Social Media Week is headed to NYC this May 12–14! Register before December 16 to save 50% on your pass. The money experts NerdWallet—who have built a brand synonymous with penny pinching—see the pricey Super Bowl as a good investment, today announcing their first Big Game ad.NerdWallet plans to run a 30-second commercial, from agency of record Deutsch, during the third quarter. Fox has already sold out its inventory for the marquee event, pulling in $7 million for 30 seconds of Super Bowl 59 air time.The media buy on Feb. 9 comes after NerdWallet has spent the past several years broadening its reach with such campaigns as “Future You,” a series of cheeky, music-driven spots with a dystopian theme, and a tie-in with Sesame Street’s numbers-obsessed Count character. The Super Bowl spot is part of “a step-up strategy,” according to Alison McCoy, NerdWallet’s vice president of brand marketing.“This is a decision that has been a long time coming—the data gave me a lot of conviction that the Super Bowl is a great opportunity for us,” McCoy told ADWEEK. “We’ve achieved the level of awareness now where people are familiar with our brand, and this presents a stage for us to go deeper, to connect with people in more meaningful ways and participate in the cultural conversation that surrounds the event.”Taking a page from fellow Super Bowl marketers, the NerdWallet program will be “part of a much larger, 360-degree campaign” to wring out as much value as possible, McCoy said.Aside from broadcast television, the effort will span streaming, TikTok, Instagram, “online and offline and across an ecosystem of advertising like podcasts, audio and digital,” per McCoy.The spot hasn’t been finalized, but it was shot recently at an undisclosed location. Though McCoy wouldn’t provide any peeks into the creative direction, she said its goal is to continue the brand’s ongoing light-hearted tone, allowing NerdWallet to “show up as an approachable brand in an otherwise daunting category.”The move follows a deeper dive into sports—particularly live televised games—and a string of NIL deals, which have helped NerdWallet build momentum during high-engagement programming, McCoy said.Among its sports forays, NerdWallet has advertised during the NFL’s AFC and NFC championships as well as sponsored teams in Major League Soccer, the NFL, and NCAA. Name, image, and likeness deals with college talent have included Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver and cornerback Travis Hunter, University of Southern California basketball star JuJu Watkins, and former University of Kentucky (now Minnesota Timberwolves) point guard Rob Dillingham.Cumulatively, the marketing addresses the company mission of “helping people make smarter financial decisions,” McCoy said. “We’re trying to inspire people to demand the best financial products in the same way they demand the best electronics, plane flight, hotel room—comparison shopping is such typical behavior across so many industries, but there is still a large percentage of people who are not demanding it for the very products that fuel all of those passion points and their lifestyle.” NerdWallet—which competes with Credit Karma, WalletHub, and Mint, among others—estimates that American consumers “leave $55 billion on the table by having sub-optimal financial products,” McCoy said.So far, NerdWallet joins other first-timers for Super Bowl 59 that include Totino’s Pizza Rolls, Ritz crackers, Instacart, Coffee mate, and Häagen-Dazs. Enjoying Adweek's Content? Register for More Access! Recommended articles

Social Media Week is headed to NYC this May 12–14! Register before December 16 to save 50% on your pass.

The money experts NerdWallet—who have built a brand synonymous with penny pinching—see the pricey Super Bowl as a good investment, today announcing their first Big Game ad.

NerdWallet plans to run a 30-second commercial, from agency of record Deutsch, during the third quarter. Fox has already sold out its inventory for the marquee event, pulling in $7 million for 30 seconds of Super Bowl 59 air time.

The media buy on Feb. 9 comes after NerdWallet has spent the past several years broadening its reach with such campaigns as “Future You,” a series of cheeky, music-driven spots with a dystopian theme, and a tie-in with Sesame Street’s numbers-obsessed Count character.

The Super Bowl spot is part of “a step-up strategy,” according to Alison McCoy, NerdWallet’s vice president of brand marketing.

“This is a decision that has been a long time coming—the data gave me a lot of conviction that the Super Bowl is a great opportunity for us,” McCoy told ADWEEK. “We’ve achieved the level of awareness now where people are familiar with our brand, and this presents a stage for us to go deeper, to connect with people in more meaningful ways and participate in the cultural conversation that surrounds the event.”

Taking a page from fellow Super Bowl marketers, the NerdWallet program will be “part of a much larger, 360-degree campaign” to wring out as much value as possible, McCoy said.

Aside from broadcast television, the effort will span streaming, TikTok, Instagram, “online and offline and across an ecosystem of advertising like podcasts, audio and digital,” per McCoy.

The spot hasn’t been finalized, but it was shot recently at an undisclosed location. Though McCoy wouldn’t provide any peeks into the creative direction, she said its goal is to continue the brand’s ongoing light-hearted tone, allowing NerdWallet to “show up as an approachable brand in an otherwise daunting category.”

The move follows a deeper dive into sports—particularly live televised games—and a string of NIL deals, which have helped NerdWallet build momentum during high-engagement programming, McCoy said.

Among its sports forays, NerdWallet has advertised during the NFL’s AFC and NFC championships as well as sponsored teams in Major League Soccer, the NFL, and NCAA.