds in getting her attention when the TV analyst brings up the “most famous fan of the game.” Without specifically mentioning her, this subliminal homage to Taylor Swift effectively incorporates her name throughout the narrative. Eventually, the daughter becomes engaged in her father’s football interests which creates a genuine bonding moment of understanding one another through different interests and mends the relationship.

Read more about #GameTimeGlow here.

Personal Engagement as a Swiftie and NFL Fan

I was deeply drawn to the commercial as a devoted Swiftie who was well-versed in Taylor Swift’s songs and public presence. It resonated with my personal experiences, blending my admiration for Taylor Swift with the shared moments I cherish with my NFL-loving father. In addition to captivating my interest, this fusion of pop culture and family relationships struck an essential connection with people who value authentic relationships and compelling storytelling.

Alignment with Cetaphil’s Brand Values

The brand mindset of Cetaphil, which promotes healthy skin and compassionate self-care, is well reflected in the commercial. In addition to skincare, the advertisement highlights family ties and emotional wellness which are two fundamental principles that appeal to Cetaphil’s intended market. Through the use of subtle connections to Taylor Swift’s fanbase and the allure of NFL devotion for all audiences, Cetaphil crafts a story that goes beyond simple product advertising and cultivates an intrinsic emotional bond with watchers.

Swiftly Engaging: The Power of Effective Storytelling

I thought what truly stood out to me was that the commercial was not trying to push the product onto the viewer, but rather integrated the product into a compelling story. By showcasing both the dad and daughter in their worlds of interest, and coming together evoked empathy and understanding. To be completely honest, skin care has become a lot more prevalent in the younger female generations, so it was smart to show the daughter was using Cetaphil in her room. I also found the #GameTimeGlow to be a creative integration of football and skin care. The ad’s authenticity was highlighted and made unforgettable by its skillful incorporation of cultural references, such as friendship bracelets and team colors.

Read more on the impact of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s relationship in the marketing world here.

Backlash and Controversy

The commercial was criticized for allegedly stealing the concept from a TikTok creator. This dispute raised legitimate questions about credit and the reasonable use of original concepts, sparking discussions about ethical storytelling in marketing. Although many viewers found the advertisement emotionally compelling despite this problem, it did emphasize the significance of openness and moral marketing

Read more about Cetaphil’s response here.

Spreading Joy: Shareability and Impact of Cetaphil

Because of its exceptional storytelling, the advertisement was naturally shared on social media sites even after it was shown during the Super Bowl. Its combination of subtle product integration, cultural relevance, and heartfelt storytelling made it appealing to a wide range of people, which encouraged organic sharing and expanded digitally. Fans of Taylor Swift, including myself, or those who related to the father-daughter story were likely to spread the word about the advertisement, increasing its exposure and impact.

Conclusion

Overall, Cetaphil’s 2024 Super Bowl ad is a good example of successful brand storytelling as it strikes a balance between emotional sensitivity and cultural significance. By fusing aspects of NFL culture and Taylor Swift’s devotion into an emotional story about familial ties, Cetaphil produced an ad that was recognizable yet significant in addition to promoting their brand principles.

As a Swiftie who treasures moments shared with my dad, this commercial resonated deeply, displaying the capability of storytelling to create genuine connections and bridge generational gaps.

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