Big Game Ads, Small Business Wins: How Nostalgia and Storytelling can Boost Your Marketing

We break down our favorite "Big Game" ads and translate big-budget ideas into simple plays small brands can use now.

In this episode, we unpack four standout ad spots and show how to turn their big-budget strategies into small, repeatable plays you can run this week.

But first, we share our podcast rebrand from "Toucan Talks" to "Kickstart Your Week" and why shorter, focused Monday drops help you start fast. 

Then, we dive into Uber Eats’ “football sells food” world where Matthew McConaughey, Bradley Cooper, and Jerry Rice do more than cameo—they advance a story that’s been building for years. The lesson is clear: consistent worlds beat one-off gags, and personality can carry the message without over-explaining the product.

Next, we shift gears to Lay’s and a quiet, emotional arc: a daughter’s last harvest with her dad before she takes over the family farm. It’s continuity, craft, and succession planning wrapped into a brand origin story. We get into why these signals build trust and how small businesses can mirror that with behind-the-scenes content, values in action, and multi-season storytelling that rewards loyal viewers.

AI took plenty of airtime, but GenSpark AI stood out by being useful and human. A Ferris Bueller nod turns the dreaded post-game Monday into a cultural moment where AI helps you get work done, not replace you. We break down how nostalgia can lower the barrier to adoption and why the most effective tech marketing shows outcomes, not algorithms. Finally, Coinbase’s karaoke screen proves that low production and a sticky concept can silence a room. When everyone else turns up the volume, simplicity earns the pause—and the recall.

You’ll leave with practical takeaways: build a narrative world, choose one emotion to own, use nostalgia with purpose, design for a clear next step, and don’t fear lo-fi when the concept is tight. Subscribe, share with a friend, and leave a quick review so more builders can Kickstart their week with smart, usable ideas.

Get more from Kickstart Your Week!

Watch on YouTube
Follow on Instagram
Subscribe to our email list

//

Meet your hosts and learn more about Kickstart Collective at kickstartcollective.co

Kickstart Collective is a creative marketing agency based in Wilmington, NC. We offer our clients a creative advantage through creative content and marketing strategies. 

Transcript

New Format And Rebrand Reveal

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Welcome to Kickstart Your Week, brought to you by Kickstart Collective, a marketing agency focused on helping brands grow with purpose. Every Monday, we're here to help business owners, creators, and marketers start their week with clarity, momentum, and practical ideas you can actually use. Kickstart Your Week is produced right here at Kickstart Studios in Wilmington, North Carolina. Let's Kickstart Your Week. Welcome to Kickstart Your Week. We are very excited for today's episode. This is our third year, I believe, doing the Are we all say that? Crap. So yeah, our third year doing the big game ad reviews, which are fun. I think it's always fun to talk about what these big brands are doing with their big budgets and star power and the storytelling. But what we also like to do is take the themes and the things that we've seen in the commercials and make that apply for small businesses and things that you guys can actually use in your marketing in 2026. So before we jump in, if you are a what is it, longtime listener, first-time caller, longtime listeners, you may remember our beautiful cans and the two can talks uh format of the podcaster. We had the um Plinko, I don't think that's trained mark. We can say Plinko board, um, to where we had a guest and there were two cans, two people can talk, our logo is two can, all the two cans. All the puns, all the things. Um, we have since, I'm sure you've noticed, have changed the format to being shorter episodes every Monday morning. Um, and we were just using that as a segment called Kickstart Your Week as part of the Tukan Talks podcast. Um, but we really love the shorter segments and the every Monday morning um release. So we are officially changing two can talks to Kickstart Your Week. So that's where it'll be on the platforms moving forward: YouTube, Spotify, Apple, wherever you get your podcast, um, you will be able to search for Kickstart Your Week instead of Two Can Talks. And hopefully that is a little less confusing.

Why Super Bowl Ads Matter

SPEAKER_00 2:06

Um, you know, from a branding standpoint, I think it was time for us to make a decision on where we were going with the podcast. So I'm excited. Um hopefully y'all are too. Because here we are. Heck yeah. Um, so that being said, we will bring the cans back for, you know, special occasions. The Super Bowl, believe me, the big game, the big game commercials. Um being one of those, because it's a favorite of ours. Um, so what we're gonna do is we're gonna draw out a commercial from last Sunday's game. Um, we're gonna talk about it, what we liked about it, why it worked. Um, we're focusing all on the good ones this this episode. Last year, we did our favorites and our least favorites. It's all good stuff. I mean, some of them weren't good, but we're not gonna talk about those. Yeah. Um, we're just talking about the good and um what you can learn from those as a small business owner or a marketer. Um, so without further ado, I'm Lara. This is Alyssa, this is Joshua. If you're tuning in for the first time, um, and we work at Kickstarter Collective, and we're gonna talk about some ads. So do one of y'all want to draw? You want to draw first? Oh, yeah. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 3:20

Okay. We have the Uber Eats Footballist to sell food campaign.

SPEAKER_06 3:26

Let's go. Uber Eats. I mean, what is better

How We’ll Review And What To Learn

SPEAKER_06 3:29

than eating, right? And what is better than eating while you're watching the big game, huh?

SPEAKER_03 3:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 3:34

Anyway, so yeah, they they basically kind of had a continued uh take on their one that's been running for a couple years now, at least two years, I think.

SPEAKER_01 3:40

Yeah, it was definitely last year. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 3:42

And so they kind of continued that and they brought uh McConaughey back, who doesn't love him, along with Bradley Cooper. And who's been kind of like the face of it this year. Um, and they did a great job of kind of just all the puns were there, all of the imagery was there. Uh we were talking about it before the show, and uh Laura was saying how she loved the like the juicer uh comparison to the Hall of Fame, I think it was.

SPEAKER_01 4:05

Yeah, I don't know what that building is, but it literally is a juice, like it's so it's good. But neat.

SPEAKER_00 4:11

Like it's just I love the creativity and the like obviously that building is not, I mean, maybe it was supposed to be a juicer, but like I'm bodied.

SPEAKER_01 4:21

I love a conspiracy. So it, I mean, duh, they like what else could it be?

SPEAKER_06 4:26

There's nothing else. There's nothing else, yeah. Yeah, and I mean the uh they they brought in Jerry Rice, who, as all y'all football guys and girls

Uber Eats: Star Power That Serves Story

SPEAKER_06 4:34

know, that's the best receiver of all time.

SPEAKER_01 4:36

And if you aren't a football guy or girl, thank you. Yes, I got you. I mean, I know his name.

SPEAKER_06 4:43

Yeah, there you go, and that's all that matters. And he's in the Hall of Fame, too.

SPEAKER_02 4:46

They brought in they brought in Addison Ray for the people who weren't the football people.

SPEAKER_06 4:50

There you go.

SPEAKER_02 4:50

Like me.

SPEAKER_06 4:51

And I didn't know who that was, so it caught all the it caught all the eyes. Um, but yeah, I think they did a really good job this year of just using the star power in a good way. They were not just like there's not a star to be a star. There's a reason why they're there, and um kind of brand continuity with Makana Haybrink being in a previous uh version of that from last year really helped. He kind of like tied the the the last one and this one together, I think. Um, and then they just really played into the the imagery and then some of the puns from last year. So I think it was really good. Um it was that they kind of pulled into the conspiracy angle of it. Like I'm I know that's probably been the theme throughout the whole, at least through the whole season, I think maybe through the whole ad campaign. But uh they they did a really good job of just, you know. I mean, conspiracies are always fun and they're in there I feel like they're at an all-time high right now. So uh that was smart too and very timely. I don't know if they intended for that to be, but it really caught people's attention. And I think the the entertainment factor there really kind of brought it home because it wasn't just like I I said it before, there wasn't like just a star to be a star. It was entertainment factor, and it and for me, I could watch that multiple times uh and enjoy it multiple times and it wouldn't like lose its luster, you know what I mean? Whereas sometimes you're just you see an ad and it's just kind of there to literally just hey, we sell this.

SPEAKER_00 6:09

Yeah, yeah. So yeah, it was, yeah, to your point, like very like the story line and like storytelling of it is good. It had like multiple, I mean, as it did last year with that version of the campaign, but like it had so many just like good, consistent punch lines. But that juicer, man, that got a good one.

SPEAKER_05 6:25

That was the best part.

SPEAKER_00 6:27

The best part. Um, and I think with a lot of these bigger brands and you know, local businesses too, what is like cool is there, I probably never once said you get on an app and order food to your door. Yes, they do have the brand recognition of Uber Eats, like everyone knows what that is, but just like the idea that football is to sell food and then they're delivering it to you. Um, so tying all that together without ever needing to say or like focusing on what their actual service is, it's focusing on the brand personality and humor and telling the story. So I think that's something small businesses could easily, you know, tap into of like taking a little bit of focus. If you're newer, you need brain awareness, you have to have some educational component at some point. But thinking of your marketing and your messaging and the storytelling, focusing more on like the brand personality and um how can you entertain delight, you know, engage exactly. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 7:27

Yeah, we kind of uh we kind of do that a little bit with mess hall, with one of our favorite people to work with. And they they have an established brand, like you know, mess hall, you're gonna go get a burger and some tots. Don't no fries, do never never get fries. We refuse those, actually. Uh, and so we can kind of build off that with our our brand uh campaigns and stuff like that. Uh just shooting something that's silly but it makes sense and is like marketing something they're trying to sell in the quarter or in the start of the year.

SPEAKER_00 7:55

Yeah. So yeah, no, that's a good example. Um, okay, cool. Do you want to draw the next one?

SPEAKER_06 8:00

Let's do it. Belays potato chips.

SPEAKER_02 8:08

This is another one that is kind of a continuation of a campaign from last year's game. Um last year, the characters in the commercial, it was a little girl. This year she's grown up. She's about to take over the family farm, potato farm. And this one was more emotional because it was her last harvest with her dad before he retires. And um, yeah, they they really played into the pulling on your heartstrings for this one. Yeah, there wasn't, it wasn't really humor, it was just enjoyable and emotional, and sometimes that can kind of cut through the other funny ones that are out there um and be more memorable. At least it was for me. Yeah, especially I love the ones that play off of last year's game. Me too. I think it's so fun.

SPEAKER_03 9:03

I like that too.

SPEAKER_00 9:04

And like, I mean, I know we're not talking about the Budweiser commercials, but like they had those horses for years. And I remember the first Super Bowl where the horse wasn't in it, and I was like, What happened?

SPEAKER_06 9:15

What happened to my horse?

SPEAKER_00 9:17

Where is this puppy and the horses? And I they've

Entertainment Vs. Explanation

SPEAKER_00 9:20

since brought them back, but I know I love how these other brands are really continuing the storyline. Um, and that one, I know last year I had some questions on it. Um my skepticism. Um, because it you it I won't rehash my thoughts from last year, but it is like showing the American farmer, and there is this like food local, like family farm messaging built into lace potato chips, um, which is a huge brand. Which is a huge brand. Um, I think my skepticism last year, I'm like, you're taking these sweet, beautiful potatoes and turning them into loading them up with all the processors, yeah. But you know, at least they're starting as a beautiful potato. Um and they're supporting, you know, supporting farmers and um family farms and all that. So it really, I mean, it does the story of the ad is, you know, great, like you said, breaks through the noise. Um, but I think it ties back to in to their like core brand and messaging and company of you know, supporting local farmers.

SPEAKER_02 10:34

Yeah, it's almost like an origin story, yeah, which I feel like people really connect with. You know, whether you're a big brand like Lay's that's been around for forever, it's interesting to see the behind the scenes or how they started out. But even if like if you're a smaller business that is newer, it's still interesting for people to see again, behind the scenes, how you started out, um what your core values are. I think people that allows people to really connect

Lay’s: Emotion, Origin, And Continuity

SPEAKER_02 11:05

with the brand. Yeah. And and be invested and want to see next year's commercial again.

SPEAKER_00 11:11

And I didn't really think about this as we were prepping for this episode, but in previous marketing life, which I'm not old, so it's not that long ago. Um, but a lot of what we were talking about was like succession planning for um business owners who are about to sell their business and like bringing in like the next generation. Um, and a lot of our financial services. So a lot of the marketing was geared to the person who is like prepping for retirement or thinking about that and getting the business in order so that when the younger person comes in, the finances are in order so they can acquire the business. Anyways, all that to say that the generational demographics of the country, like that is that succession planning, and like someone is about to retire who's gonna take the business, I think is a theme just overall. So I think that probably taps into a lot of people's emotions there too, and probably resonates. Yeah, which is interesting.

SPEAKER_02 12:17

Yeah. And you know, they had um a smaller commercial that I'm assuming aired, I think aired after the this main one, um, where if you scanned a QR code on the screen. Oh, I saw that you could get a bag of chips within 72 hours, and if it wasn't delivered within that time frame, you get the free chips for a year. Yeah, which I thought was a fun little extra after the fact.

SPEAKER_00 12:43

Yeah. Always in draw and engagement, yeah. Back back online or to a lead capture. Don't get me started. We'll we'll save that for another day. That's a whole webinar. Um, okay, let's see. All right, the Gen Spark AI commercial. There was a lot of AI.

SPEAKER_06 13:05

Um there was a lot.

SPEAKER_00 13:07

There's a lot. Um, and I think that's kind of like with the Uber Eats. It wasn't a lot of like, here's AI. It was a lot more like brand personality. Right. Um, so the Gen Spark one was um Matthew Broderick Ferris Bueller's Day Off vibe. So a lot of tie on nostalgia because I mean his face is, yeah, you know. Yeah. Um, so basically it was like big letter, like Monday, February 9th, and then like day Monday after Super Bowl, it's like the most called-in sick day in America, whatever, all those things. But it was basically him saying, like, take the day off, but using Gen Spark AI to like put the PowerPoint together, like all the things that it can do to where yes, you're at work half falling asleep, but like your work is getting done. Um, so I just I think one of the reasons I loved it is like yes, Monday after the Super Bowl is like a it's a thing. Everyone knows. Um, a lot of the schools had teacher work days this year, which was interesting. What? Yeah. I had my senior skip day in high school on that day. Yeah. See?

SPEAKER_06 14:13

No one wants to, it needs to be a federal holiday at some point.

SPEAKER_00 14:16

Yeah.

unknown 14:16

True.

SPEAKER_00 14:16

Gen Spark AI.

SPEAKER_06 14:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 14:18

Um, so it is just like, it's so timely, it's so relevant. Um, just to like that next Monday, you're like already, you know, dreading going back to work. Um, so I think it, and then it's just like clear. Here's the problem, here's the fix. Yeah. Um, pulling on AI and just like a nostalgic, yes, educational, but like funny again, um, kind of way. So yeah.

SPEAKER_02 14:44

It wasn't futuristic or like robots or anything. It was very real life.

SPEAKER_00 14:49

Yeah. No, that's a good point. Um, and I think depending on you know the audience, they might not know all of the things AI can do. Um and so that one is just very practical for the working person.

SPEAKER_06 15:01

And I feel like it's a good they position themselves well, well where they're not like, oh, hey, this is our AI and it's gonna take your job. Yeah, but it's like, hey, this is our AI and it's gonna help you with your job.

SPEAKER_03 15:10

Yeah, right.

SPEAKER_06 15:10

That was kind of like the whole point. We're here to be a companion, not a replacement.

SPEAKER_02 15:14

Yeah, yeah. Yeah. So you're still that human element. Yeah, that's a good point. I feel like that's how a lot or a good bit of the AI commercials were. Yeah. It was kind of like, we're not we're here to help.

SPEAKER_03 15:25

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 15:25

Not we're here to take over.

SPEAKER_00 15:28

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 15:28

Right.

SPEAKER_00 15:29

Um we weren't planning on talking about this either, but chat GPT is, I think, very clearly trying to become like the Kleenex term for like a tissue. Like instead of saying like AI, they want to chat GPT.

SPEAKER_04 15:42

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 15:43

And I was like, yeah, that's funny. And then today I literally sent a text saying I chat GPT'd like, yeah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Which it was on Chat GPT. But I was like, oh, that's so funny. I'm already you like it's already a Google. It's already a verb. It's a verb. I verbed it in my own life, I'm sure. I'm obviously not the first, but I was like, oh no, they've done it. They were open AI.

SPEAKER_06 16:07

I do the same thing. I've done the same thing as well. Texting.

SPEAKER_00 16:10

You yeah, like I looked this up on Google. No, I Googled it. Yeah, here we are. Yeah, wow. Yeah. So fun fact.

SPEAKER_03 16:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 16:18

Um, okay. Anything else? Should we go to the next one?

SPEAKER_03 16:21

Let's do it.

SPEAKER_00 16:22

Let's do it. Okay. Okay, so Coinbase was the Backstreet Boys Karaoke

Trust, Farmers, And Generational Themes

SPEAKER_00 16:31

ad. Um I loved it. It's like a little controversial because of how like simple and like it was, but okay, so two things. One, we were just hanging out with some friends watching the Super Bowl, not like anything huge. But when it came on, we all stopped and were like staring at the TV, like, what is happening?

SPEAKER_03 16:52

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 16:53

Like, like expecting something to happen, and nothing besides the karaoke really happened. Um my first impression, and I am so disappointed that this is not what it was. But it it starts out with the like, we're I should know this because I'm uh back to your boys my generation, but it's like the we're back line of the karaoke.

SPEAKER_05 17:15

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 17:16

Um, with the blue background screen and the yellow lettering.

SPEAKER_01 17:20

And I was like, oh shoot, it's gonna be Blockbuster.

SPEAKER_06 17:23

Oh man, that would have been so good.

SPEAKER_00 17:24

It wasn't. I was like, is it Blockbuster? You got some streaming? Like, what is happening? It wasn't. It was Coinbase.

SPEAKER_02 17:31

I mean, but they caught your attention for more than one reason.

SPEAKER_01 17:33

Then yeah, they did.

SPEAKER_02 17:33

I was like so excited.

SPEAKER_06 17:36

I feel like the the net the nationwide, like decibel, like the hearing range in everyone's room all went down. We're like, what is happening? Yeah, it was only a couple people in my house, but we were like, wait, what? Yeah, what is this? And we watched till the end and we saw the logo at the end.

SPEAKER_00 17:48

And then it the part of like um we're so secure, obviously, they changed the word secure or changed it to secure. Um, so then you're like, okay, what is this gonna be? Um, and it was Coinbase, which is like crypto trading thing, but I think their whole um, and I had to look it up later because I was like, why? I mean, use Backstage Boys because why not? But like, why were they using Backstage Boys? I think they did a commercial in like 2022, the Super Bowl commercial. So I think it was maybe a play on like we're back in Super Bowl spot. Um, but their whole thing was like it's relatable, it's for everybody. Um, because the name, like every the everybody, you know.

SPEAKER_06 18:31

Sing along, y'all. Y'all know it.

SPEAKER_00 18:33

Throw out the karaoke real quick. Um, that's not my karaoke song. Could be. Um, but that Coinbase is for everyone, it's accessible, it's not just for like tech bros, like crypto people.

SPEAKER_03 18:45

Um everybody.

SPEAKER_06 18:49

That's good.

SPEAKER_00 18:50

We're back, suitable spot. So, anyways, also nostalgic also caught my attention because the Backstreet Boys were in a commercial um earlier. They were like I was gonna say the show. So it's okay. The T Mobile, right? Uh see, I don't know. What ding wasn't as memorable, but I do love T Mobile. Shout out T Mobile. So maybe. I think I think it maybe was. Okay.

SPEAKER_06 19:16

I think you're right.

SPEAKER_02 19:18

So good for them too.

SPEAKER_00 19:21

They really are back, huh? They are back, yeah. Baxter boys are back. Um, so yeah, anyways, I yeah, I liked that one. Um, just something different. Again, it breaks through the noise, you kind of capture people's attention in a different way. Yeah, and just like the low production, like

QR Engagement And Lead Capture

SPEAKER_00 19:37

saving some money.

SPEAKER_02 19:38

Get it. No faces, no characters, no acting, yeah, no acting.

SPEAKER_00 19:45

Yeah, production-wise, yeah, maybe. Um, so yeah. Um, yeah, the takeaway on that, maybe just like again, nostalgia, which was like a big theme for last year too, or the year before, I can't remember.

SPEAKER_04 19:59

Yeah, it was.

SPEAKER_00 20:00

But yeah, and just doing something different, um, I think is kind of is what made that one at least stand out to me. Yeah. Um, and back to your voice. I wasn't in sync girl, let's be clear, but I do I did love the Baxter Voice. Um, so thank you for kind of clear that out. Yeah, I really did. It's really an uh identity thing for us millennials. Um, so yeah, I think, yeah, I think that's all I got on that one. Anything else that stood out?

SPEAKER_05 20:29

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 20:29

No, I enjoyed it too. Yeah. Um, okay, cool. So

GenSpark AI: Helpful, Not Replacing

SPEAKER_00 20:33

what we're gonna do future episodes after this one um is each of these themes that we kind of picked up on and saw in this year's Super Bowl commercials, we're gonna break those down a little bit further um into how small businesses can use those in their marketing moving forward, um, why some of those themes and I guess they're trends, but I feel like it's more like theme related. Um why they work, how to apply them. Um, so the next, I think, four episodes of Kickstart Your Week, we'll be diving into one of those, um, which will be super fun. Um, so yeah, thanks, guys. It's always fun when we all get to do one together. Yeah. Um, and we'll yeah, have the next one rolling out for you soon. So be sure to subscribe. You can join our email list on our website and we'll email it to you Monday morning. If not, um it'll be on YouTube or wherever you listen to your podcast. So thanks for joining us on Kickstart Your Week. Say bye-bye to the can. Thanks for listening to Kickstart Your Week. If today's episode gave you something to think about or try this week, be sure to subscribe, share it with a friend, or leave a review. It helps more people find the show. And if you're looking to create your own podcaster content, Kickstart Studios is available for booking. We'll be back next week with another conversation to help you kickstart your week.