According to a story by Brian Steinberg in Variety, viewers of last Sunday’s “Big Game” witnessed a veritable food fight during their Super Bowl parties.
The actual football game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs was squeezed between ads from a plethora of food and beverage brands. In fact, the number of food ads has significantly increased in recent years, representing 32% of all Super Bowl ads in 2024.
However, a couple of associate professors at reputable universities think this cornucopia of commercials in the “human consumables” category could lead to viewer confusion and difficulty remembering specific ad messages. Plus, many food ads rely on celebrity endorsements, despite research that shows that commercials with celebrities are below average in persuading people to buy products.
So, the central question that I set out to answer last weekend was: Who won the food fight at Super Bowl parties in Acton?
My first stop was Idylwilde Farms, where Store Manager Marady Thaep and Produce Manager Chris Kirby were happy to tell me that the top selling game day essentials were the store’s own homemade buffalo chicken dip, chunky guacamole, and seven layered Mexican dip.
It’s worth noting that none of these items were featured in a Super Bowl commercial, which cost national brands up to $8 million for a 30-second spot. This is a perfect example of “newsjacking,” a marketing technique that involves using current events to promote a brand or product.
My next stop was Roche Bros. Acton, where store manager David Ordway said that local shoppers were stocking up on chips, dip, and wings. He also put preparing for this year’s Super Bowl parties into perspective. “If the Patriots were playing, then there would have been a bigger difference.”
Next, I visited the new Stop & Shop at 252 Main Street in Acton. More than 40 brands released versions of their Big Game ads ahead of time to generate buzz, but even “Abduction,” the winner of the Doritos Crash the Super Bowl contest, didn’t appear to generate sales in Acton.
I stopped by Acton Wine & Spirit Co., but I may have been a couple of days ahead of any potential spikes in demand for beer brands that might have been driven by the popularity of commercials like “Budweiser | Super Bowl LIX ‘First Delivery’,”
And with 20/20 hindsight, it seems ironic that people in Acton were purchasing beverages for their Super Bowl parties a couple of days before InBev’s Budweiser, Bud Light, Stella Artois, and Michelob Ultra, or Molson Coors’ Coors Light would spend millions of dollars advertising during the Big Game. Isn’t this an example of putting the cart before the horse – even if that horse is a Clydesdale foal? (Refers to a Budweiser ad for Super Bowl 2025 that featured a Clydesdale foal.)
I then headed to Donelan’s of Acton, where the store manager, who didn’t want me to use his name, said shoppers were buying chips, seven layer dip, and frozen chicken wings for their Super Bowl parties. But I also saw yet another disconnect between national advertising and local merchandising. The brand that had brought back its Crash the Super Bowl campaign was Doritos. But the display at the back of the store featured Tostitos. Now, Doritos and Tostitos are both made by Frito-Lay, which is a division of PepsiCo.
I stopped by Trader Joe’s Acton, but I was told that I needed to speak with their corporate PR people in Boston. I didn’t hear back from them in time to meet my deadline.
Finally, I ended my tour at Colonial Spirits of Acton, where I learned that the top selling beers for Super Bowl parties in town were IPAs, pale ales, and lagers. Why? Because they are lighter. I also discovered that I’d just missed a tasting event that had told shoppers, “Anyone can bring the wings, we’ll help you show up with the best beers around. Swing by before the snow comes & get stocked for the big game! #superbowlsunday #wingsnotincluded.”
So, what lessons can local grocery stores, as well as beer and wine stores, learn from the winners of the food fight at Super Bowl parties in Acton? Encourage your customers to shop locally and buy house brands that they will enjoy eating and drinking while watching a bunch of national brands blow millions of bucks on trying to entertain, inspire, or educate them during the Big Game.
Greg Jarboe writes on many topics for the Acton Exchange and he is the Senior Center beat reporter.