Sometimes less is more and brands can have many facets, as was the case of Rihanna who, as well as being one of the world’s biggest artists is also an expert in brands and advertising campaigns.

We’ve all been impacted at some point by eye-watering product placement that causes hives and embarrassment to those who watch it. For the more distracted, this solution is based on the “natural” introduction of brands and their products in entertainment content, namely films, series, games, magazines or others.

Particular attention should be paid to the word natural, which is where the main mistakes in the art of product placement lie.Remember the acclaimed series that (it seems) will rise from the ashes called “Morangos com Açúcar”? The product placement in this youth series, combined with the performance of the remarkable young actors, enabled the insertion of products in an unnatural way where even the Olympic minimums were not met. This example was, unfortunately, for many years, the ultimate in product placement in Portugal. However, there are always disruptors who, through initiative, creativity or even necessity, innovate in the smallest details, piquing the curiosity of those who are impacted by these types of solutions.

This month we watched the 57th edition of the Super Bowl, which brings joy to the lives of citizens all over the world. Whether it’s the game, the guest artists or the fierce competition between brands. It is common knowledge that this meticulously prepared spectacle generates an unrivalled amount of money, making it one of the most important events in history.

In addition to a few hundred teams, artists such as Beyoncé, Bruno Mars and now Rihanna have performed there. For these and many other reasons, 30 seconds of advertising cost around 7 million dollars this year for the brands that wanted their place in the sun.

However, what stands out is that the biggest advertisement of all has cost exactly €0 and lasted just 3 seconds. The protagonist of this unusual advertisement was the guest artist, Rihanna, who decided to touch up her make-up during the 13-minute Halftime Show.

This generated a media impact of 5.2 million euros for Fenty Beauty, the brand for which the singer is responsible. In addition to this impact, there was an 833% increase in searches for the brand, according to Launchmetrics. As if these indicators weren’t extraordinary enough, the artist also managed to make the Savage x Fenty brand have an impact of around 2.42 million euros, according to WWD, given that all her dancers were dressed in the brand.

The insights that can be drawn from this story are more than numerous, but what made me think and rethink this event is the fact that, by using well thought-out product placement, Rihanna was able to make everything she aimed for. Everything was strategized, from the revelation of her pregnancy to a performance of this size, which the artist hadn’t done for many years. It’s important to emphasize that, in 2019, Rihanna made a very relevant statement which also distinguishes her as a brand, refusing to headline the Super Bowl when the NFL left out quarterback Colin Kaepernick for kneeling in protest against racism and police violence.

It’s safe to say that the cost was clearly worth it and it leaves a brilliant chapter with many lessons for history. Sometimes less is more and brands (which can be people) may have many facets, as was the case with Rihanna who not only is undoubtedly one of the world’s greatest artists, but is also (or her team will be) an expert in brands and advertising campaigns.