Podcast Summary: The Agile Brand with Greg Kihlström®

Episode #813: "Big Game Recap: Zappi CMO Nataly Kelly shares the winners and losing advertisers"
Release Date: February 13, 2026
Guest: Nataly Kelly, CMO at Zappi
Host: Greg Kihlström

Overview: Main Theme & Purpose

This episode analyzes Super Bowl 2026 advertising performance from the dual lenses of creativity and business outcomes. Host Greg Kihlström invites Zappi CMO Nataly Kelly to present key insights from Zappi’s consumer-driven data, with a focus on what separated the high-ROI ads from those that simply generated buzz. Central themes include effective celebrity use, strategies for inclusivity (especially gender representation), and the critical distinctions between memorable vs. commercially successful ads.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. State of Super Bowl Ads 2026: Creative & Results Trends

• Mixed results: Some brands took creative risks that paid off with humor, emotion, and storytelling; others, even entire categories, failed to convert creativity into effective execution.

  “Some brands took really smart risks and delivered a lot of humor, emotion and really good storytelling … But others … struggled to translate those bold, creative ideas into execution and performance.”
  — Nataly Kelly, 03:29

• Data approach: Zappi tested ads with 20,000 category buyers to determine not just likability but actual purchase intent and likely ROI, moving the conversation beyond subjective opinions.

  “It’s not just whether they like the ad or not, it’s whether it actually moves them to buy and whether there’s going to be ROI … which is very different from did people like it.”
  — Nataly Kelly, 03:08

2. Representation & the Female Audience Blind Spot

• Persistent representation gap: Although women are nearly half of viewers and drive 85% of household purchasing, only about a quarter of ads feature women in central roles.

  “Even though women appear in two thirds of the ads, they are not the focal point of the creative … That really limits how strongly the ads will resonate with a very large and influential segment of the audience.”
  — Nataly Kelly, 05:48

• Business rationale: Ads centered on women tend to drive better ROI and also perform well with men.

  “Ads where women have a central role are commercially stronger. They actually drive better ROI.”
  — Nataly Kelly, 06:53

• What works: Good storytelling, warmth, future-oriented narratives, and placing women at the heart of the ad are effective. Notable examples:
  • Hellman’s “Sweet Sandwich Time” (humor and relatable)
  • Fanatics Sportsbook “Bet on Kendall” (used celebrity authentically, product front-and-center)

    “Kendall was very much herself. It was a great use of a celebrity where we often see a lot of the celebrity tie-ins fail. It did really promote the product.”
    — Nataly Kelly, 08:17

3. Celebrities: The Not-So-Secret Weapon

• Usage and risks: 68% of Super Bowl ads featured celebrities (compared to 25% of TV ads generally). While celebrities grab attention, they do not guarantee success and can overshadow the brand message if not thoughtfully integrated.

  “Celebrities show up in 25% of the ads that we test annually for television ads. But for super bowl, that number goes up to 68% … But the data shows not a guaranteed performance lever on their own.”
  — Nataly Kelly, 11:14

• Best practice: Effective when celebrity choice is aligned with the brand's purpose and they serve the story, not just act as a distractor.
  • Examples:
    • Michelob Ultra’s “Ultra Instructor” (Kurt Russell, Chloe Kim): tied into Winter Olympics, authentic character use.
    • Wegovy: multiple celebrities (DJ Khaled, Danielle Brooks) added trust and credibility to a sensitive product.
    • Bud Light/Ritz: celebrities blended within brand-forward storytelling and humor.

  “The common thread is not fame, it’s that the celebrity serves the purpose of the brand and the story, not the other way around.”
  — Nataly Kelly, 14:09

4. Category Playbooks & Ad Patterns

• Universal keys:
  • Product showcased prominently (even with celebrity use)
  • Ads must evoke emotion—humor, joy, even outrage (e.g., Hims & Hers)
  • Distinctiveness and surprise factor (e.g., Budweiser’s cinematic “American Icons” ad)

  “Make sure that the product is featured prominently … They make you feel something ... The worst super bowl ad is one where you walk away with ambivalence.”
  — Nataly Kelly, 15:13

5. Measurement: Beyond Attention, Toward Sales Impact

• Zappi Sales Impact Score: Framework includes:
  • Purchase uplift: Likelihood the ad delivers long-term ROI
  • Distinctiveness: Is the ad unique?
  • Brand recall: Do viewers spontaneously remember the brand?
  • Overall & top emotion: What did the ad make viewers feel?
  • Benchmarked against best-in-class TV ads from the previous year

  “Entertainment can help, but only when it translates into brand and business outcomes. And that’s how we separate the ads that people talk about the next day from the ads that actually help brands win.”
  — Nataly Kelly, 19:00

6. Biggest Brand Mistakes

• Disconnecting creativity from brand purpose: Emotional or funny ads that don’t reinforce the brand or align with consumer needs/purchase intent fall flat.
• Formulaic or repetitive approaches: Relying on past stunts (e.g., QR codes) or generic formulas results in forgettable ads.
• Not pressure-testing creative: Culture and circumstances can change fast—iterative, early creative testing is crucial.

  “A lot of these ads focus on the momentary entertainment without ensuring that creativity really maps back to the brand promise, the needs of the consumers … The biggest misstep is … failing to connect the idea to a brand and a business outcome.”
  — Nataly Kelly, 20:30
  “What we advise brands to do is pressure test their creative early … by the way, that’s really important because culture evolves.”
  — Nataly Kelly, 22:54

7. Winners & Surprises (by Data, Not Hype)

• Top performers by category:
  • Pharma: Wegovy (Sales Impact Score: 97)
  • Beverages: Budweiser’s “American Icons” (Score: 88)
  • Personal Care: Dove (Score: 80)
  • Food: Pringles’ “Pringleo” (Score: 87)
  • Automotive: Toyota “Superhero Belt”
  • Sports Org: NFL “You Are Special”
• GLP1/weight loss ads: Wegovy, Hims & Hers, and Ro achieved highest sales impact scores overall (especially effective with women, men, under 35 segments).

  “Sales impact, the GLP1 advertisers, WeGovy, Hims and HERS and RO also had the top three sales impact scores.”
  — Nataly Kelly, 25:22

• Younger demographic winners: Hims & Hers, Nerds, Wegovy
• Surprise category underperformers: Despite much AI ad buzz, none ranked in the top 10 for sales impact. The category’s limited mainstream adoption and “inside joke” references left most consumers cold.

  “There was not a single AI focused ad that landed in the top 10 by sales impact score. … These messages tend to resonate with people who already use AI, but the opportunity is really with the broader audience.”
  — Nataly Kelly, 30:34

8. Forward-Looking Advice & 2027 Trends

• Foundational basics: Make the product/brand visible, clear, and prominent. Don’t lose sight of the audience as you pursue entertainment or stunts.
• Audience-first focus: Advertisers should think deeply about which specific audience segment they are trying to motivate, not just the broad “Super Bowl audience.”

  “Please make sure the product is visible, the brand is visible, the communication is clear, the message is clear. Those are kind of the three hallmarks of great advertising.”
  — Nataly Kelly, 32:28

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “It demands that brands move from gut feelings to data driven insights to understand what truly resonates with their audience.”
  — Greg Kihlström, 00:49

• “The way to … job security is to drive business results. It’s not to make people laugh at your ad or to have a celebrity that people buzz about for a couple of days after the Super Bowl.”
  — Nataly Kelly, 09:22

• “Sometimes it’s just if they would have shown it [the product/brand] once or twice more throughout the ad, it would have massively improved their sales impact.”
  — Nataly Kelly, 21:20

• “I often think, what if I had chosen a celebrity, and the day before the super bowl, they have a scandal … Sometimes advertisers have to pull their ad because of that.”
  — Nataly Kelly, 23:17

Timestamps of Key Segments

| Segment | Timestamp | |------------------------------------------------|:--------------:| | Data-driven ad analysis & Super Bowl context | 00:49–03:29 | | State of creativity/results | 03:29–04:45 | | Gender representation gap in ads | 05:11–07:13 | | Elements that resonate with women | 07:13–09:34 | | Celebrity use—where it works, where it fails | 10:47–14:19 | | Category patterns in top performing ads | 14:53–16:52 | | Zappi's measurement—sales impact score | 16:52–19:43 | | Biggest brand mistakes | 19:54–24:17 | | Winning and underperforming ads, by data | 24:37–31:59 | | Surprising misses (AI ads) | 30:33–31:59 | | Advice for 2027 and trends to watch | 32:28–33:14 | | Nataly Kelly on staying agile | 33:29–34:16 |

Closing Thoughts

Nataly Kelly’s data-rich insights reinforce that the glitz of the Super Bowl does not replace marketing fundamentals: a clear, audience-centered message tightly linked to brand and product. Celebrity sizzle, creative stunts, or chasing buzz are only effective when they advance business outcomes. Winning brands will use data and rigorous testing—not just hype—to guide their creative, ensuring every $8M ad becomes a legitimate growth driver, not just a fleeting talking point.