Working with VML New York, the brief was specific from the very beginning: license an iconic, universally recognisable song, rewrite the lyrics, re-record it with new talent, and clear everything in time for a Super Bowl campaign running across North America and the UK.

The brief carried three compounding constraints, each of which had to be solved before production could begin. The first was the budget. Licensing an iconic, globally recognisable song for a Super Bowl campaign is expensive by definition, and a comedic re-record with lyric changes pushes that cost significantly higher. Parody adaptations of this scale typically command anywhere from two and a half to four times the standard sync fee, a reality MassiveMusic communicated clearly to both the agency and the brand from the outset.

The second was creative approval. Rewriting the lyrics of a beloved song with a comedic tone requires the original writers to sign off not just on usage, but on the specific direction the adaptation takes. That's a different, more personal conversation than a standard licensing request.

And the third part was the entire concept, the song choice, the lyric direction, the re-record, the talent, needed to be approved before production started and before the A-list performer was confirmed. The campaign had to be greenlit on the strength of the idea alone.

MassiveMusic opened with Billy Joel's manager and publisher. "Piano Man" was the agency's initial creative choice, and the instinct was understandable. Few songs carry that level of universal recognition. With that in mind, it was also a song with a history of declined sync requests that had only recently opened to select major placements. We flagged the risk early, recommending alternative options be developed in parallel rather than waiting on a decision that might not go the team's way.

The parallel question, put to every rights holder approached, was whether the writers would allow a parody. The answer to that question would determine not just whether the song was available but what it would cost and how much creative latitude the team would have. MassiveMusic prepared the agency and the brand for both the financial reality and the approval complexity before any formal approach was made.

When "Piano Man" was denied, the groundwork was already in place. Four alternatives were presented: "Somebody to Love" by Queen, "Rocket Man" by Sir Elton John and "Sweet Caroline" by Neil Diamond. The case for "Sweet Caroline" was built on more than familiarity. Its call-and-response structure meant audiences would complete the song instinctively, a participatory quality that made it the strongest creative foundation for a campaign designed to bring people together.

Across the TVC, teaser and Behind the Game phases of the campaign, the work generated 5,057 total placements spanning broadcast, print, online and social. Broadcast alone accounted for 1,129 placements, with a further 1,748 through release pickup and 450 across social. Total impressions reached 48.6 billion.

For a campaign built on the premise that the right song makes people stop and join in, the numbers reflect exactly that. A reimagined anthem, cleared and crafted to work on the world's biggest advertising stage, delivered one of the most measurable proofs of music's role in cultural reach.

AMP Award 2026:
Outstanding Adaptation or Arrangement (Shortlist)

Hollywood Reporter ↗

Creative Salon ↗

Creative Agency: VML New York

Music Supervisor: Alex Menck

Music Coordination: Lorenzo Lautz

Demo Production: Brian Sherman

Demo Production: Dale Mason