The "Taylor Swift Effect" explored in Super Bowl commercial about… moisturizer?

In December, Donna Kelce observed that “it’s financially a good decision for a lot of different individuals to jump on the bandwagon” of her son’s relationship with Taylor Swift, and that was before Travis Kelce’s team secured their spot in the Super Bowl. Since then, “Tayvis” madness has only increased tenfold, and everybody wants to cash in. Currently performing on the Eras Tour in Japan, Swift hasn’t even confirmed that she’ll be present to cheer on the Kansas City Chiefs at the NFL’s biggest event. But her presence will no doubt be felt, including in a sentimental new commercial exploring “The Taylor Swift Effect.”

There are a lot of “Taylor Swift Effects” floating around, but in this case, we mean the phenomenon of football-loving fathers bonded with their typically football-agnostic daughters. Swift’s attendance at Chiefs games boosted NFL ratings, and it apparently created some common ground for men and their Swiftie offspring: this effect has been covered everywhere from The Drew Barrymore Show to GQ to The New York Post.

This commercial—which is for Cetaphil moisturizer, of all things—is a masterclass in how to capitalize on Swiftie fever without having to pay Taylor Swift a cent. The mostly dialogue-free ad features a father who wants to watch sports with his daughter, and a young girl who would rather focus on her skincare. Except then she hears the commentators on TV say, “Well folks, there she is, here to support…” and, “…the most famous fan at the game,” and we all know who that is! The rest of the commercial includes equally obvious, winking references to the pop star without outright saying the name “Taylor Swift.” Dad gives Daughter a red jersey with the number “13” on it (Swift’s favorite number); later, Dad wears a bunch of indistinct friendship bracelets (a favorite accessory swapped by Swifties attending the Eras Tour). And Dad uses some of Daughter’s Cetaphil as faux-grease paint under his eyes, just to make moisturizer relevant to the proceedings.

Cetaphil is not the first and won’t be the last brand to capitalize on Swiftie hallmarks in this roundabout way. However, the moisturizer may win the prize for combining that concept with the classic tugging-on-the-heartstrings sentimental Super Bowl commercial conceit, so… congratulations, we guess! Accomplishing an extremely niche record is an extremely Swiftian thing to do, so Cetaphil really is embracing the Swiftie lifestyle.