Short, punchy thoughts about all the Super Bowl ads

The Super Bowl LIX, which drew 113 million viewers, wasn’t just about the game; it was also a battleground for brands vying for attention with their ads. With 30 seconds of air time priced at a record $7 million, the stakes were incredibly high. This year, brands rolled out teasers and extended versions before the Big Game to build buzz and maximize exposure. Our Head of Strategy Jon Crowley has been watching closely, and in this post, we’re diving into his expert opinions on which ads stood out, and why. From AI-driven innovations to celebrity cameos, we’ll explore the strategies that defined Super Bowl advertising this year, offering a unique perspective on the commercials that captured our attention (or didn’t!).

Booking.com

The strategist in me (which I guess is most of me) loves the way this ad lets a brand speak to a whole bunch of travel personas, using the Muppets to make it more interesting. For instance, the diva hotel guest is performed by Miss Piggy, while chronic complainers are seen in Statler & Waldorf. This take was fun without seeming like they’re complaining about customers.

Bud Light

The cul-de-sac as a setting is about as mainstream culture as you can get, with some fun (and on tone) absurdities in dad-gear taken to extremes. Great and consistent celeb use, and a genuine “party feel” that aligns with category marketing guidelines. Possibly the best part was the last-second dig at the universal enemy of the suburban American dad: the HOA.

Budweiser

This is a masterclass in communicating Americana and heritage while saying literally nothing even remotely political or controversial. Harder to do than one would assume in the current social landscape.

ChatGPT

This is a positioning play; we’re not a tech company or an AI company, we’re creating the next stage of human civilization. The fact that they did it with countless little dots, tying in to the experience of using the product, is smart and visually engaging, as were the layered use case snippets in the audio near the end.

Coors Light

This is a fun idea taken to a logical extreme. I respect how hard they’ve committed to the bit, but I do wish I’d been able to come into this with less pre-conceptions based on the teaser campaign; the final idea is so strong on it’s own.

DoorDash

More absurdity, but in service of an interesting repositioning. Not sure how well a subtext of financial irresponsibility will land in this environment, but taking one of the most common “things you should stop doing to save money” categories and leaning heavily on savings via subscription, is probably better than trying to dodge the issue.

Doritos

I love how simply this conveys deep love for the brand, and how quickly it hooked me in to see where this was going. There’s no complex message, no visible insight, just the idea that these are chips you do not want to let go of.

Dove

They’ve been doing this for a while, and they have it down to a science. Plus as a parent of a 3 year old, watching kids run is maybe the best thing in the world. That unstable confidence and exuberance perfectly underscores a message about the impact of language on girls and young women.

Google Gemini

This is a great AI demo, with a lot of personality. Probably got an instant emotional response from everyone who was just there for the ads and/or the food. Which is definitely not me… no sir. 😏

Häagen-Dazs

Of all the unexpected pairings of the day, this one is my favourite. Three stars of the Fast & Furious movies, and a strong message of just enjoying the moment. Although I kind of feel like this would have made an incredible KitKat ad.

Hims & Hers

Given the bubbling discourse around weight loss drugs and what impact they might have, it’s brilliant to see someone position diet culture, the food system, and traditional healthcare as the enemy of a company offering these products. I wonder what someone who had stronger feelings about diet culture & fat phobia would have with this attempt to toe the line between “the system is unhealthy and wrong” and “you need to lose weight, though”.

Homes.com

Sometimes I see an ad and I worry that I think it is good only because I work in this industry. I suspect this is one of those times, and that a normal person doesn’t find legal asking you to change the ad as funny as I do.

Instacart

This is just insanely memorable, visually stunning and deeply absurd. The presence of so many established brand characters and past ads kept me looking for easter eggs, but there was also significant brand presence. Right down to the shopping bags making the journey onto the kitchen counter.

Michelob Ultra

They didn’t try to cram a second idea in here. Someone said “Willem Dafoe and Catharine O’Hara do ‘White Men Can’t Jump’ for Ultra” and they stuck with it. Everyone who saw this ad is going to remember it, and who it was for.

Mountain Dew

I have said the word “absurd” a few times already. I should have saved it for now. Getting Seal, as a Seal, to sing his greatest hit with Mountain Dew Baja Blast lyrics, is truly distinctive.

Nike

If 2024 was the year of women’s sports, I expect 2025 will also be the year of women’s sports. This is a damn good ad for this reality, and a continuation of a year where Nike actively decided to stop being for everyone, and to start being for winners. It generates the feeling most great nike ads have generated, for me.

ON

This is so, so good. Elmo gently reassuring Roger Federer that he is loved, despite not knowing the alphabet, is a thing I can only remember if I also remember both the name ON, and the odd details of its logo. This is not an ad about shoes, really, but I am going to remember it and the brand for a long time to come.

Ray Ban x Meta

As someone who was confused by the multimillion dollar banana art, this spoke to me. As did the idea that this specific art work would end up in a Kardashian household.

Reese’s Chocolate Lava

For an incredibly specific idea, there is a LOT of range on display in how hard people are willing to work to eat lava. Silly in an exactly right way.

Squarespace

Beautiful and cinematic and odd, with a lot of detail. Gentle delivery and genuine affection between co-stars really got me leaning in. Plus, everyone loves an animal.

Stella Artois

This is a fun and silly pay off. I still think Matt Damon would have done better in the Dunkin’ spot, but this is a good consolation prize for viewers.

STōK Cold Brew Coffee

Channing Tatum really delivers in this Magic Mike-tinged spot in the Wrexham cinematic universe. They’ve genuinely done an incredible job making this team and its cast of characters into their own world of entertainment. And this ad for a major sponsor just extends this mix of sport and celebrity.

Yahoo

This is the second ad I’ve seen from this year’s big game that drove me to take action. Emailing Bill Murray is too exciting a CTA to pass up.