Super Bowl LIX witnessed the Philadelphia Eagles' dominant victory over the Kansas City Chiefs but the commercials also grabbed significant attention. Brands invested heavily to showcase game day advertisements presenting AI themes celebrity appearances and creative narratives. From beloved nostalgic characters to product spotlights the ad lineup was diverse and attention-grabbing.
Instacart premiered its Super Bowl commercial debut "We're Here" which featured grocery brand mascots such as Chester Cheetah the Jolly Green Giant and the Old Spice Guy. Nike delivered a message of determination with athletes like Sha'Carri Richardson Caitlin Clark and Alexia Putellas in its "Just Do It" campaign.
Harrison Ford shared thoughts on life and freedom in a spot for Jeep while the NFL presented an affirming message to children about community work. Tom Cruise promoted the upcoming Mission Impossible -- The Final Reckoning film. OpenAI introduced ChatGPT through a visually interesting ad demonstrating AI capabilities. Liquid Death humorously encouraged hydration and Peacock teased a new project with Kathryn Hahn Johnny Knoxville and Seth Rogen in a gross-out advertisement. Disney questioned a world devoid of joy with clever scenarios and WeatherTech showed senior women on a wild '63 Lincoln convertible ride. Coors Light depicted post-game sluggishness with sloths and Matthew McConaughey explored a football-food conspiracy theory featuring many celebrity cameos. Juno Temple highlighted Oikos Greek yogurt's protein power by piggybacking Myles Garrett. Google Pixel 9 showcased Gemini AI in a heartwarming story about a dad and his "dream job". Ben Affleck returned as DunKings with Casey Affleck and Jeremy Strong joining the band. DoorDash utilized "girl math" with Nate Bargatze to showcase DashPass savings. Bosch featured Antonio Banderas and "Macho Man" in a dancing appliance spot. Taco Bell presented Doja Cat pranks and Angel Soft humorously offered a bathroom break advertisement. Glenn Powell promoted Dodge Ram as Goldilocks and Mountain Dew featured Seal in a bizarre seal-human hybrid advertisement. Barry Keoghan starred in a Squarespace ad set in Ireland and Walton Goggins promoted GoDaddy AI tools. Reese's new Chocolate Lava Big Cups advertisement depicted a volcano eruption and Chris Hemsworth and Chris Pratt showcased Ray-Ban Meta glasses. Doritos presented fan-made alien ads and NerdWallet featured Kieran Culkin as a talking beluga whale. Rocket Mortgage aimed for emotional appeal with a home-themed advertisement. Booking.com brought back the Muppets and Bud Light featured Post Malone Shane Gillis and Peyton Manning in a neighborly party scenario. Channing Tatum coached Wrexham AFC in a STōK Cold Brew advertisement. Pringles showcased flying mustaches and Hellmann's reunited Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan in a When Harry Met Sally scene recreation. Google highlighted small businesses using Gemini AI and Nerds Gummy Clusters featured Shaboozey in a candy-filled commercial. Little Caesars showed Eugene Levy's eyebrows flying off and Michelob Ultra featured Willem Dafoe and Catherine O'Hara in a pickleball match. Stella Artois presented David Beckham with a twin brother played by Matt Damon and Budweiser brought back the Clydesdales with a foal. Tubi humorously introduced a cowboy head and Baskin-Robbins featured Vin Diesel and Michelle Rodriguez for a "slow life" advertisement. Busch Light offered wilderness guidance with Nascar's Ross Chastain and Poppi promoted prebiotic soda with Love Island's Rob Rausch.
What The Super Bowl 2025 Commercials Mean For Brands
Purpose-Driven and Humorous Ads Resonate Most with Super Bowl Viewers
Marketing Dive reports that despite a less dynamic Super Bowl game advertisers employed various strategies to engage viewers. Ad effectiveness was lower than previous years but purpose-driven and serious themed advertisements along with humorous ones ranked higher in viewer positivity. This suggests a possible shift away from celebrity and humor heavy tropes in Super Bowl advertising for greater impact.
Nike's "So Win" advertisement featuring female athletes was lauded for its strong cultural statement and focus on gender equity. The NFL itself ran ads promoting inclusivity in football. Dove and Novartis employed rug-pull tactics to address body confidence and breast cancer awareness respectively. Celebrity endorsements remained prevalent but some felt uninspired if not well-integrated with the brand. Matthew McConaughey's multiple appearances across different brands were noted as feeling overplayed. While intentional celebrity pairings like David Beckham and Matt Damon for Stella Artois worked random pairings like Drew Barrymore and Orlando Bloom for MSC Cruises felt less effective. Weird humor yielded mixed results. Coffee Mate's CGI tongue ad was criticized while Mountain Dew's Seal advertisement was surprisingly well-received for its self-aware weirdness. Tubi's cowboy head advertisement however missed the mark.
Navigating political undertones some advertisers like He Gets Us and Jeep attempted to bridge divides with messages of unity and shared values. The Foundation to Combat Antisemitism's advertisement with Snoop Dogg and Tom Brady faced criticism for spokesperson choices. Generative AI was present but underwhelming. Google's "Dream Job" and OpenAI's ChatGPT advertisements presented AI in different lights with OpenAI standing out for minimalist approach.
Our Take On The Super Bowl 2025 Commercials
Super Bowl Commercials Show Creative Range and Shifting Viewer Preferences
People.com highlighted best and worst commercials showcasing diverse reactions. Hellmann's and Instacart received praise for nostalgia. Stella Artois for unlikely pairing and Pringles for flying facial hair humor. Little Caesar's and Ritz also earned positive mentions for humor and unexpectedness. Bud Light and Jeep were noted for FOMO appeal and stand-up-and-salute sentiment respectively. Google Pixel and Pfizer were recognized for tear-jerking emotional content. Dunkin' and Nike/NFL earned accolades for best and girls-in-sports representation. Doritos was celebrated for fan-created content and Yahoo for mystery. Mountain Dew and Coffee Mate were divisive and Tubi was deemed "Oh Dear God!"
Variety reported YouTube's top 10 most watched Super Bowl ads . Booking.com featuring the Muppets topped the list followed by Ram Trucks with Glen Powell and Google Pixel. Yahoo Bill Murray Bud Light and NerdWallet also made the top 10. Muppets and celebrity comedy proved popular online. Kendrick Lamar's halftime show drove YouTube music trends.
Overall Super Bowl LIX commercials presented a wide spectrum of creative approaches. Purpose-driven narratives humor nostalgia celebrity cameos and AI integrations were all present. Viewer reception varied suggesting a need for brands to carefully consider creative strategy and target audience resonance beyond mere celebrity and humor to truly capture attention and positive brand sentiment.
Source: cnet.com marketingdive.com people.com variety.com