Before the Super Bowl aired, Mars brands Snickers and Skittles turned to digital platforms to build hype for their commercials. Skittles utilized ad promotional videos starring Marshawn Lynch, while Snickers pushed its 36-hour live stream before airing its live commercial.

While before the Skittles conversation was dominated by discussion about the Lynch promos, conversation during the game focused directly on the romance-themed commercial. Viewers loved the ad, which sparked conversation with 71 percent positive sentiment after it aired. Snickers’ live commercial, however, did not generate as much excitement online. Anticipation for the Snickers ad grew after the Skittles commercial aired until it spiked between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m, then died shortly after. With only 24 percent positive sentiment, the Snickers conversation struggled to stand on its own and instead relied on cross-promotional support from Skittles.