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- Big-picture trends from the Game Day ad slate
- Ads that aimed to heal, include or reassure
- Government, public policy and the thin line of persuasion
- When AI and nostalgia collide
- Celebrity gambles: bold wins and awkward misses
- Emotional tech: surveillance for good
- Humor that pushed boundaries — and sometimes fell flat
- Short takes on the most talked-about spots
- What this year’s Super Bowl ads reveal about marketing
The Super Bowl turned into a showcase not just for flashy entertainment, but for marketers testing the limits of spectacle, sentiment and sometimes controversy. From glossy celebrity stunts to subtle political messaging, this year’s commercials tried to cut through noise on the biggest stage in American media.
Big-picture trends from the Game Day ad slate
Brands leaned into familiar strategies rather than reinventing the wheel. Tech advertisers pushed the promise of artificial intelligence as a life improvement tool. Sports-betting outfits slipped odds and tips into game-centric creative. And a number of advertisers chose approachable, upbeat tones when they touched on social issues.
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Religious and cause-driven campaigns also paid for prime time. The pro-Christian project He Gets Us returned to the Super Bowl with a new spot. That effort underscored one major reason advertisers keep buying expensive airtime: a single 30-second Super Bowl slot — which can cost between $8 million and $10 million — still delivers massive scale.
Come Near, the group behind the He Gets Us push, says its previous Super Bowl runs and other media have generated nearly 10 billion video views and drawn more than 70 million visitors to HeGetsUs.com. The organization reports that roughly 40% of U.S. adults now recognize the campaign.
Ads that aimed to heal, include or reassure
Some marketers used the spectacle to promote unity or kindness. These spots avoided loud political rhetoric in favor of scenes meant to resonate across divides.
Neighborhood unity with a familiar tune
Redfin and Rocket Mortgage paired a tender visual story of neighbors helping one another with a new rendition of “Won’t You Be My Neighbor.” The ad’s images of cross-cultural assistance framed a simple message: small acts can knit communities together.
Human-focused faith messaging
He Gets Us returned with a new commercial in a series called “Loaded Words,” exploring how people chase more in modern life. The creative team said the Super Bowl still offers rare moments when millions gather around the same screen — a reason they keep investing in the event.
Government, public policy and the thin line of persuasion
Several ads promoted programs or initiatives that had ties to public policy. The messaging often felt sunny and consumer-friendly, but sometimes obscured the policy details.
Mike Tyson and a diet push that raised eyebrows
One tight, black-and-white spot showed Mike Tyson eating an apple and speaking on health. The commercial directed viewers to a site called realfood.gov, tied to a campaign called Make America Healthy Again. Experts have questioned parts of the dietary guidance being promoted, but the ad itself left viewers without much context.
“Free money” for kids without the fine print
An early commercial from an organization tied to a savings-account program presented the idea of $1,000 for children in a cheerful, simplified way. The ad did not clearly explain that the benefit stems from legislation signed last year that applies to children born during a specific window. The omission left some viewers puzzled about who was behind the offer.
Healthcare messaging framed as social justice
Hims & Hers took a striking approach, arguing that economic inequality creates a health gap. The spot showed affluent people accessing preventive care and treatments, while the voiceover stressed that money can buy more time. The ad follows previous scrutiny of the company’s transparency around weight-loss treatments.
When AI and nostalgia collide
Artificial intelligence and digital de-aging popped up in multiple creative campaigns. Some spots used the tech to sell connectivity or entertainment. Others leaned into retro fantasy.
Reframing a classic movie with modern tech
Xfinity imagined a different outcome for a well-known blockbuster by inserting slightly younger-looking versions of the original stars into new, happy moments with dinosaurs. The exercise demonstrated how visual effects and de-aging tools can reframe cinematic nostalgia for brand storytelling.
De-aging that unsettled rather than delighted
Dunkin’ repurposed a famous dramatic film into a sitcom-style spoof. The ad featured de-aged versions of familiar actors — but the visual trick left many viewers uncomfortable. The humor didn’t land for everyone, even as the brand offered nearly two million free iced coffees through an app promotion.
Celebrity gambles: bold wins and awkward misses
Star power dominated many spots. Sometimes the celebrities elevated the concept. Other times, the pairing or the premise felt ill-advised.
- Brad Pitt’s retro stuntman — A mysterious, trailer-style spot for a follow-up film to a Tarantino title left viewers scrambling to learn more after seeing Pitt in a retro persona.
- Will Shatner embraces the joke — Raisin Bran cast the 94-year-old as a self-aware, playful version of himself, leaning into decades of pop-culture jokes about his name.
- Adrien Brody’s theatrical cameo — TurboTax used Brody’s flair for melodrama to poke fun at the idea of “the expert,” turning his intensity into comedy.
- George Clooney and surreal dining — Grubhub’s eccentric dinner scene, directed by an auteur known for strange imagery, paired Clooney with a bizarre aristocratic tableau to promote the delivery app covering fees.
- Pringles’ human chip — A love story between a star and a man made of chips aimed for whimsy and landed as outright odd for many viewers.
Emotional tech: surveillance for good
Video doorbell company Ring leaned into a sentimental use case to address privacy worries. Instead of emphasizing home security, Ring highlighted a new feature that helps find lost pets by coordinating opted-in cameras.
The spot used tearful reunions and heartfelt scenes to show the feature’s potential. Ring stressed that participation is voluntary, a nod to lingering surveillance concerns.
Humor that pushed boundaries — and sometimes fell flat
Several ads aimed for provocative laughs and risked alienating some viewers. A few leaned on sensitive references that prompted debate.
- DoorDash’s nostalgia-fueled beef bit — A playful riff on a public feud mixed snacks, props and swagger. Some thought it trivialized serious real-world allegations tied to the figures referenced.
- Bud Light’s bro-centered keg chase — A chaotic wedding-as-competition vignette tried to court frat humor. It felt shallow to many, with the talent underused.
- Pepsi’s nostalgic jab — The soda brand used a polar-bear motif and pop-culture callbacks to tease a rival, earning laughs from viewers who appreciate brand parody.
- Uber Eats’ conspiratorial wink — Matthew McConaughey and Bradley Cooper star in a tongue-in-cheek riff that suggests the NFL’s food obsession is part of the sport’s design. It leaned into absurdity and won fans for its charm.
Short takes on the most talked-about spots
- Most emotionally inclusive: Redfin x Rocket Mortgage’s neighbor-themed spot used a warm score and human moments to promote goodwill.
- Most ambiguous film tease: Netflix’s Brad Pitt trailer left viewers Googling the title to understand what they had just seen.
- Most subtle policy pitch: Mike Tyson’s health ad directed people to a federal-looking site without fully explaining the policy backing it.
- Most unsettling AI use: Dunkin’s celebrity de-aging felt uncanny rather than delightful.
- Best heartfelt tech use: Ring’s Search Party highlighted pet reunions while noting privacy safeguards.
- Most eyebrow-raising celebrity concept: Pringles’ human-chip romance and Grubhub’s aristocratic feast both felt dreamed up in a fever.
- Standout parody: Pepsi’s playful jab at a rival leveraged nostalgia and director-driven comedy to its favor.
What this year’s Super Bowl ads reveal about marketing
On the whole, advertisers leaned into proven frameworks: celebrity endorsement, humor, nostalgia and emotional storytelling. Few brands used the platform to spark real debate. Instead, many sought broad likability.
For organizations with a message — religious, political or policy-oriented — the Super Bowl remains a blunt but effective amplifier. The cost is high, but the potential reach is enormous. That calculus explains why groups across the spectrum will keep buying time in future broadcasts.
