Food Brands Are Recreating Rihanna's Super Bowl Announcement In The Best Way
When the NFL announced that Rihanna will be the Super Bowl LVII halftime performer, the imagery on social media was simple. As the performer's hand held a football, the visual did not need explanation. Still, the announcement was met with much commentary. CNN quoted Roc Nation mogul Jay Z calling Rihana one of the "most prominent artists ever," and the upcoming halftime show might take the performance in a new direction. With Apple Music taking over sponsorship from Pepsi, some Rihana fans had a new description for the final game of the 22-23 NFL Season.
Across social media, the memes turning the National Football League into the National Fenty League were swift. Although it seems unlikely that the halftime performance will turn into a makeup demo, Pride wondered if this performance would push the Grammy award winner to finally release new music after six years. Although all the details of the performance will not be revealed until Rihanna takes the stage on February 12, 2023, many food brands are ready to capitalize on the pop culture moment. With Pepsi not being a presenting sponsor, the announcement is ready for other food icons to raise their voices. It might not be 15 seconds of fame, but it might be time to drive that announcement forward for more than "FourFiveSeconds."
The food brands that gave Rihanna's Super Bowl announcement a hand up
While social media cheered Rihanna's simple announcement regarding her Super Bowl LVII performance, food brands took the opportunity to make people hungry. First, Popeyes gave its fried chicken a leg up, and the fan reaction was swift. Other brands decided to jump on the imagery and gave it their spin. On Twitter, Sonic's hand clutched a Blue Slush, and Dairy Queen's tattooed hand nestled a Blizzard. Given that the Rihanna image was easy to mimic, it seemed ripe for parody. Whether or not these social media shares are the punctuation to this announcement remains to be seen.
Although neither brand clearly stated the beverage held, social media reaction seemed to miss an opportunity for more Rihanna connections. Granted one mention asked if Sonic would sponsor a halftime performance, but there was no mention of an "Umbrella" for that Sonic Blue Slush or "We Found Love" for that red spoon in the Dairy Queen Blizzard. Still, brands are quick to jump on the current trends. Even though the moment might be short-lived, it is on right now, period.