The game unfolded on the turf at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday, but all eyes were on the boxes.
There, Taylor Swift — one of the most famous living musicians, currently at the helm of a tour generating billions — cheered on Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.
Until Sept. 24, their relationship was rumored. Kelce spoke about his failed attempt to give Swift his number at a concert during a July episode of the podcast he hosts with his brother, Philadelphia Eagles player Jason Kelce.
Later, Jason Kelce fueled the rumors by appearing on a radio show and saying he believed they were "100% true," not clarifying whether he was joking.
Swift's appearance at the game — and seated next to Kelce's mother, Donna, no less — seemed to confirm the two had a connection. PR professional Melissa DiGianfilippo, president of Serendip Consulting in Phoenix, takes this as a confirmation of a relationship.
"Taylor seemed to kind of play a game in the beginning — not meeting up with him at the concert, not really responding to him, not really publicly doing anything until last night. That's part of why I think this is rooted in truth," DiGianfilippo says.
She continues, "Taylor is not seen unless she wants to be seen. She doesn't comment unless she wants to be heard. She's there to support him. That's admittance enough (of) interest at the very least, or a deeper relationship."
PR stunt or genuine?
Staged relationships were a hallmark of the golden era of Hollywood, brokered by managers and agents. To this day, celebrities face skepticism and scrutiny when unveiling new relationships.
Where does Kelce and Swift's fall on the scale between genuine and scripted, and how can PR pros tell?
Gracie PR founder Beth Booker, when analyzing a new celebrity relationships, looks to the headlines surrounding both figures, including their current public perception.
Essentially, would a relationship benefit their brand at this time? Not necessarily: Both Swift and Kelce are at the top of their respective games. Swift with a world tour; Kelce part of a team that won last year’s Super Bowl.
"If Travis or Taylor were in hot water or amid a public image crisis, that would lead me to think that this is an opportunity to save face or repair a problem. Neither of these celebrities is in that situation right now," she says.
DiGianfilippo thinks there’s an authenticity to how the relationship seemingly came to be. Celebrities are typically able to be introduced through contacts privately, DiGianfilippo says.
That's not what Kelce did. Instead, he confessed his crush — and his rejection — on his podcast.
"There are so many easier ways for a celebrity to get hooked up with a crush privately, to not be embarrassed. I think when a celebrity does something outward like this, it's a call for attention. He wants to captivate her attention," she says.
Finally, DiGianfilippo says that just because something has elements of intentionality — like Swift sitting next to Kelce's mom, or Kelce's tie-dye outfit leaving the stadium, which was thought to be riffing off of Swift's "1989" album – that doesn't mean the connection is fake.
"There are planned moments that her PR team and manager and probably his thought of to make this even busier. But I believe these things are always rooted in some truth. It's real, but they made it better and more interesting."
Taylor Swift’s Easter egg history
Swift has long deployed Easter eggs and hidden messages as a way to bond with her fanbase and to create a sense of community among them. Just last week, puzzles about her “1989” re-release broke Google.
“I’ve trained them to be that way,” Swift said to Entertainment Weekly in 2019 about her fans. “I love that they like the cryptic hint-dropping. Because as long as they like it, I’ll keep doing it. It’s fun. It feels mischievous and playful.”
Similarly, rather than speak about her relationships in interviews, she leaves clues in songs — and, perhaps, in actions.
DiGianfilippo sees Swift’s Chiefs appearance in conversation with her cryptic album liner notes. For one, many aspects of the appearance seemed to be intentional. Swift wore her signature red lipstick, as she has been throughout her Eras Tour. Kelce’s outfit seemingly playing off the “1989” album. The two literally left in a getaway car, the title of one of her singles.
Put together, DiGianfilippo says these clues indicate Swift is on board with the relationship, or at least being seen with Kelce.
“Look at how she releases albums. Look at how she loves to leave little scavenger hunts. She only does these things when it’s something that she’s excited about or that she’s in control of. It’s right up her alley,” she says.
Rather than confirm with words, Swift can nod to it with symbolism, as she always does.
A beneficial crossover event
Booker calls this a "crossover event," with two distinct fandoms being brought into each others' worlds. Swift fans are teaching each other football on TikTok. The NFL is posting about Swift in its bio and writing Taylor's Version on its X handle.
This relationship, rumored or not, is beneficial to both brands, Booker says.
"Whether this relationship is an intentional publicity move or not, it’s already benefitting two stark different brands tenfold," she says.
"That’s a lot of new eyes looking directly at the NFL, which is not only going to benefit the Kansas City Chiefs and Travis Kelce, but (will) draw attention to the league as a whole, especially as Taylor Swift is very public about being a Philadelphia Eagles fan. Travis Kelce’s brother plays for the Eagles," she says.
DiGianfilippo sees this as different than Swift's past relationships. Those were private, or "swept under the rug until necessary."
This, on the other hand, has a "really fun" start. "It seems whimsical and on brand," she says.
Following her breakup with Joe Alwyn and rumored Matt Healy romance, Swift is either in the middle of a summer of love ... or maybe at the start of something new.
"This is a new era, maybe," DiGianfilippo says. "The settle-down phase."