By Tom Christmann ECD/Found Content Evangelist Catch+Release
It's a week before Thanksgiving. You know what that means: Your team is probably still tweaking that Super Bowl cut. Or maybe, just maybe, you haven’t even sold an idea yet. (GASP!) Either way, pull up a chair. Let's talk about the Big Game.
I've been in this business for over 30 years. (GASP!) I've seen Super Bowl spots that made grown copywriters weep with jealousy. I've seen spots that made CMOs weep because they got fired. And I've learned one thing: the best Super Bowl ideas don't always need the biggest budgets.
They just need a simple, true idea.
Of course, big celebrities and multi-million dollar productions have dominated the Big Game for decades now. And they aren’t going away. But today's audiences want connection more than anything else. And they trust real people more than polished productions. They can smell inauthenticity a mile away.
Also, I’m going to assume you don’t have a celebrity signed yet and it’s getting late.
Start exploring Found Content: Real moments from real creators across TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and beyond. Whether you’re saving posts natively on each platform or organizing links in a curation and licensing platform like Catch+Release, what matters is this: Found Content is a powerful creative and production tool. It delivers authenticity, novelty, discovery, and social proof — exactly what you need when 100+ million people are watching.
At this point, you might say, “So just use UGC? That’s your idea?” And my answer would be, “No. Found Content isn’t an idea. It’s a tool. Let’s riff on some Super Bowl classics and reimagine them with Found Content for 2026.” And then I’d show you the ideas below. Think of them as free starter ideas. Or at the very least, some inspiration while you're perfecting that final edit.
God speed, by the way.
1. "Crash the Super Bowl" Redux
Inspired by: Doritos' User-Generated Genius (2006-2016, 2025-)
The Original Magic:
Remember when Doritos basically said "You know what? Let the people make our ads"? The "Crash the Super Bowl" campaign ran for a decade, turning everyday folks into award-winning directors. People went WILD. The spots were funny, weird, memorable—and they cost Doritos a fraction of what a traditional agency would charge. They even brought it back last year.
The Found Content Take:
Don't wait for people to submit spec work. Go find the gold that already exists. Right now, there's someone on TikTok doing something absolutely brilliant with your product (or adjacent to your category) and they don't even know you're watching.
Your 2026 Play:
Launch a "We Found Your Ad" campaign. Curate the most creative, hilarious, or heartwarming Found Content featuring your product or category. License it. String together 15 of these micro-moments into a 30-second montage that celebrates real creativity in the wild. Then cut back to one creator on a couch watching themselves on the Super Bowl, live-reacting in real-time. It's meta. It's authentic. It's the ultimate co-creation moment.
Why It Works:
You're not asking people to do spec work—you're celebrating what they're already creating. Plus, you're telegraphing to millions that your brand sees and values real people. Doritos opened the door. You just need to walk through it with Found Content.
2. The Authenticity Anthem
Inspired by: Dove's "Real Beauty Sketches" (2013)
The Original Magic:
Dove didn't run this during the Super Bowl, but it captured that same cultural lightning. A forensic artist drew women based on their own descriptions, then based on strangers' descriptions. The difference was stunning—and emotional. It reminded us that we're all more beautiful than we think. The spot went mega-viral and won every award imaginable.
The Found Content Take:
People are already sharing their real, unfiltered stories online every single day. Body positivity. Mental health. Overcoming adversity. These aren't focus-grouped narratives—they're lived experiences.
Your 2026 Play:
Curate Found Content from creators talking about self-acceptance, perseverance, or confidence. Cut it into an emotional montage that mirrors Dove's insight: we are enough. Add a simple, powerful message at the end: "Real stories. Real people. Real [Your Brand]."
If you're in wellness, beauty, fitness, or food, this is your lane. People are already telling your brand story—you just need to find it, license it, and amplify it on the biggest stage in advertising.
Why It Works:
Dove proved that emotion wins. Found Content gives you authentic emotion without the need for scripts or actors. The tears are real. The smiles are real. The connection? Even more real.
3. The Nostalgia Remix
Inspired by: Hellmann's "When Harry Met Sally" Reunion (2025)
The Original Magic:
Just this year, Hellmann's reunited Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal to recreate THAT scene from "When Harry Met Sally." Then Sydney Sweeney showed up. It was nostalgic, clever, and perfectly executed.
The Found Content Take:
Instead of recreating Hollywood moments, tap into the nostalgia people are already creating. Millennial parents filming their kids' first bike rides. Gen Z remixing '90s sitcom intros. TikTokers recreating their parents' old wedding photos.
Your 2026 Play:
Create a "Then & Now" Super Bowl spot using Found Content. Show archival home videos (licensed from families or creators who've shared throwback content) next to modern-day recreations or celebrations. Overlay a message about how some things never change—like family, connection, or [your product].
Bonus Move: Work with Catch+Release's Prestige Licensing team to clear archival footage from iconic cultural moments, then juxtapose them with Found Content of people today recreating those moments.
Why It Works:
Nostalgia is a guaranteed emotion-driver. But instead of hiring Meg Ryan, you're honoring real people's real memories. It's heartfelt without being manipulative. And it tells your audience: we see you. We remember what matters.
4. The Viral Hijack (Done Right)
Inspired by: Applebee's "Fancy Like" (2021)
The Original Magic:
Walker Hayes made a song. He danced with his daughter. He name-dropped Applebee's. The video went viral. Applebee's didn't create this—they found it, licensed it, and rode the wave. "Fancy Like" became Applebee's most successful campaign in years, won the Grand Effie, and brought a new generation through the door.
The Found Content Take:
This is the playbook. Don't CREATE the viral moment—FIND it.
Your 2026 Play:
Right now, someone is saying something brilliant about your category. A comedian riffing on coffee culture. A mom sharing the chaos of snack time. A songwriter singing a song about pasta. By licensing this “performance art” your brand is contributing to the audience in real ways. And creating fans for life in the creators you license from.
Pro Tip: If you find your "Fancy Like" moment right now, you still have plenty of time to clear it and cut a spot. That's the beauty of Found Content. The hard part is done already.
Why It Works:
You're not forcing virality. You're amplifying it. The culture is already talking. Your job is to listen, then turn up the volume on the biggest stage possible.
5. The Heartfelt Montage
Inspired by: Teleflora's "Mom Moments" (2023)
The Original Magic:
Teleflora curated real videos of moms experiencing milestone moments—sending kids off to school, watching them graduate, letting them go. Every shot was authentic. Every emotion was earned. It got 7 million views in two weeks and made everyone call their moms.
The Found Content Take:
This is Found Content at its absolute best. Real people. Real moments. Real tears.
Your 2026 Play:
Pick an emotion that aligns with your brand: joy, resilience, togetherness, celebration. Then curate the hell out of Found Content that captures that feeling.
- Sports brand? Show real athletes (not pros—everyday people) conquering personal bests.
- Food brand? Show families gathering around tables—not styled shoots, but real Sunday dinners filmed on iPhones.
- Tech brand? Show creators using your tools to build something they're proud of.
Cut it tight. Score it beautifully. Let the content breathe. Write a stirring voiceover and get a celebrity to read it (because you still have budget!)
Why It Works:
Because at the end of the day, the Super Bowl isn't about football, it's about feeling something with other humans. Found Content delivers feeling in its purest form. No scripts. No actors. Just life.
The Found Content Advantage
Here's the reality: Super Bowl spots in 2026 will cost you around $8 million for 30 seconds of airtime. That's before production, talent, licensing, music, and all the other line items.
But what if you could cut your production budget in half (or more) and still deliver a spot that feels fresh, authentic, and culturally resonant? That's the Found Content promise.
The best part? The content already exists. Someone filmed it. Someone posted it. Your job is to find it, curate it, and license it legally (please, for the love of all that's holy, license it properly. Catch+Release makes this easy).
Final Thoughts From an Old Adnerd
I've been doing this long enough to know that the Super Bowl is equal parts art, commerce, and sheer chaos. Ideas get killed. Budgets get slashed. Celebrities get busy. And sometimes, the spot you think is going to change the world just... doesn't land.
But the campaigns that DO work? They have one thing in common: truth.
Found Content is truth. It's culture in its rawest form. And if you can curate it with intention, license it with integrity, and edit it with care, you've got a shot at creating something people actually remember.
So whether you're finalizing your Super Bowl spot right now or just starting to dream about 2026, keep this in mind: the best content might not be the content you make. It might be the content you find.
Now go curate something brilliant.
Ready to start curating Found Content for your next campaign? Head over to Catch+Release and start searching the Creator Community Marketplace. You've got 22 million assets from 8,000+ creators waiting to tell your story.
Real content. Real people. Real fast.
