Even with record prices and sky-high demand, originality was scarce.
The only thing that that made us yawn more than the first half of the game itself, was the ads. Pepsi coopting the polar bears as icons from Coke? Was that an intern’s idea? I guess when your brand is spending record sums ($10 million for a 30-second spot), you play it safe.
Despite the fully sold-out ad inventory and intense competition for viewer attention (120 million viewers) many commercials felt disappointingly familiar. Brands leaned heavily on safe bets: celebrities, nostalgia, and variations of themes we’ve seen year after year. Even in a media landscape obsessed with AI and newness, the Big Game seriously lacked standout originality.
Where the Ads Fell Short
If you were watching the ads with a creative marketer’s eye, a few trends became obvious:
- Recycled humor and celebrity formulas proliferated, failing to make memorable, emotional connections.
- Safe storytelling over risk-taking. With budgets that can top $15–20 million once production is added, I guess it’s no surprise when spots take the safe route trading potential stand-out creative for guaranteed visibility — so Hollywood.
- AI takeover narratives dominated. As if we weren’t already exhausted by every other headline focused on AI, tech ads leaned into it hard. According to Axios, audience reactions ranged from bemused to fatigued
Overall, most of the ads created a desire to hop in a time machine and relive some classic Super Bowl moments like Volkswagen’s Darth Vader (“The Force”) or Old Spice’s iconic “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like,” which had everyone (not just marketers) talking about them the next “around the copy machine”.
The Standouts: Purpose and Public Service
Speaking of ads that created some chatter, the most striking ads this year leaned into public health and social messaging — a refreshing counterpoint to the sea of beer and snack commercials.
MAHA Center: “Eat Real Food”
We concur with Adweek that, “the loudest moment of the Super Bowl was Tyson biting into an apple.” This ad stood out for its use of personal storytelling to pitch an urgent, personal plea about processed food and health. It grabbed attention not for a product, but for a message, “processed food kills”.
Boehringer Ingelheim: “Misson SOS”
While downing wings and beer with reckless abandon, Boehringer Ingelheim’s spot highlighting a specific health screening also stood out in stark contrast to this behavior. Coming across as an action movie trailer, the personal stories from actors Octavia Spencer and Sofia Vergara drove the message forward — “ask your doctor about a simple urine test called uACR which can detect life-threatening conditions like chronic kidney disease or stroke.”
If a trend is emerging here, we might like it? Other health-oriented themes from prostate cancer screening ads to telehealth messaging collectively pointed to a rising focus on wellness rather than just products. It’s refreshing for now, but if it becomes the next big trend that others follow (yawn), We’re out.
AFTERTHOUGHTS:
For an alternate review of this year’s top Super Bowl ads here’s a top-5 video. We must admit that Good Will Dunkin’ was smart and entertaining — but only for anyone over 50 years old.
Check out Marketing Dive’s Super Bowl 2026: Viewership, engagement and ads analysis for a quick read on all the important stats.
