This may be the last year we formally rate Super Bowl commercials. Like a lot of things in culture, the sizzle feels like it packed up and left the building. We’ve been circling this thought for a few years now, but this season made it unmistakable: the “commercials” are no longer the event they once were.
There was a time, believe it or not, when TV commercials were cultural currency. Super Bowl ads mattered. They were discussed at work on Monday morning with the same intensity as the halftime show and the game itself. Today? We live in a streaming-first world where most people skip ads, pay extra to avoid them, or don’t see them at all. That reality is clearly impacting the effort. This year’s slate leaned heavily on nostalgia bait, AI gloss, celebrity cameos, and the near-mandatory use of a pre-1999 hit song.
Ugh.
That said, not everything missed. A few brands still showed up with intention, craft, and actual ideas. And for those, 78Madison is happy to hand out some well-earned thumbs up.
Predictable? Maybe. Effective? Absolutely. Budweiser knows its lane and stays in it. This latest installment of pure Americana, featuring a Clydesdale forming a lifelong bond with a bald eagle, lands exactly where it should. The final visual, with the eagle’s wings stretched wide atop the horse, is classic Bud: sentimental, confident, and unapologetically patriotic.
Andy Samberg nearly disappears into his role as a deeply unhinged Neil Diamond parody, and that’s a compliment. What starts as a standard silly song evolves into something much better thanks to Samberg’s desperate, self-aware humor. Shockingly, “Meal Diamond” feels like an actual character with a backstory, an absurd thing to say about a 30-second mayonnaise ad. Bonus points for committing fully. Extra bonus points for singing bologna.
Olympic legends TJ Oshie and Chloe Kim, Kurt Russell channeling his Miracle energy, and Lewis Pullman gamely playing the student It all works. This one successfully taps into Olympic nostalgia while staying light and entertaining. If you weren’t already in a winter sports mood, you probably were by the end.
Yes, the celebrity count is borderline irresponsible, but you have to stick with it. Ben Affleck and Dunkin’ return with a full-on spoof of Good Will Hunting, then somehow raise the stakes by adding Jennifer Aniston, Jaleel White, Jason Alexander, Alfonso Ribeiro, Jasmine Guy, Matt LeBlanc, Ted Danson, and a Tom Brady cameo for good measure. Completely over the top. Completely committed. It pays off.
A continuation from last year and still effective. The formula is familiar: parent-child bond, time passing, an aging yellow lab. But the storytelling fits the brand beautifully, and Keane’s “Somewhere Only We Know” does exactly what it always does – pulls you straight into your feelings whether you like it or not.
Matthew McConaughey doubling down on the idea that football exists to sell food remains oddly entertaining. Bradley Cooper plays along nicely, and the cameos, especially Jerry Rice, help keep it moving. The closing nod to A Star Is Born gives the spot a fun final punch.
Not flashy. Not loud. Just solid, consistent branding. Within seconds, you know it’s Dove. The focus on young girls in sports, paired with the sobering stat that one in two quit due to body criticism, hits hard. The celebratory turn at the end, showcasing girls thriving across multiple sports, lands the message without overplaying it. Body positivity and women’s sports? That’s a win.
We’re fully on board with the Skittles horn. The Napoleon Dynamite energy works, Elijah Wood is great, and the joke about teens having no idea who he is lands perfectly. Weird in the right way.
Simple. Smart. Guy Fieri’s hair becomes the entire idea, and it works. A clever visual metaphor that stays on brand while feeling fresh for Bosch. No notes.
We didn’t want to like this one. But we did. Leaning into Jurassic Park nostalgia with Jeff Goldblum and Laura Dern, the idea of Xfinity bringing the park back online after an outage is fun and clean. A surprisingly charming reimagining that makes Jurassic Park feel new again.
AND THEN, some commercials that were pretty good, but not great…
Earnest and emotional, with Lady Gaga covering “Won’t You Be My Neighbor.” It’s a lot, but it resonates. Familiar, yes, but effective.
No celebrities. No gimmicks. Just a quiet story about family and giving back. Subtle branding, no hard sell, and a genuine emotional pull. Sometimes restraint works.
Disney, “Hoppers” trailer
Looks fun. Looks charming. Pixar doing Pixar things. Message received.
Steven Spielberg directing an alien movie? That’s enough. The trailers look strong, and his track record speaks for itself.
A goofy premise with Sabrina Carpenter and a fragile Pringles man. The ending twist, fans caring more about “Pringleleo” than Carpenter, is a solid payoff.
Reviving the Coke vs. Pepsi rivalry is refreshing. The polar bear spoof works. The Coldplay concert joke, however, already feels dated, and it knocks the spot down a notch.
Brian Baumgartner, who famously played dopey accountant Kevin Malone on “The Office,” is … back in an office, and he’s apparently on a deadline – a very tight one. As he approaches the five-minute mark leading up to this deadline, he discovers Ramp. Suddenly, he’s got body doubles swarming all over the office, accomplishing the tasks he clearly couldn’t have finished on his own. A+ for “The Office” references, including Kevin’s vat of chili.
Visually slick and well-produced, featuring Marshawn Lynch, Spike Lee, and Sunny Choi. Whether it convinces people to buy the (very expensive) glasses is another question.
Extremely on-message and well-integrated into its story. And George Clooney always helps.
Backstreet Boys nostalgia is having a moment, and this leans into it well. The MGK cameo at the end is a nice surprise.
Feels like an ad from another era, in a good way. Weird, physical, a little unhinged. Not hilarious, but definitely entertaining.
Emma Stone and Yorgos Lanthimos give it style and drama. It looks great and gets the point across, but it doesn’t linger.
Danny McBride and Keegan-Michael Key bring the energy. It’s unmistakably State Farm. Strong branding, mildly entertaining, nothing groundbreaking.
Of course, it’s all subjective. We’re sure we missed a few you loved and probably praised a couple you hated.
So that’s our take on the 2026 Super Bowl ads. We’ll see if the industry gives us a reason to pull 78Madison back to the table next year.
Time will tell.