While marketers have come to realize that they can’t use “Super Bowl” or “Super Sunday” in their advertisements without paying a hefty price, there are other copyrighted terms that can’t be used, either.
The social media marketing agency The Motherhood has a complete rundown of the rules advertisers must adhere to should they try to peddle their products for the “Big Game.” Because they are all copyrighted by the NFL, the site noted that specific team names can’t be used, nor can team logos. Even the names of players are forbidden in any marketing for the NFL championship game, so don’t expect the names of Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Pat Mahomes or San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy to pop up in any advertisement concerning the 2024 Super Bowl.
If consumers see the phrase “Super Bowl” being used in an advertising campaign — particularly by a large corporation — it means that it is paying a huge licensing fee to the NFL to do so. For example, electronic retail giant Best Buy has been prominently advertising large-screen TVs on its homepage, including in its ad that the company is an “official sponsor of Super Bowl LVIII.” Also included in the ad is the official logo of this year’s Super Bowl.
According to the Wake Forest Law Review, the NFL copyrighted the phrase “Super Bowl” in 1969.
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