Back in October 2024, LA Rams QB Matthew Stafford and his wife, Kelly Stafford, teamed up for a Sleep Number Smart Bed commercial that has been airing throughout the NFL playoffs. It’s an entertaining commercial, where Matthew and Kelly boast about their smart bed with two different sides—one hot and one cold—to satisfy both people sleeping on it. However, Kelly now says she’d prefer the commercial not air during the Super Bowl. Is she embarrassed by it?
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In the latest episode of The Morning After, Kelly didn’t outright reveal the reason behind her dread of seeing the commercial during the Super Bowl, but she dropped a hint that it may involve her kids not knowing about it until they went out to eat.
Kelly recalled a time when she and Matthew took their daughters—Sawyer, Chandler, Hunter, and Tyler—to a burger joint, where the ad was playing on the screens. Since the Staffords mostly rely on streaming services for entertainment, which don’t feature many ads, the kids hadn’t seen it before. But upon finally seeing it, they were left thrilled.
The kids immediately started squealing in joy and excitement as they asked their mothers why the commercial was kept oblivious to them. For Kelly, the whole situation was a bit embarrassing, especially since it all unfolded in the middle of a burger joint. She even shushed them to avoid causing a scene.
“God, I hope not [to see the ad during Super Bowl]. We love Sleep Number… but… it’s just that we were in a burger place the other day and we’re sitting there with our kids. They had somehow never seen the commercial… There’s a basketball game on and all of a sudden, they’re yelling, ‘Daddy’s on TV!’ They were like, ‘Mom, why didn’t you tell us you’re on TV?’”
That said, Kelly also revealed her love for creative commercials, particularly those featured in the Super Bowl. However, for the podcast host, the issue lies with the execution of the commercials.
Finally, someone said it—Brands should stop teasing commercials
A recent advertising trend has been irking Kelly Stafford—brands releasing/teasing their commercials early. She believes it doesn’t make sense to drop a teaser for a video that’s usually just 30 seconds long.
“I love the commercials, but I hate that they tease the commercials now. I also hate that they release them early.”
From an agency and a marketeer’s point of view, Kelly’s takes may seem blasphemous. Teasers first help generate buzz about the commercial if done well. Moreover, the views on a teaser also help the brand jack up the cumulative reach of their promotional efforts—a metric brands leverage for sponsorship money.
Where Kelly does make a lot of sense is about brands re-hashing the same advertisement without adapting it to the moment. Things change quickly today. Authenticity is transient. Brands should thus always strive to give their best shot at incorporating trending elements in their commercial during the time of release.
The Sleep Number commercial, for instance, lacks any Super Bowl-themed elements in its visuals or messaging. The connection with the audience may be missing in this case, which could also be why Kelly doesn’t want it broadcast during the big game, expected to be watched by over 100 million people.
Thankfully, Kelly also pointed out a solution for marketers—watch Budweiser’s wholesome Super Bowl ad with the Clydesdales and take notes on how to come up with a timeless commercial that resonates with all.
