Best Buy is leveraging its massive physical retail footprint as a unique advertising channel. This "in-store takeover" capability allows brands to create immersive experiences using window displays, digital walls, and interactive screens, reaching customers at the crucial point of purchase.

The Super Bowl is most effective for brands facing a fundamental awareness problem—when the mass market simply doesn't know a product, feature, or solution exists. The platform's massive reach is ideal for closing this knowledge gap at scale.

Instead of using retail to build awareness, Manscaped waited until they had massive marketing spend. This ensured customers would specifically seek them out in stores, guaranteeing high sell-through for partners like Target and de-risking the move from D2C to physical retail.

To drive sell-through for a new CPG product in retail, run hyper-local video ads featuring the founders telling their story. Directly address shoppers in a small (e.g., 5-mile) radius of each specific store, calling out the city by name. This personal, targeted approach creates an emotional connection and drives immediate foot traffic.

The mattress brand defied DTC convention by investing solely in upper-funnel media like out-of-home at launch. The strategy was to create a 'physical adjacency' to other premium brands and build trust for a high-consideration purchase. This approach sidestepped the volatile performance marketing cycle and established a premium brand perception from day one.

Running commercials on TV adds a layer of credibility that digital channels can't replicate. When a smaller brand like Gab appears alongside giants like Toyota, it builds consumer trust and elevates its market perception, an effect validated by eMarketer studies.

For CPG brands, a physical retail presence, even with lower margins, should be viewed as a customer acquisition strategy. It provides crucial visibility and trial, driving customers to your higher-margin direct-to-consumer website for subsequent purchases and retention.

While difficult to attribute directly, strong brand recognition provides critical "air cover" for sales teams. When prospects already know who the company is, sales reps can skip the introductory explanation and focus immediately on selling the solution. This shortens the sales cycle and increases the effectiveness of outreach, justifying brand investment.

Don't assume TV only serves to introduce new customers. For consumers already in the consideration phase, a TV ad can act as the final, legitimizing touchpoint that closes the sale, proving its value across the entire funnel, not just at the top.