Before Usher hits the Super Bowl halftime stage, Apple Music builds anticipation ahead of big show
As the Super Bowl halftime show sponsor, Apple music wants to leave an influential mark like never before
LAS VEGAS — In a short film shown at the end of the Super Bowl halftime performer news conference, the show’s headliner Usher comes up missing. The singer’s sudden absence prompts instant panic from his friends including Ludacris, Lil Jon and Taraji P. Henson, sparking a search at various Las Vegas landmarks.
Ultimately, Usher is found splashing water while dancing in a Caesar's Palace fountain in the seven-minute film “Where’s Usher!?” It’s one of the many creative projects from Apple Music, which has made a concerted effort to amplify the anticipation around Sunday's halftime show.
Since Apple Music became the halftime show sponsor, the streaming service is pushing to leave an influential mark like never before.
“We’re trying to extend the campaign to more than just a show on a Sunday afternoon,” said Oliver Schusser, the vice president of Apple Music and Beats. The streaming service became the sponsor for the show in 2022 replacing Pepsi, which held the position for a decade.
Schusser said Apple Music stepped in as a company that understands the music landscape. He called their partnership a “very powerful” one with the NFL and Jay-Z's Roc Nation, which has produced the halftime show since 2019.
“We want to make the halftime show press conference the artist moment,” Schusser said. “We really wanted to elevate that and make that great. We did that last year. This year, we made it even bigger.”
So far, Apple Music has gotten off to a promising start. Last year, the streaming service built a campaign for Rihanna — while keeping her pregnancy a secret — leading up to her performance, which became the most-watched in
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