Nestlé Butterfinger ramped up anticipation for its Super Bowl ad with an announcement on live-streaming application Periscope, roping in the help of professional skydiver Carson Schram.

Butterfinger is kicking off the Bolder Than Bold campaign by foreshadowing its soon-to-come Super Bowl-themed advertisement, set to air during the big game on February 7, 2016. The announcement arrived in the form of a Periscope live-stream, hosted by NorCal Skydiving?s own Carson Schram, likely chosen to excite millennial mobile users and pique their interest in the television spot.

?Butterfinger is all about being bold, #BolderThanBold, and its approach of leveraging Periscope to make an announcement is certainly in line with its brand positioning and promise,? said Michael Becker, managing partner at mCordis, San Francisco. ?According to a recent study by Lightspeed, Periscope was recognized as the most effective marketing tactic among social media users. 

?It is also the channel with the best balance of age demographics, according to Cowen and Company, with roughly 82 percent of users being 18 through 44. Butterfinger?s use of Periscope as a part of their Super Bowl marketing should pay off.?

Advertising for advertisements
Many brands gaze upon their Super Bowl advertisements as the primary form of marketing during the hotly-anticipated event. They may occasionally pepper their social media accounts with follow-ups to the television spot, but especially focus on the first-screen aspect of the commercials.

Butterfinger is attempting to change the rules of the game by taking to social media to announce its forthcoming Super Bowl ad, a 30-second spot directed by Armando Bo, a co-writer of Oscar-winning film Birdman.

The commercial is said to bring football viewers to brand-new levels of boldness that correspond with Butterfinger?s brand image.

Professional skydiver Carson Schram, a representative of NorCal Skydiving, delivered Butterfinger?s announcement on live-streaming app Periscope this week, revealing to fans that the marketer?s spot will air during the game?s third quarter.

It is Nestlé?s only brand to roll out a television spot during the most-watched sporting event in the United States. However, it is Butterfinger?s second trip to the Super Bowl as an advertiser, following its 2014 spot introducing the Peanut Butter Cups.

This year?s commercial centers on the Bolder Than Bold brand message, inspired by the candy bar?s crispy, crunchy taste.

Unrolling Periscope?s live-streaming
Tapping Periscope as the choice communication channel for the unveiling of the announcement offers implications for other brands. Marketers in the same industry may now feel compelled to tease tidbits of their Super Bowl ads on social media, perhaps with the support of brand influencers or celebrities to maximize the amount of press attention and consumer buzz.

This could become a must-have strategy, especially for the weeks or days leading up to the big game. Second-screen engagement will be a paramount tactic for brands to leverage both before and during the event.

Periscope has previously been used by brands to attract younger clientele.

This past April, Frito-Lay's Doritos brand raised the marketing stakes by hosting a chance-based game show on live-streaming service Periscope along with a team game on Twitter to promote its Roulette chips and connect with a younger male demographic (see story).

Taco Bell also made a special announcement via Periscope, alerting consumers of a Biscuit Taco giveaway on Cinco de Mayo while testing the latest buzzed-about mobile platform?s ability to drive awareness and store traffic (see story).

?Social media, especially when treated as an amplifying tactic within a focused marketing strategy, is an effective tool to communicate and reinforce and brand?s presence and to engage and recruit new and existing followers,? Mr. Becker said. ?It is a mainstay of modern marketing, in fact I?ll go as far to say if a brand is not present in social for many people it may not exist or be considered relevant.?

Final Take
Alex Samuely, staff writer on Mobile Marketer, New York