The best Super Bowl campaign ideas let people play along with the game instead of just watching ads: a free final-score prediction game, a halftime quiz, a "rate the ads" vote or a watch-party giveaway. They work for any brand with fans of American football, and they collect sign-ups and consent before kick-off. Because the event name is a protected trademark, most brands without a sponsorship talk about "the big game" instead, and you should check local rules before you add anything that looks like betting.
The Super Bowl is the final of the American football season and one of the most watched broadcasts of the year in the US. It also has a growing audience in Europe, Latin America and elsewhere, even though it is played in the middle of the night in European time zones. This guide covers the dates, the rules to know about the name and betting-like mechanics, a planning timeline and ten campaign ideas with the right format and channel for each.
When Is the Super Bowl in 2027 and 2028?
The game is played on a Sunday in early or mid-February.
| Year | Date | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| 2027 | Sunday 14 February 2027 | SoFi Stadium, Inglewood (Los Angeles area), according to the Los Angeles host committee |
| 2028 | February 2028, expected Sunday 13 February | Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, as announced by the NFL |
Note that the 2027 game falls on Valentine's Day. That is a gift for creative campaigns ("game night or date night?"), but it also means two big moments compete for the same weekend. See our ideas for a Valentine's campaign if you plan both.
Kick-off is in the US evening, which is the middle of the night in Europe. For European audiences, the build-up week and the Monday morning after the game matter more than the game itself. For the other big tournaments of the next two years, see our overview of sports events in 2027 and 2028.
The Name and the Rules: What to Check First
Use generic wording like "the big game"
"Super Bowl" is a registered trademark, and the league is known for protecting it. Promotions that use the name, team names or logos to suggest a connection can lead to legal trouble. That is why so many advertisers without a sponsorship say "the big game", "game day" or "the football final". A law firm alert on this, from Wiley, sums it up: informational uses may be fine, promotional uses generally are not.
In practice, for a brand that is not an official partner:
- Call your campaign something like "Big Game Prediction" or "Game Day Quiz", not by the event name.
- Do not use league or team logos, the trophy or official imagery.
- Do not say or suggest that you are an official partner.
- Rules on trademarks differ between countries. Check with your lawyer if you are unsure.
Be careful with anything that looks like betting
Prediction games, squares and pick'em contests are popular around the game, and many are close to betting. A free-to-enter prediction game where the prize goes to people who guess right is a different thing from a pool where people pay to take part. Rules on gambling, prize draws and sports-betting-like mechanics differ between countries and, in the US, between states. Keep your campaign free to enter, with no purchase or stake, and check local rules before you launch, especially if you want to offer cash prizes or link entry to a purchase.
For iGaming brands, separate rules on advertising gambling apply in most markets.
Planning Timeline
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| 6 weeks before | Pick the mechanic, prizes and markets. Check the wording and local rules. |
| 4 weeks before | Build the campaign, write the questions or predictions, set up consent and terms. |
| 2 weeks before | Test on mobile. Plan newsletter, social media and in-store promotion. |
| Game week | Launch or push hard. Most people decide their game-day plans in the final days. |
| Game day | Close predictions before kick-off. Run live elements during breaks if you have a live audience. |
| Monday after | Reveal the results, announce winners, send the follow-up offer. |
10 Super Bowl Campaign Ideas
1. Final score prediction game
The most natural mechanic: people guess the final score, and everyone who gets it right (or closest) enters a prize draw. Guess the result is built for this. Close entries before kick-off and add a tie-breaker question, such as total points scored. Read our full guide to prediction game marketing.
2. Prop predictions about the show around the game
Besides the score, fans love to predict small things: which team scores first, the first song at the halftime show, the color of a drink poured over the winning coach. Use a short quiz where each answer is checked after the game. Keep it light and stay away from anything that depends on a player's injury or misfortune.
3. "Rate the ads" vote
For many viewers, the ads are half the fun. Let your audience score this year's commercials in a rating game or vote game on Monday morning, with a prize draw among everyone who took part. It also works for European audiences who watch the ads on Monday rather than live at night.
4. Snack battle
Wings or nachos? Classic or spicy? A product battle lets people vote between your products, and the result tells you which items to push next week. It fits food and drink brands, supermarkets and delivery services.
5. Watch-party kit giveaway
Give away everything for a game-day party: snacks, drinks, a speaker or a screen. Run it as a prize draw with a spin the wheel for instant smaller prizes, such as a discount on party supplies, and close entries a few days before the game so winners receive their kit in time. Our giveaway post planner helps you plan the social posts.
6. Football trivia quiz
A quiz about the sport, its history and its rules is safe, fun and educational for newer fans in Europe. Show short explanations after each answer. The Danish handball club Aalborg HÃ¥ndbold runs matchday quizzes on the arena screens and has had 1,000 participants in a matchday quiz. The same works on screens at a bar or a fan event.
7. Field goal skill game with a leaderboard
Turn the kicker's moment into a hit the target game, and show the best scores on a leaderboard. Prizes go to the highest scores, which avoids the betting question entirely, and players return to beat their own record during game week.
8. Pick-a-number game instead of squares
Squares are a pool game where people buy a box on a grid. A brand-friendly alternative is a free lucky number game: players pick a number, and if it matches the last digit of the winning team's score, they enter the prize draw. Free to enter, no purchase, and check local rules all the same.
9. Bar and restaurant QR scratch cards
Restaurants, bars and pizza chains can put QR codes on tables, menus and boxes. Guests play a scratch card and win a code for their next visit, valid in the quiet weeks after the game. Create unique codes with our discount code generator and the QR code with the free QR code generator.
10. Game night or date night? (2027 only)
With the 2027 game on Valentine's Day, a personality test that asks "game night or date night?" and recommends products or a special offer for each answer is a fun way to own both moments without picking a side.
Prizes That Fit the Game
- A watch-party kit with snacks, drinks and accessories
- A new TV, projector or speaker
- Merchandise from your own brand (not unlicensed team merchandise)
- Free food delivery on game day
- A discount for everyone who played, sent on Monday morning
If you plan instant-win prizes, use our prize odds calculator to set the quantities and odds.
Sign-ups and Consent
- Ask for an email or phone number to enter and to tell people if they won. That alone gives you a reason to collect contact details.
- Make newsletter consent a separate, unticked checkbox.
- Use our consent text generator for the checkbox text and the competition terms generator for the terms, including closing time and time zone.
- One entry per email or phone number keeps the prediction game fair. Scratcher handles that, plus reCAPTCHA and blocked throwaway email addresses.
For the basics of running a campaign like this, read how to run an online competition.
What to Measure
- Entries and opt-in rate
- Share of entries in the last 48 hours before kick-off
- Opens and clicks on the Monday results email
- Redemption of codes in the weeks after the game
- How many new subscribers stay engaged after a month
FAQ
Can I use the name "Super Bowl" in my marketing?
The name is a registered trademark, and using it in a promotion can lead to legal claims if it suggests a connection. Most brands without an official partnership use generic terms like "the big game" or "game day". Check with your lawyer for your market.
Are Super Bowl prediction games legal?
A free-to-enter prediction game with prizes is a common promotion, but rules on gambling and prize promotions differ between countries and US states. Keep entry free, with no purchase or stake, and check local rules, especially for cash prizes or games that look like squares or pools.
When is the Super Bowl in 2027?
Sunday 14 February 2027, at SoFi Stadium in the Los Angeles area. It is the first time the game falls on Valentine's Day.
Does a Super Bowl campaign make sense outside the US?
Yes, if your audience follows the sport or the show around it. In Europe, focus on the build-up week and Monday morning, when people catch up on the result and the ads.
What is the best game format for the Super Bowl?
A final-score prediction with guess the result for engagement before kick-off, a quiz for newer fans, and a skill game with a leaderboard if you want to avoid any betting-like mechanic.
Plan Your Big Game Campaign
A game-day campaign gives fans something to do before, during and after the game, and gives you sign-ups you can use all year. Explore all our game formats, try them in a free 14-day trial, or book a meeting to talk through your idea.
This article is general information, not legal advice.
