Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans was a blowout win for the Philadelphia Eagles over the Kansas City Chiefs. So much for relying on a close game with the outcome hanging in the balance to help hold viewer interest through all four quarters.
But we still have the commercials–and advertisers who paid a premium, some $8 million on average for a :30 time slot on Fox to reach a mega audience.
Yet while the eyeballs were there, did the commercials as a whole do enough to merit and hold consumer attention while building brand and business?
To put it all into context, SHOOT enlisted a cross-section of creative directors and savvy content makers on the agency side, steering clear of those who had a special interest or a particular axe to grind in assessing ad fare on the Big Game. SHOOT sounded out creative artisans whose agencies did not have any commercials on this year’s Super Bowl so as to get unvarnished, apolitical takes on the advertising.
Here’s a sampling of the feedback we received:
Michael Boychuk
Michael Boychuk, founder, DNA&STONE, identified several favorite spots. “I liked the visual trippiness of Coffee mate and Tubi. They cashed in the check that the Super Bowl gives you to do something out of the ordinary and ran with it. In a room full of half-drunk fans watching a game with zero drama, heads were turned by the cowboy hat-shaped head and a bizarre dancing tongue.
“On the other hand, I loved the authenticity and the powerful insight in the Dove “Hard Knocks” spot. My gut was that this was a year for a serious message to hit home, and for me, the Dove spot got the closest.”
As for work that came up short, Boychuk said, “WeatherTech, Cirkul, and TurboTax all missed the mark. WeatherTech and Cirkul were cringe for obvious reasons, but Homes.com had three shots to get it right, and they tripled down on humor that is thoroughly unlikeable (sorry). It was a colossal waste of money.”
Regarding any trends, Boychuk said, “Lots of rinse and repeat. I was disappointed to see brands leaning harder into extending existing campaigns rather than launching new work. There were formulaic repeats of Super Bowl tropes we’ve grown tired of seeing year after year (aliens, talking animals). It was interesting to me that brands seem to be okay with celebrities appearing in ads for different brands. The same celebs were used over and over with ‘Schitt’s Creek’ actors in three separate ads and Matthew McConaughey in two different campaigns.”
Boychuk concluded, “The game and the spots were a snoozefest. I am sure it is a product of the cultural climate we find ourselves in, but brands did not seem to be willing to take big risks, which is unfortunate. Especially given the level of investment they made to appear in the game and the number of eyeballs they were in front of. I crave seeing the wild, courageous spots that get people talking and inject themselves into culture. But I can’t say there was much that will be talked about at virtual watercoolers in the morning Zoom meetings.”
Chris Breen
Chris Breen, partner and chief creative officer at Chemistry, identified some of his favorite Big Game work this year. “I enjoyed the Uber Eats spot. While the campaign isn’t new, the execution was fantastic. Kevin Bacon, chef’s kiss. Unlike a lot of spots in this year’s crop, their use of celebrities felt tight to the story. What I didn’t see coming was the most human/heart-felt spot from Google’s AI. It was such a real, human story. They kept humanity as the driving force. Finally, there were a handful of funny spots, but I thought the Liquid Death spot was the most daring and funniest. They stayed true to the rebel brand that they have built through social. Coors Light was also fantastic.”
In terms of work that missed, Breen shared, “I wasn’t a fan of spots that leaned purely on celebrities. A few that pop into my head were Bosch, Dodge, and Häagen-Dazs. In a world chock-full of celebrity cameos, they took the easy way out.”
Breen added, “There were two trends that jumped out. The first, Americana. Rocket, Bud Light, Jeep, and even the NFL all leaned in hard. The NFL Flag Football spot was a great twist on it though that challenged norms in a traditionally male sport. The second trend, women’s sports. Dove, Nike, and the NFL all placed their chips down. I thought they all did a very nice job.”
Breen’s assessment of the overall crop of commercials: “This year’s group of Super Bowl ads had a handful of winners and a lot of playing it safe. Kudos to Liquid Death, Coors Light, Dove, Google, Nike, and Uber Eats. Humor or heartstrings each proved that there is no one way to win over consumers.”
Keith Cartwright
Keith Cartwright, founder/chief creative officer of Cartwright, cited “a few standouts” in this year’s crop of Super Bowl ads. “Dunkin’ Donuts made me laugh. Great performances by some great actors. The commitment to the gag kept me engaged. Good for them for going there. Uber Eats ‘Football Makes Me Hungry’ was a smart, simple idea to connect the big game to Uber Eats. And Matthew McConaughey is Matthew McConaughey.
“Honorable mention goes to Nike. A really nice continuation of their ‘Winning’ campaign. And Liquid Death for a pretty funny idea that stays true to their rebel DNA.”
In the big picture, Cartwright assessed, “Overall, quite a few brands played it way too safe in my opinion. This is a time when brands are expected to take a risk. Unfortunately, not many did.
“Themes I noticed were that there was less virtue signaling from brands. We may have reached the end of an era in our business that has dominated the way brands speak to consumers.
“I’d give this year a C+. Passing but certainly not the best year by any stretch. The halftime show, on the other hand, was one for the ages.”
Daniel Gonzalez
Daniel Gonzalez, creative director, Remezcla, affirmed, “The Super Bowl is back. The game may have been over by halftime, but Kendrick’s [Lamar] performance and the ads brought the energy of a classic Sunday. This year’s lineup blended absurd comedy, pop culture nostalgia, a return to the heartland, and an accidental Spider-Man meme moment–multiple brands unknowingly mirroring each other (looking at you, flying mustaches and eyebrows).
“But one ad stood above the rest: the NFL’s ‘Somebody’ spot. Like their Play 50 ad, it didn’t just sell football–it framed it as a vital third space for mentorship, community, and belonging. In a world where people–kids and adults alike–need to hear you are somebody, this message hit hard. I looked around the room: watery eyes. Sent it to my family: same reaction. No Clydesdale has ever done that.”
As for a theme that stood out, Gonzalez shared, “Everyday people are the real MVPs. Lay’s, Budweiser, the NFL, and Google all leaned into this, proving that real stories resonate as much as celebrity cameos.”
Gonzalez concluded, “Overall, this year’s ads were solid, if not groundbreaking. The best cut through the noise with genuine human connection, but too many fell back on the same playbook–nostalgia, broad humor, and big-name cameos–without pushing creative boundaries.”
Mona Hasan
Mona Hasan, creative director at Fortnight Collective, shared, “To me, memorability makes a Super Bowl commercial a killer spot. And one of the most memorable spots this year is Mountain Dew’s Seal commercial, where the artist Seal becomes an actual seal and sings a modified version of ‘Kiss from a Rose.’ It captured attention and left a lasting impression. And that’s what Super Bowl commercials are all about.”
As for work that missed the mark, Hasan said, “Although integrating a product giveaway was an interesting idea, Cirkul’s Super Bowl execution to promote the stunt didn’t feel clear to me. The commercial depicted Adam Devine in search of the product and accidentally ordering 100,000 Cirkul water bottles, which the company then decided to give away to viewers. But the spot didn’t do a great job of explaining the product and why I should want one. And while I love Adam Devine, the spot lacked the impact needed to stand out in the Super Bowl.”
Asked to assign a grade to this year’s crop of Super Bowl ads, Hasan went with a B-minus.
Regarding any theme that stood out to her, Hasan observed, “For several brands, the Super Bowl spot wasn’t a one-and-done deal. It was part of a larger campaign that launched with spots beforehand, was part of a story told through multiple Super Bowl spots, or touted a larger brand action. For example, Tubi ran two fleshy cowboy head spots. Meta also ran two spots and Uber Eats continued its Football Conspiracy campaign.”
Victoria Jordan
Victoria Jordan, general manager of branded content and creative at My Code, ran down her favorite Super Bowl spots this year: “Uber Eats because Matthew McConaughey is a great actor, Stella Artois because it was cast so well (David Beckham’s dad delivered the ‘other David’ line with such seriousness!), Tubi because they are irreverent, but always get the message across, and Skechers because I’m looking forward to what the internet will do with Martha Stewart dancing.
As for spots that missed the mark, Jordan shared, “Two ads that could have been better were the ones focused on important messages. We should be talking about affordable healthcare and access to medication but I think the Hims & Hers ad for their weight loss drug felt disingenuous. I think they could have done a better job presenting what they see as the problem while more subtly integrating their product. The second ad, “No Reason To Hate” with Snoop Dogg and Tom Brady, had great intentions but could have leaned into a real, possibly unlikely friendship, Snoop and Martha, and played on all the assumptions they could have made about one another before becoming friends.
Jordan also identified a disconcerting trend: “Celebrities–too many. Some ads relied too heavily on the talent to carry a weak story. The story matters.”
Jordan added, “This year’s group of ads illustrated how hard it is to end an ad well, especially a funny one. A good example is the Michelob Ultra ad featuring two of my faves, Catherine O’Hara and Willem Dafoe. A funny ad that finished with a lackluster ending.”
Will McGinness
Will McGinness, partner and chief creative officer at Venables Bell + Partners, shared, “My favorite ads this year were simple. I think that’s a key tenet of a great Super Bowl ad. Too often, advertisers try to cram too much in, hoping to squeeze every last dollar out of their investment. The result? A jumbled mess. I appreciated Liquid Death’s ad, Safe For Work. The premise was super simple and worked perfectly with their product design. The shot of the bus driver chugging a can of Liquid Death at the end was a great touch. Uber Eats had a strong lead-up to the big game, and I loved the sheer stupidity of the idea. The math was simple, and it made me laugh. Squarespace was well-executed, and Nerdwallet’s use of Kieran Culkin as a Beluga whale was pretty great as well. I suspect this might be an unpopular opinion, but I also really appreciated the He Gets Us commercial featuring Johnny Cash. Religion has been so perverted by politics that it was refreshing to see their organization urging people to return to the original teachings of Jesus. I’m not religious, but the message felt poignant and relevant.”
On the flip side, continued McGinness, there were “plenty of ads that completely missed the mark. Goldilocks and the Three Trucks comes to mind, but I’ll leave that one alone. The Google Dream Job ad, however, is worth mentioning. Google has a solid track record of using emotional storytelling to cut through the bombast of the Super Bowl, but this one felt off. Everyone is aware of the fears surrounding AI, and the attempt to human-wash the tech came across as defensive rather than reassuring.”
As for any trends, McGinness observed, “There also seemed to be more attempts by advertisers to integrate into the broadcast itself, a trend I suspect we’ll see more of in the coming years. The Rocket ad with the John Denver song probably did this best. Having the entire stadium seemingly singing along straight out of a commercial break was pretty impressive.”
McGinness concluded, “Overall, there were both hits and misses. Advertisers in the third and fourth quarters had it especially tough with a game that couldn’t have been more boring. They probably took the biggest hit.”
Mia Nogueira
Mia Nogueira, associate creative director, TDA Boulder, furnished a rundown of her favorite Super Bowl ads this year:
Liquid Death “Drink On The Job”
“So good. It was silly, fun, memorable, made people smile and curious about what’s on the TV. Worked without any audio too.”
Reese’s “Lava”
“Super silly, made people curious and smile. Reese’s is a dream client, such a fun easy construct for an ad. Loved it.”
Ram’s “Drive Your Own Story”
“This one was fun, and different for a car brand, let alone a truck brand. Fun to watch, didn’t need any audio to get the story, and a super fun message at the end.”
Tubi’s “Hat Head”
“Reluctantly adding it here, because it was not my favorite ad. It was strange and hard to watch. I also didn’t quite understand the message. But, here I am, still cringing at it today. I remembered it, I remembered Tubi, and am terrified to download the app.”
As for ads which missed the mark, Nogueira listed:
Chat GPT’s “The Intelligent Age”
“Really fun animation that stood out in the sea of celebrity ads. There was a disconnect in the tone of the ad for me–it felt commercial, familiar and safe. The music was friendly and peppy, the examples felt like things I’ve seen or heard before. Maybe I’ve seen ‘I, Robot’ one too many times and was expecting something different from them. I see OpenAI as such innovators, game changers, tech wizards that will bring us things we’ve never thought of before, and was hoping the ad, the concept and art direction would reflect that. Excited to see what other campaigns they do.”
Angel Soft’s “Bathroom Break”
“I love when an ad breaks what we expect, and sponsoring a bathroom break is so fun, but I wish they had even MORE fun with what we saw. It could have been a bit more entertaining. What else could they have done? Missed opportunity.”
Taco Bell’s “The Fans”
Was excited to see how a brand would pull off fan content. The ad was a bit confusing, visually noisy, a lot to look at but not sure where to start. The back and forth with Doja Cat and LeBron, plus the layering of the collaged photos…if you didn’t watch from the beginning, you were probably lost on what was happening. However, their branding carried them, and it made me think of ordering Taco Bell–so, the ad still worked.”
As for trends, Nogueira said, “The same celebrities, again. I remember seeing Antonio Banderas, but can’t recall what appliance brand he was advertising for. I think I saw David Beckham, but was it for Budweiser or Bud Light, or was that the Shane Gillis spot? I can’t remember. As a spectator, I’m trying to pour myself a drink, eat snacks, you have 30% of my attention. Unless they are your actual spokespeople, it gets confusing. You look more at the celebrity than the product. You don’t remember the message.”
In terms of grading this year’s batch of Super Bowl ads, Nogueira noted, “I didn’t walk away remembering any specific brand, except Tubi’s flesh hats. I give it a 3.5/5.”
Juan Javier Peña Plaza
Juan Javier Peña Plaza, chief creative officer, North America, for GUT provided a rundown of his favorite ads this Super Sunday:
Mountain Dew – “Kiss from a Lime”
“Loved the unexpected twists, the quirky self-aware humor, and of course the Seal seal, with fun new lyrics to his iconic song.”
Squarespace
“Beautifully shot story that contrasts with the physical comedy and a very simple yet fun premise.”
Ritz Salty Club
“Perfect use of celebrities around the salty concept and the jokes around it were fun. Also, Bad Bunny being Bad Bunny.”
As for ads that missed the mark, the GUT North America CCO cited:
Weather Tech
“A very similar premise to what Taco Bell did with Viva Young, but in this case the scenarios felt contrived and the product integration seemed forced.”
MSC Cruises
“The Europe vs. America trope feels overly done–and it ends up being a demo of the cruise’s perks with jokes that don’t manage to break through.”
In the big picture, Peña Plaza observed, “This year was filled with trends and formulas from past years. There were plenty of funny celebrity cameos, constructs with repeatable comedy premises, emotional manifestos, spots that integrated with the live game broadcast, and others that tried to gamify the game itself. Comedy also dominated the ads as usual, but there were more emotional stories than in past years.”
He continued, “I’d give the overall ad crop a 4/10. It might seem harsh but the average was low, with tons of repetition from the tried and true formulas of what you expect from a Super Bowl ad. Even when thinking about the better ones, there were no ‘best spots of all time’ contenders.”
Jennifer Putnam
Jennifer Putnam, chief creative officer at Allen & Gerritsen, said, “The 2025 Super Bowl ads left me entertained as well as deeply conflicted. Humor and celebrity were to be expected, but nostalgia also played a major role–and while some brands used it well, others just recycled cultural moments without adding anything meaningful. Budweiser’s First Delivery hit all the right emotional notes–watching a young foal step up in a moment of resilience was classic, heartfelt storytelling. And Dunkin’ once again proved they understand cultural relevance, seamlessly weaving in Jeremy Strong’s persona in a way that felt fresh and fun versus forced.
“But not every nostalgic play landed. Like Hellman’s turning an iconic ‘When Harry Met Sally’ scene into a mayo joke. That classic rom-com scene for me has always stood as a liberating statement of female empowerment–reducing it to a punchline felt cheap and like a moment robbed. Similarly, Instacart’s ad packed with familiar CPG brand characters was more of a walk down memory lane–a fun nod for industry insiders but lacking a compelling story. Beyond the visual appeal, it felt more like a fun distraction than something truly memorable.
“At the heart of my conflict,” continued Putnam, “is a recognition of the significant power and responsibility that we as advertisers wield in today’s challenging environment especially on a stage as massive as the Super Bowl. We’re in a time of deep societal challenges, and the stakes for messaging around inclusion and cultural impact couldn’t be higher. Are we using this platform to spark real conversations, or just creating high-cost entertainment? Worse, are we completely missing the mark when it comes to using celebrity influence in a way that actually matters?
“Case in point: Robert Kraft’s Foundation to Combat Antisemitism (FCAS). Their “hate is stupid” message is important, but the execution failed spectacularly. The ad barely touches on antisemitism, and the choice to feature two non-Jewish figures with ties to MAGA as spokespeople for unity? I call that an 8 million dollar fumble. Instead of bringing people together, it immediately sparked backlash from both Black and Jewish communities. A message about combating hate should be unifying, not polarizing.
“Thankfully, a few spots stood out–Pfizer’s ‘Mama Said Knock You Out’ delivered a powerful message on fighting cancer, while Nike’s ‘So Win’ was pure motivation. Inspiring, relevant, and real. At the end of the day, the Super Bowl remains the biggest stage in advertising. But without intention, we waste its potential. Let’s keep pushing for work that truly matters.”
Dennis Ryan
Dennis Ryan, executive creative director, Bader Rutter, identified his favorite spot this year: “I loved ‘So Win” for Nike which stirringly asserted the challenges and power of women’s sports. Using Led Zeppelin also reinforced that NFL broadcasts remain a safe space for classic rock.
“I was also hugely impressed by ‘What is Greatness?’ for He Gets Us. I thought the still images were beautifully curated and using Johnny Cash’s version of ‘Your Own Personal Jesus’ was next level.”
As for work that missed the mark, Ryan shared, “I think Tubi, Mountain Dew and Coffee Mate revealed a dark underbelly of computer graphics. To paraphrase Jeff Goldblum in ‘Jurassic Park,’ ‘The concepts were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should.’”
Ryan identified “warbling brand names” as possibly being “a new trend, given the ridiculous but memorable audio sign-offs for NerdWallet and Bosch.”
Asked to assess the overall crop of this year’s Big Game ads, Ryan responded with a question–albeit rhetorical–of his own: “Were last night’s spots the best ever? Of course not; they never are. The slate of ads goes up against an aggregated sense memory of every Super Bowl you’ve ever seen in your life. And that lineup is even more intimidating than even the Eagles’ defense last night.”
Adam VonOhlen
Adam VonOhlen, EVP/chief creative officer at Two by Four, shared that several commercials caught his fancy. “The Liquid Death ad for me immediately resonated and felt like one we’ll be laughing about at work on Monday. When it comes to comedy, the simple premises always work best. And Liquid Death ran with the misconception that they contain alcohol and found a hilarious way to bring it to life.
“Big thumbs up to Uber Eats. Even if you weren’t following along all season as Matthew McConaughey tried to convince people that the NFL was just a plot to make people hungry, this spot stood on its own. Great acting, fun cameos and a really fun concept–this may have been my favorite spot of the night and feels like what a Super Bowl spot should be.
“I really enjoyed the Pringles spot but immediately felt bad that they had to follow the Little Caesars eyebrow spot. They had such a fun idea with the Pringles tube acting as a conch calling other mustaches around the world. But unfortunately I couldn’t help but think that it was the second in a series of facial hair spots. However, I suspect Pringles will be the one that’s remembered.”
Though he declined to specify those spots that missed the Mark, VonOhlen noted that he “felt like this was the year a lot of brands really pushed the odd, quirky humor. While I always appreciate when brands take comedic risks, it felt at times like brands went weird just for the sake of being weird. With some exceptions, most of the spots that fell into this category fell flat for me.”
As for themes or trends, he related, “It felt like brands were really engaging in long-term storytelling this year, with Uber Eats being the brightest example. We watched along all season as Matthew McConaughey tried to convince people the NFL was all a plot to make people hungry. The payoff was worth the journey as a season full of spots culminated with one of the best spots of the night. Bud Light and Coors also ended a series of spots and stunts with fun commercials that brought it all home. And a shout-out to Fan Duel for airing a spot celebrating Eli Manning for a field goal kicking competition that he won against his brother Peyton only a few hours earlier.”
Overall, observed VonOhlen, “There were a lot of fun spots and plenty of duds. It felt more down than up compared to previous years. But as always there’s always stuff to enjoy. And let’s face it, there’s still fun to be had even with the ones that leave you asking, “what was the deal with that tongue?”
