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Library/Campaign/Reddit’s five-second Super Bowl ad
Grade B23 sourcesHIS-01710

Reddit’s five-second Super Bowl ad

Campaign · 2021

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Reddit used a five-second regional Super Bowl spot to send viewers searching for its text.

Reddit

@Reddit · Feb 8, 2021

What just happened?

10.6K246
Post · @Reddit on X
The complete text card from Reddit’s five-second spot, supplied on R/GA’s official campaign page.
Reddit / R/GA
Reddit, Burger King Win Cannes Social and Influencer Grand Prix
Adweek
Reddit | Superb Owl
The One Club for Creativity

Spread Score

How it works
Reach66Contagion35Breadth30Velocity87Longevity1548

Numbers

R/GA claimed earned impressions; cumulative, not unique people
6.5B
Self-reported · R/GA
Peak proxy date
Week of Feb 7, 2021
Feb 7 ’21 to Week of Feb 7, 2021
Platforms
6
Started on TV
Origin
Paid
Media & publishing

Mechanics

  • TransgressionPrimary
  • Newsjacking
  • Underdog
  • Response chain
  • Platform jump

How it spread

Trace the origin

Reddit bought regional airtime after the GameStop squeeze. Viewers paused, photographed and searched for its text; Reddit reposted it and press explained it. Fastly reported an immediate traffic rise. The CMO later reported more advertiser registrations.

Proxy date; not a directly measured attention peak. Some dates are known only to the week, month or year.

Google searchesDec ’20Mar ’21MayJulOctFeb ’22MaySepMar ’23JulNovMar ’24Peak proxyReddit / R/GAStarts · Feb 7 ’21u/CowboyDandyPunchTimeFeb 7 ’21Peak proxyWeek of Feb 7, 2021VarietyFeb 8 ’21RedditFeb 8 ’21Roxy YoungFeb 15 ’23TVRedditOpen webPressXAudio
TVRedditOpen webPressXAudio

Timeline (16)

  1. February 2021

    Reddit / R/GA seed · Feb 7 ’21

    Reddit aired its five-second creative through regional placements in nine major US markets.[1][2]

  2. u/CowboyDandyPunchTime platform jump · Feb 7 ’21

    A viewer posted a photo of the ad to r/Superbowl at 23:05 UTC.[3][4]

  3. u/reddit_irl owner response · Feb 7 ’21

    Reddit thanked an r/wholesome poster and said it bought the placement three days before kickoff.[5]

  1. peak proxy · Week of Feb 7, 2021

  2. press · Feb 8 ’21

Join free to see why it worked and the other 13 events. Free, on every case.

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Do this

  1. 1Make a brief placement useful to viewers who pause, search or share it.
  2. 2
  3. 3

Every number (11)

  • R/GA claimed household impressions from regional TV placements“17.2M Household Impressions”
    17.2M[6]

Press (8 outlets)

  1. Feb 8, 20211 day inAdweek · Why Reddit Spent Its Entire Marketing Budget on a 5-Second Super Bowl Ad

You’ve seen 1 of 4 steps, 1 of 11 numbers and 1 of 8 outlets. Pro opens the rest, with all 23 sources.

Join freeGo Pro · $13/mo
Origin
Paid
Sector
Media & publishing
Region
US
R/GA claimed earned impressions; cumulative, not unique people
6.5B
Self-reported · R/GA
Evidence
Grade B

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