At Super Bowl 2025, fintech brands took centre stage, aiming to capture mass attention on advertising’s biggest night. From NerdWallet’s talking beluga to Ramp’s 7-day sprint and Papaya Global’s fast-paced “Workmare,” they made bold moves. But with $8M price tags, was the investment worth it?
For fintech brands looking to make a statement, there’s no bigger stage than the Super Bowl. With over 100 million viewers tuning in, a 30-second commercial might cost a staggering $8 million, but the exposure? Potentially priceless.
At Super Bowl 2025, fintechs took a bold leap, with several brands making their debut in an advertising landscape traditionally dominated by beer, cars, and snack giants. From talking beluga whales to NFL superstars, fintechs weren’t just present — they were making waves. But the big question remains: Was it money well spent?
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Fintech's prime-time moment
One of the most talked-about ads came from NerdWallet, the personal finance platform, which introduced a surprisingly charming (and financially savvy) beluga whale voiced by actor Kieran Culkin. The ad, designed to make financial decision-making feel more approachable, struck the right balance between humour and education. And in a sea of celebrity-laden commercials, this quirky approach stood out.
Then there was Ramp, the expense management platform, which scored a double win by featuring Philadelphia Eagles’ running back Saquon Barkley. Not only was Barkley the face of the campaign, but he’s also an investor in the company, giving the ad a sense of authenticity that’s often missing from celebrity endorsements.
Ramp’s 7-day Super Bowl sprint
What made Ramp’s ad even more impressive was that the entire campaign came together in just 7 days. In a behind-the-scenes video shared on LinkedIn, Ramp revealed the ambitious timeline, showcasing the fast-paced process of ideation, production, and execution leading up to the big game.
The video highlighted the team's tight turnaround, from scripting and filming to post-production — all under the pressure of delivering a high-impact ad for one of the world's most expensive advertising slots. While some brands spend months planning their Super Bowl campaigns, Ramp's rapid execution showed that fintechs can be just as agile in marketing as they are in financial operations.
Papaya Global’s 'Workmare': Making workforce payments a category
For Papaya Global, its Super Bowl debut was a category-defining moment.
The 30-second spot, titled ‘Workmare’, followed a frantic CFO battling a relentless game of whack-a-mole with taxes, regulations, and exchange rates until he realises Papaya Global can handle it all for him. The high-energy, fast-paced ad used humour and relatability to address the complex world of workforce payments, making a B2B fintech problem feel like a universal struggle.
“This campaign is about making workforce payments a category in its own right,” said Papaya Global CEO Eynat Guez. “A payments-first approach is solving one of the most overlooked challenges in global business, ensuring every worker, everywhere, gets paid accurately, compliantly, and on time.”
The ad wasn’t just a one-off stunt. Papaya Global meticulously planned the campaign for months, working with McCann Tech and director Bruce St. Clair to bring the concept to life. The spot was filmed in Cape Town, South Africa, and underwent multiple iterations before landing on the final version that aired during the game.
According to Zvika Liblich, Chief Strategy Officer at Papaya Global, the goal was to educate and entertain simultaneously — a rare feat in B2B marketing.
“We’re making CFOs laugh while also educating them, and we’re doing it on the biggest stage in advertising, ensuring workforce payments finally get the spotlight they deserve.”
But for Papaya, the Super Bowl was just the beginning. The company backed its multimillion-dollar investment with an omnichannel strategy, ensuring the campaign would live beyond game night. With targeted TV, digital, and social media placements, Papaya aimed to surpass 50 million impressions, boost website traffic by 200%, and solidify its position as the go-to name in workforce payments.
In the words of brand strategist Theodor Arhio, who has worked with Expedia, Apple, and McDonald’s:
“Super Bowl ads are a great antidote to the mediocrity that is a result of the endless grind of ad optimization. The takeaway? Apply the same creativity and bravery to your daily grind. Out-entertain your boring competition.”
And that’s exactly what Papaya set out to do.
Rocket Mortgage’s Super Bowl singalong: A moment that stood out
In a groundbreaking move, Rocket Mortgage delivered a campaign that blurred the line between advertising and live entertainment. Their 'Own the Dream' production was actually a setup for an unforgettable in-stadium moment.
The ad, featuring a reimagined version of John Denver’s ‘Take Me Home, Country Roads’, depicted everyday Americans returning to cherished places, from children playing in backyard sprinklers to veterans reuniting with loved ones. It reinforced a simple yet powerful message: Everyone deserves their shot at the American Dream. Own the Dream.
Then came the real magic. As the ad ended, the campaign extended into the stadium itself, where 65,000 fans at Caesars Superdome broke into a live singalong of Denver’s anthem. The moment felt less like an ad and more like a unifying experience — something rare in the world of Super Bowl commercials.
Rocket’s CMO Jonathan Mildenhall described the campaign as more than just marketing:
“From the start, this was more than a commercial. We set out to create a moment that captures the raw, emotional journey of chasing a dream that once felt out of reach. For many Americans, that is homeownership—the foundation for financial security, prosperity, and a better future.”
By transforming a traditional ad into a shared cultural moment, Rocket Mortgage delivered not only the night’s most memorable fintech-related activation but also a new playbook for engaging audiences in real time.
Breaking down the $8M price tag
As a seasoned fintech marketer, Alana Levine, Chief Revenue Officer at Fintel Connect, had plenty to say about the impact of these high-cost placements.
Levine broke down the numbers:
$8M for 30 seconds → 100 million viewers → $80 CPM (cost per 1,000 impressions).
Compare that to a targeted YouTube ad at $15+ CPM, and Super Bowl commercials seem like an astronomical spend.
But Levine argues that the value goes far beyond the initial air time:
There’s no other way to reach 100M+ US viewers at once.
Brand longevity matters. A great ad doesn’t just disappear after it airs — Super Bowl campaigns generate media coverage, social buzz, and post-game discussions.
Boring games = better ad recall. In a blowout match, viewers often focus more on the commercials, which could work in advertisers’ favour.
Credibility counts. A Super Bowl ad signals that a fintech company has "made it." It’s a flex that boosts brand perception in an industry where trust is crucial.
Did fintech win the Super Bowl?
So, were fintechs the MVPs of this year’s Super Bowl advertising game?
NerdWallet and Ramp certainly made memorable debuts, leveraging clever storytelling rather than relying solely on A-list celebrities. Ramp’s fast-tracked 7-day production timeline was an impressive display of agility, proving that fintechs can execute high-quality creative work under immense pressure. Papaya Global’s bold bet showed that even B2B fintechs see value in mass-market exposure. And Rocket Mortgage’s game-changing in-stadium activation proved that fintech can own the Super Bowl spotlight in new and creative ways.
With Intuit and Rocket Mortgage making their usual appearances, fintech's presence on the Super Bowl stage is no longer an anomaly — it’s a statement.
But with a price tag of $8 million per spot, is this a sustainable play for fintech brands? Levine’s analysis suggests that for the right company, with the right message, the investment can pay off in credibility, exposure, and long-term brand equity. However, for those without a clear strategy beyond the momentary flash of the big game, the risk of getting lost in the noise is real.
As fintech continues to integrate into everyday life, will we see more industry players at next year’s Super Bowl?
If this year’s game was any indication, the answer is a resounding yes.
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