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Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl Playbook—A Masterclass in Marketing
🪩 The Digital Runway 🎯 Your Futureproof Guide: Beauty, Fashion, Tech & AI
Janey Park
February 10, 2025
In partnership with
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It’s Super Bowl aftermath meets NYFW madness, and instead of regular programming, I’m breaking down Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl Playbook—a masterclass in marketing, PR, brand partnerships, and cultural impact.
This is a first for The Digital Runway, so let me know—do you like this kind of breakdown, or do you prefer our usual format? Hit reply and let me know your thoughts.
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Table of Contents
👖 Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl Playbook—A Masterclass in Marketing
Kendrick Lamar didn’t just perform at the Super Bowl Halftime Show—he turned it into a multi-faceted marketing campaign, weaving in music, fashion, food, brand partnerships, and even his feud with Drake to create one of the most strategic Super Bowl moments ever.
Here’s how Kendrick dominated culture, commerce, and conversation—and what brands can learn.
Source: WWD l Christopher Polk
This wasn’t just a show—it was a business case study in marketing, brand partnerships and culture.
Here’s what you and brands can learn.
👗 Fashion—Can Kendrick Make Flared Jeans Cool Again?
Pharrell and Beyoncé revived cowboy-core. IMHO by exchanging notes and deciding to go hard on this trend at the same. Now, Kendrick is making a bold case for bell-bottom jeans in hip-hop.
Source: Emilee Chinn/Getty Images
👖 Celine “Serge” Jeans → Designed by Hedi Slimane, these flared jeans honored ‘90s icon Serge Gainsbourg while tapping into the Y2K denim resurgence. But can Kendrick make bell-bottoms hip-hop-approved?
🧥 The “Gloria” Jacket → His custom Martine Rose varsity jacket with “Gloria” across the chest referenced his GNX album. “Gloria” symbolizes his pen game, rap legacy, and dominance in the industry.
👟 Nike Air DT Max ‘96 Sneakers → A tribute to Deion Sanders, blending sports nostalgia with hip-hop culture.
🔥 DJ Mustard’s Look Matched the Energy → Not just producing Not Like Us, but also dressing in full flex mode. He also wore Celine Denim with “Marco” style—and a custom Vanson Leathers jacket, cementing the luxury-streetwear crossover.
📌 Fashion Takeaway: Streetwear and luxury brands take note—expect flared jeans and custom leather pieces to go mainstream. If Kendrick co-signs a trend, expect sales to spike, street style domination, and even fast fashion brands jumping in with a quick production turnaround.
🟡 Mustard x Heinz—From Beats to Brand Deals
Producer & DJ Mustard (Dijon McFarlane), who produced Kendrick’s TV Off, turned his name into a branding empire, securing a Heinz Mustard x Mustard collab that debuted at the Grammys and resurfaced at the Super Bowl with a cameo included.
Source: Heinz
🤵 Heinz named Mustard its first-ever “Chief Mustard Officer” → A viral brand partnership tied to the song’s signature “Mustaaaarrrdddddd” drop. Plus Heinz leveraged during maximum attention on this song and Kendrick Lamar.
💰 The Food x Music Playbook? Following in the footsteps of Travis Scott x McDonald’s and Lil Yachty x Reese’s Puffs, Mustard proved that food partnerships aren’t just for athletes—they’re a prime marketing move for musicians too.
📌 Marketing Takeaway: Personal branding isn’t just for influencers—it’s a commercial asset. Mustard turned a viral moment into a profitable partnership that proves the secret sauce is in innovation when it comes to food partnerships and even C-suite titles.
🆘 Need special sauce for your Marketing Strategy? Book a Power Hour
🎤 Music & Merch Strategy—The Business that is Kendrick Lamar
Lamar’s Super Bowl performance was more than entertainment—it was a real-time marketing funnel, driving streaming, ticket sales, and fashion revenue.
📈 430% Spotify Spike → Not Like Us streams skyrocketed post-show proving cultural moments drive real-time consumption.
📢 Tour Announcement Mid-Performance → The Grand National Tour with SZA was announced DURING the Super Bowl Halftime Show, keeping him trending long after the game ended.
Source: Ticketmaster
🛒 NFL x Willy Chavarria x pgLang (Lamar’s Fashion Brand) Capsule Collection → Limited-edition varsity jackets to jerseys blending hip-hop and football culture—SOLD OUT in hours.
Source: Diego Bendezu
📌 Marketing Takeaway: Kendrick didn’t just perform—he converted attention into commerce. When your brand (or brand partner) has peak visibility it’s THE TIME to drop products, roll out offers, and maximize conversions.
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🔥 The Drake Feud—Kendrick’s Ultimate Power Play
This wasn’t just a performance—it was a calculated masterclass that leveraged PR (dictating the narrative), marketing (using fashion as symbols) and just a live diss track.
⛓️ The “A” Chain → A nod to Not Like Us lyric: “Tryna strike a chord and it’s probably A minor”—a direct live troll against Drake.
Source: Reuters
👨⚖️ Drake Lawsuit Reference → Before teasing Not Like Us, Lamar paused and said, “You picked the right time for the wrong guy”—mocking Drake’s lawsuit against Universal Music over the diss track.
💃 Serena Williams & SZA Cameos → Both Drake’s exes—Serena danced on stage, while SZA performed with Kendrick, adding another layer of subliminal shade.
Source: Getty Images
📌 Branding Takeaway: Kendrick turned his feud into fuel. Instead of social media rants, he made his message loud & clear on the world’s biggest stage with his collaborators and fashion. Your brand should speak through action—not just noise.
🚀 Brand Partnerships—4 Brands from Kendrick’s Super Bowl Set
Lamar’s set wasn’t just about fashion & music (and diss tracks)—it was also a masterclass in strategic brand activation.
1️⃣ Buick—Storytelling Through Product Placement
🚗 The set featured a 1987 Buick GNX—the same model referenced in his album title. Buick wasn’t just a prop—it was brand storytelling in action.
📌 Takeaway: Product Placement that is organic and seamless reinforces a brand’s narrative without coming off cheesy or forced.
Source: Christopher Polk
2️⃣ Nike & Converse—Sneaker Culture Meets Hip-Hop Legacy
👟 Dancers wore Converse Chuck 70s & Nike Shox, while Kendrick rocked Nike Air DT Max ‘96s—a nod to NFL legend Deion Sanders.
📌 Takeaway: Hip-hop has always been center stage in driving sneaker culture. Nike & Converse got prime visibility without even needing a dedicated Super Bowl ad (FYI - Nike did have one this year for the first time in 27 years).
Source: Christopher Polk
3️⃣ Heinz—Mustard’s Branding Genius
🟡 Producer Mustard’s appearance WAS the ad—Heinz didn’t need to pay millions for a Super Bowl commercial. The Mustard collab had already gone viral.
📌 Takeaway: Not every brand needs a Super Bowl ad—some just need the right cultural tie-in and shoutout (literally).
Source: Getty Images
4️⃣ pgLang—Kendrick’s Own Creative Agency
🔹 Lamar’s creative firm, pgLang, led the entire Super Bowl performance’s creative direction—cementing he’s NOT just an artist, but a business mogul.
📌 Takeaway: The future of entertainment is artists owning their brand and creating stories with other brands plus making money from it.
🪩 Want more insights with a 2025 Trends Forecast? Download The Digital Runway Report
📈 BUSINESS & MARKETING TAKEAWAYS—What Brands Can Learn from Kendrick’s Playbook
✅ Culture = Currency → Whether it’s flared denim, diss tracks, or sports nostalgia, Lamar knows how to own and leverage a major media moment. Brands can learn from this example to time their launches around cultural relevance and times where the most attention is on their brands.
✅ Full Product Ecosystem → Lamar didn’t just create merch. He created fashion and limited-edition cultural capital. Brands and artists need to go beyond slapping on a logo and calling it fashion and create meaningful collaborations.
✅ Maximize Visibility Windows → Lamar’s Super Bowl strategy wasn’t just a halftime show—it was a marketing campaign that launched and had a plug (mini advertisement) from everything from fashion, music tour, food, and more. Your brand should think multi-channel for maximum impact.
📌 Final Thought: Was this the most strategic Super Bowl marketing moment and/or Halftime Show? Or do you have another one? Hit reply and let’s debate.
♻️ Share this with a friend or colleague who would find these insights valuable.
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P.S. If you want a TLDR on the Kendrick Lamar + Drake Feud, then read New York Post
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