Every year, as the Super Bowl approaches, sports fans around the world gather to watch two teams compete for the most important sports title in the United States. The event is estimated to have attracted over 135 million viewers. More than 90,000 people visited the San Francisco Bay Area, where the event was held this year, and it is projected to generate roughly $240 million in local economic impact, with hotels, restaurants, and small businesses benefiting the most.
But as important as this event is for sports fans, it is also one of the most significant moments of the year for marketers. We sit down with our notes, ready to analyze and debate about the ads that will air during the game. Many of us may even be more interested in the commercials than the actual game itself (sorry, sports fans).
Brands prepare all year for this moment. Marketing teams across the country pitch ideas, bring in creative talent, and produce some of the most memorable ads we see each year. All of this work leads to a single 30-second commercial that costs brands over $8 million on average, with premium placements exceeding $10 million. This makes this year’s Super Bowl the most expensive advertising space to date.
Ramp's Super Bowl's ad, featuring Brian Baumgartner as his iconic character Kevin, from the loved series The Office. Source - YouTube
The Themes
While watching the commercials this year, one clear trend stood out: many established brands leaned heavily on nostalgia. Pop culture icons and familiar moments were used to tap into the past, with references to late 1990s and early 2000s television shows and music that remain deeply ingrained in our collective memory.
There were several “aha” moments, such as seeing Brian Baumgartner reprise his iconic role as Kevin Malone from The Office. The commercial resonated strongly with fans of the show, even referencing the infamous chili spill, one of the most memorable moments of his character during the series. The Backstreet Boys also appeared in two ads with completely different approaches. T-Mobile used humor by featuring the band performing a new version of their song “I Want It That Way” at one of its retail locations, while Coinbase created confusion with its “Karaoke” ad, which later required explanation from the brand’s marketing team. As a strategy, this raises an interesting question: does creating curiosity and confusion encourage engagement, or does it risk losing the audience? For the brand, the strategy clearly paid off, driving traffic to their website to nearly 20 million hits per minute and propelling the company’s app from 186th place to number two on the App Store.
The Industries
Another noticeable pattern was the increased presence of AI-focused companies. With the current AI race underway, many brands are working to position themselves prominently in the public’s awareness. Claude’s satirical ad stood out by reflecting common user experiences with AI, including its tendency to prioritize pleasing responses over accuracy and the way advertising can disrupt trust between users and platforms. By presenting these moments through humor, Claude created a relatable experience that helped audiences connect with the brand.
AI was not only the subject of ads but also the tool behind some of them. This is a trend we have seen growing as the technology becomes more accessible. A recent example is Coca-Cola’s Christmas ad, which sparked controversy and criticism. In the past, special effects were viewed as achievements that reflected human creativity and technical skill. With AI-generated commercials, however, viewers often feel that authenticity is lost. The focus shifts from the brand’s message to trying to detect whether AI was used, creating doubt and distraction rather than connection. This reaction was present in ads from brands like Svedka and Rippling, whose fully AI-generated ads did not resonate with viewers.
In contrast, companies such as Ring, Microsoft Copilot, and Google chose to highlight how AI can improve everyday life through practical applications and human connection. In a world where AI is often framed as replacing human work, it was refreshing to see examples of how it can support and enhance our everyday lives.
Xfinity’s Super Bowl ad. - Source YouTube.
That being said, I believe the exception was Xfinity’s Jurassic Park commercial. Once again, nostalgia played a key role, but this time fast internet literally saved the day, changing the outcome of the characters’ experience inside the park.
Traditional Brands and Legacies
Some legacy brands stayed true to what has worked for them in the past. Budweiser once again featured the Clydesdale, this time paired with an American bald eagle chick. The story focused on growth, strength, and resilience, reinforcing themes of tradition and patriotism that the brand has successfully used for years.
Lay’s also leaned into nostalgia with one of the most emotional commercials of the night, celebrating American potato farmers and the generational tradition of working the land. The ad was based on a real family that has grown potatoes for Lay’s since 1955, further strengthening the brand’s connection to American agriculture.
The Food Delivery Rivalry
The food delivery industry had a strong presence this year, with Instacart, Grubhub, Uber Eats, and DoorDash competing for attention. All relied heavily on humor and celebrity appearances. Grubhub featured George Clooney in his classic, polished style, confidently stating that Grubhub would “eat the (delivery) fees”. Instacart leaned into Ben Stiller’s signature humor, which admittedly left me a bit confused. DoorDash used wordplay to frame an appearance by rapper 50 Cent, referencing long-followed pop culture controversies involving Sean “Diddy” Combs and boxer Floyd Mayweather.
Uber Eats took a different approach with its “Hungry for the Truth” campaign, featuring Matthew McConaughey convincing Bradley Cooper of his conspiracy theory that the Super Bowl was designed to sell more food. The moment with the orange juicer was both funny and surprisingly convincing.
Best Commercial of the Night?
My vote goes to Squarespace, featuring a frazzled Emma Stone in a dark, both in humor and scenography, commercial where she desperately tries to secure the domain emmastone.com. The ad is full of the energy the actress is known for, with unhinged scenes of her destroying computers and regretting not claiming her domain earlier. That feeling translated to many viewers, including myself, as I immediately checked to see if my own name domain was available.
Emma Stone searching for her name's domain, Squarespace Super Bowl ad. Source - YouTube.
Some brands clearly succeeded in delivering a strong message, while others struggled to connect or distracted audiences from what they were trying to say. There is no doubt we will continue to see more AI in future Super Bowls, with brands experimenting with AI-driven production and promoting AI-based services. Celebrities will keep showing up, and brands will continue competing to give us something to talk about in the next days.
Still, next year’s Super Bowl will once again have marketers sitting down, notebooks ready, prepared for another round of commercials, debates, and analysis, and maybe even watching the game itself.
References:
Super Bowl viewership https://www.nfl.com/news/super-bowl-lix-averages-record-audience-of-127-7-million-viewers#:~:text=Despite%20the%20game%20being%20a,8:15%20p.m.%20ET).
San Francisco bay area economic boost https://www.sftravel.com/media/press-release/super-bowl-lx-to-bring-major-economic-boost-to-san-francisco-bay-area-2026
Super bowl commercial cost https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/super-bowl/2026/02/08/how-much-does-super-bowl-commercial-cost-2026/88510663007/
Coinbase ad explanation https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ad-meter/2026/02/08/what-is-coinbase-super-bowl-commercial-2026/88551422007/
Claude’s satirical ad https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBSam25u8O4
Coca-Cola’s Christmas ad https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yy6fByUmPuE
Emma Stone’s domain website https://www.emmastone.com/