GLD at Super Bowl LX: How It Went Down in San Francisco

GLD at Super Bowl LX: How It Went Down in San Francisco

The Bay Area hosted the biggest week in American sports and GLD had a front-row seat to see it all.

We touched down at Super Bowl LX with the Crown Jewels by GLD booth and had front-row seats to witness one of the biggest intersections of sport, music, and fashion at a centerpiece of global culture.

Since starting in a Pittsburgh college dorm room 11 years ago, we have always shown up in the forefront of culture. So for Super Bowl week, GLD stood right in the mix with the Crown Jewels by GLD booth. We came through with a giant Super Bowl LX pendant featuring 3,044 hand-set stones, along with oversized team pendants for the Patriots, Seahawks, 49ers, Packers, and Eagles.

Our booth was packed from the moment the doors opened, drawing both long-time supporters and newcomers. The crowds were so large they almost got us in trouble, with lines that wrapped around the space. We also ran a Super Bowl Pendant Giveaway, where fans took photos with the chain and posted them on Instagram for a chance to win some super bowl jewelry of their own. It was impossible to miss our booth, which became the place to be all week long.

Here’s GLD’s recap of everything that went down over the course of this special Super Bowl week in the San Francisco Bay Area.

The Game, Halftime Show, And Super Bowl Experience

Cardi B, who has been part of our GLD story for years, was active in the festivities all week. We had her rocking the GLD Super Bowl LX chain, along with Cam Newton, Ray, BenDaDonnn, Plaqueboymax, Rakai, and many other stars who were also seen wearing the one-of-one piece. There was no shortage of GLD on display throughout the week, where we saw supporters, athletes, artists, and tastemakers wearing our designs. We even iced out Dave Portnoy with the Giant New England Patriots chain.

In the midst of the Seahawks dominating the Patriots, Bad Bunny, who’s been spotted in GLD before his meteoric rise, headlined the Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show. He became the first Latino solo artist to do so, delivering a nearly entire Spanish-language set.

The star-studded performance included cameos from Lady Gaga, Ricky Martin, Pedro Pascal, Jessica Alba, Young Miko and Karol G. We even saw a real couple get legally married, having their actual wedding take place on stage.

Crown Jewels by GLD Booth: How GLD Showed Up With The Culture

Not only does Super Bowl week draw the league's biggest names to one place, but also tastemakers across fashion, music, sports and entertainment. Our GLD Crown Jewels booth became a viral gathering point next to the world’s biggest brands, where longtime supporters had the opportunity to connect with us in person and newcomers were drawn in by our magnetizing presence.

The line to enter wrapped over 200 yards across the entire convention center, prompting threats from the fire marshal to shut us down. Luckily, they didn’t, and as usual, our pieces spoke for themselves, drawing massive crowds eager to see them up close, feel them, and grab some to take home.

Micah Parsons was one of the first major names to come through. The Green Bay Packers linebacker, a two-time first-team All-Pro and one of the elite defenders in the league, took time out of the busiest week on the NFL calendar to hang out with us. He left with two custom GLD pieces, including a chain featuring 2,091 hand-set stones and a gorgeous pendant with 1,743 hand-set stones, both accented with real emeralds and canary moissanite. Both pieces were presented to him by our founder, Christian Johnston.

Deebo Samuel, a wide receiver for the Washington Commanders who spent most of his career as a San Francisco 49er, also came to kick it with us in the booth. For local fans, especially the kids who grew up watching him make history for their hometown team, Deebo walking through the experience was one of the most memorable moments of the week. His meet-and-greet drew long lines of fans and parents holding up their kids for photos. The hometown hero showed up for the community that welcomed him into the NFL during the biggest event it had hosted in a decade, and the Crown Jewels booth set the perfect stage.

Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery pulled up too and gifted a group of young fans iced-out Detroit Lions chain pendants from GLD. Watching the kids' faces light up was one of those moments that define what the GLD brand represents: providing the inspiration to turn up someone’s whole aura. It also crystallized something we deeply believe, which is that winning is not just about what you achieve for yourself. It's about what it does for people around you. Montgomery turned a casual booth visit into something those kids will remember for years. Hopefully, they’ll look back on that moment when the Lions finally win one.

Chase Brown, Romeo Doubs, Jaylen Johnson, Alex Mattison, and Darnay Holmes all came through, spending time with fans while wearing GLD pieces they chose themselves. Jaylen Johnson went with the 10MM Ice Ball Chain, and Alex Mattison picked the Diamond Cluster Mariner with Tear Drop Pink to rock throughout the week. We didn’t pay them to wear these pieces either; they chose them organically, creating a moment that can’t be manufactured.

Then there was AJ Greene, who isn't a traditional athlete in the conventional sense but has branched out as a content creator, streamer, and social media personality with a massive following. His meet-and-greet drew crowds that rivaled those of any NFL player. He showed up in the Baguette Cross Evil Eye Chain and brought in an audience that doesn't necessarily watch football every Sunday but is deeply plugged into the culture surrounding it. Greene’s presence was a reminder that the definition of who shapes culture is expanding, and that GLD's world has always been bigger than any single lane. What connects athletes, artists, creators, and entrepreneurs is not what they do. It's the mindset with which they choose to do it.

What the Week Told Us

Super Bowl LX confirmed something that's been brewing for years. The Super Bowl is no longer a single-day event centered on a football game and beer ads. It's a week-long cultural festival where sport, music, fashion, food, tech, and community all converge. The NFL leaned into that harder than ever this year by moving the Pro Bowl into Super Bowl week, expanding the fan experience, and partnering with the Bay Area Host Committee on events spanning the entire region.

The Bay Area brought an estimated 350,000 visitors for the festivities. The game itself was watched by nearly 126 million people, and the halftime show reached 128 million more. Bad Bunny's "DtMF" went to No.1. Kenneth Walker III became Super Bowl MVP in front of his dad's eyes. David Montgomery created unforgettable memories for a group of kids with a spontaneous act of generosity, gifting them GLD pieces. AJ Greene proved that culture creators can command Super Bowl week stages just like Pro Bowlers. LaRussell brought independent artistry to one of the largest stages.

The common thread in these stories is that people at the top of their respective games showed up to show out, expressing themselves on their own terms and uplifting others in the process. That’s what drew us to the Super Bowl Experience in the first place, and it's the same energy that has driven GLD for the last decade. If the week in San Francisco is any indication of where sport and culture are headed together, then we're exactly where we need to be.

GLD - Worn by Winners.

John Polanco

John Polanco is a copywriter from the birthplace of hip-hop whose work spans jewelry, fashion, beauty, music, world-leading brands, and art institutions shaping the diaspora.