In years past, Super Bowl viewers were on the bench, watching the action from sports bars and recliners. Conversation was limited to the living room parties or maybe the water cooler at work the following day. The reality is the way we participate in Super Bowl Sunday has changed. Ten years ago, Janet Jackson’s infamous wardrobe malfunction became a media firestorm in the days following.

Imagine if that same event took place in the age of Twitter, and the buzz and social traction it would have created. In 2004, pre-Twitter Super Bowl viewers were silent observers. Today’s viewers are active participants in the cultural event that is Super Bowl Sunday.

Last year’s game hashtag, #SB47, was tweeted more than 24 million times. Hashtags referencing the game’s untimely blackout reached more than 3 million. Advertisers took advantage of the blackout and its discussion on social media. Oreo had perhaps the most memorable tweet, and received significant media attention for their timely and relevant response. Sadly, I don’t have a crystal ball to predict this year’s social trigger, but it is very likely that weather will have a major impact on the game. The Weather Channel is already predicting at or near freezing temperatures at kickoff, possibly making it the coldest Super Bowl to date.

Sure people care about the game… but can we talk about the commercials? According to eMarketer, a quarter of the Super Bowl audience sites the commercials as their primary motivation for tuning in. As a result, these ads garner significant social buzz for their brands. Multiple sources report the average cost of a 30-second Super Bowl ad will run advertisers around $4 million this year. While that is a pretty penny, social media has created a new currency and value for that expenditure; brands can measure the impact of an ad by the social buzz it creates. Many will create special hashtags and monitor consumer engagement in terms of frequency and longevity. Spoiler Alert: If you want a sneak peek at this year’s offerings check out the AdAge’s Super Bowl Ad Chart.

H&M will again feature a super Bowl ad with David Beckham, highlighting the brand’s men’s underwear line. However, it’s not a matter of simply watching the ad, the brand is pushing consumers to choose the commercial’s ending by voting in a social media initiative. H&M is engaging Super Bowl viewers in a new way by giving them a voice through social media. Voters are then prompted to share their vote and encourage further participation.

H&M isn’t stopping there. Viewers watching the game on certain Samsung SmartTVs will have the ability to shop and purchase the underwear through the commercial! Thank goodness you can’t do that with shoes and purses! Yet. It’s only matter of time before more retailers are leveraging SmartTV technology to make shopping from your TV a reality. But the question remains as to how will consumers respond to this new capability, given they already have the ability to shop from multiple screens. But still. I dread the day Zappos or Amazon puts these commercials into rotation or adds the functionality to programming. Imagine lusting for the stilettos of a Real Housewife and then ordering them right from her feet! My credit card bill hurts just thinking about it.

There are tons of apps available to help you stay on top of the game.

Super Bowl Survival Tips and Fun Facts:

• Stuck in an airport or at work? Fox will live stream the game on iPads in the Fox Sports Go app and on desktops at FoxSportsGo.com.

• Volkswagen’s “The Force” commercial from 2011 is the most socially shared Super Bowl ad of all time with 5.2 million shares.

• Unruly Media reports the average time of a Super Bowl commercial has increased 112% from 2010 to 2013.

• Hosting a party? Apps like Tailgating Recipes and Foodie Recipes offer suggestion for game –day snacks and appetizers.

• Speaking of food, Super Bowl Sunday is one of the biggest days of the year for pizza orders. Domino’s expects to deliver 11 million pizza slices this year. Most major pizza chains have apps, so you may want to go that route to order instead of sitting on hold at halftime.

Regardless of your interest in the Broncos, Seahawks or football in general, Super Bowl Sunday now offers something for everyone. Whether you are a sports enthusiast, entertainment maven, foodie or party planner, social media and technology offer you infinite ways to get in the game this year. And be sure to keep your eye out for any tweet-worthy wardrobe slip-ups, power failures, awesome ads or maybe even something about the game.

Posted on 1/27/2014

Written by Rachel Lewis

Rachel Lewis is a senior strategist for a full service, global digital performance agency. For more than seven years, she has helped some of the world’s largest luxury brands and retailers achieve their digital goals. Prior to her marketing career, Rachel worked as a television news producer for ABC and NBC affiliates in Texas. She is a proud alumna of Baylor University, and received her graduate degree in Communication Studies at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas. Her interests include pink, Robert Griffin III, macaroons, traveling and 80’s pop. Perhaps more impressively, she can cure hiccups without fail. Follow her on Twitter @rachellynell.

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