Dive Brief:

• Steven Tyler will be performing at this year's Super Bowl. No Katy Perry didn't get bumped, rather the singer will be performing at a Rolling Stone party the night before the game. 
• The party is sponsored by Miller Lite—a brand that avoids Super Bowl commercials because of Anheuser-Busch InBev's official ties with the NFL. 
• Rolling Stone is hoping to capitalize on the hype surrounding the Super Bowl, and it also means its marketing partners don't have to buy an expensive commercial. Maxim and Playboy magazines are also throwing Super Bowl parties to get it on the action.

Dive Insight:

For brands wanting to buy a Super Bowl commercial, it's a pretty penny: 4.5 million dollars per 30 second spot. So by creating a high-profile event, it won't grab as much attention as a commercial itself, but it will draw a crowd and be easier than trying to make a splash among all the other advertisers at the game itself. 

"Brands can elevate their presence at the Super Bowl through these types of live engagements and events,” David Spencer, founder of Talent Resources Sports, the entertainment agency that is working with Rolling Stone to put on the magazine’s Super Bowl party, told the Wall Street Journal. “It’s a way for brands to interface with consumers in lieu of having a commercial and to do creative marketing.”