Super Bowl commercials are an annual cultural moment—where brands spend millions for 60 seconds of national attention and aim to create moments that live on longer than the game itself. Super Bowl LX, held February 8, 2026, delivered another blockbuster lineup of ads that ranged from heartfelt storytelling to confusing AI experiments.
In a landscape increasingly dominated by celebrity cameos, nostalgia, and artificial intelligence, some brands found creative success while others stumbled.
Big Winners: Creativity With Clarity and Emotion
Google Gemini “New Home”
Google’s ad for its Gemini AI platform earned top marks from critics for its simple yet emotionally resonant storytelling. The spot shows a family using the AI to envision their newly purchased home—painting walls, designing a garden, and creating a warm atmosphere. The narrative pulled heartstrings while clearly demonstrating product utility, a combination that the Kellogg School advertising review praised as one of the best of the night.
Budweiser’s Clydesdale Story
According to USA Today’s Ad Meter, Budweiser’s commercial featuring a young Clydesdale nurturing an abandoned eagle resonated strongly with viewers. The heartfelt animal-friendship narrative components helped it top one of the most influential audience polls of Super Bowl ads.
Dunkin’ “Good Will Dunkin’”
A star-studded nod to Good Will Hunting featuring Ben Affleck, Jennifer Aniston, and other ’90s icons brought nostalgia and humor together in a memorable comedy spot. The playful parody sparked social conversation and earned high placement in Best Ad lists for the game.
Anthropic’s Claude AI Ad
Anthropic’s AI commercial stood out by taking a humorous jab at competitors while delivering a clear product message. Its self-aware narrative about ads in AI conversations helped differentiate the brand, a key success factor in Super Bowl messaging.
Levi’s Classic Branding
Levi’s earned praise for a straightforward and effective commercial that leaned into brand identity—using a classic soundtrack and imagery to reinforce its heritage. Simple messaging and charm helped it cut through the clutter.
Other Standouts
Pringles With Sabrina Carpenter
Pringles’ ad featuring pop star Sabrina Carpenter constructing a humorous “Pringleleo” character delivered one of the more imaginative and talked-about spots of the game. The blend of romantic parody and signature brand positioning helped it connect with audiences.
Michelob Ultra’s Winter Ski Theme
Featuring Kurt Russell as a quirky ski instructor, Michelob’s ad embraced fun and winter-world vibes in a memorable way. The storyline stood out in USA Today Ad Meter rankings among the most memorable of the game.
Where Ads Missed the Mark
Coinbase Karaoke Spot
Crypto exchange Coinbase received failing grades from the Kellogg School for an ad built around a karaoke version of a Backstreet Boys song that failed to show what the brand does or why a viewer might care. Without clear product messaging, the ad struggled to make an impact.
Ai.com Confusion
AI.com poured significant resources into its debut Super Bowl campaign—reportedly spending on ad slots and even a high-value domain name—but critics said the ad left viewers unsure about what the service does. The lack of clarity hurt its resonance despite the attention it received, even crashing the site due to traffic surges.
AI-Generated Content Backlash
Several ads leaning heavily on AI creation—such as those from Svedka and other tech entities—were criticized for feeling cheap and lacking creativity. Critics noted that while AI was a dominant theme in many commercials, the execution often fell short of audience expectations for originality and quality.
Other Lower-Rated Spots
A range of other commercials earned lower marks—from healthcare promotions that struggled to balance messaging with regulatory constraints, to familiar brands like Ritz and Instacart whose ads failed to stand out in the crowded field.
Trends From Super Bowl LX Advertising
AI Dominance and Consumer Skepticism
AI was hard to avoid in this year’s lineup, with nearly a quarter of commercials incorporating AI messaging. Yet audience and expert reactions suggest that novelty alone isn’t enough—ads need emotional or practical appeal to succeed.
Celebrity Power Still Matters
Star power remained a potent tool. Ads featuring celebrity ensembles or beloved cultural icons—especially those that play on nostalgia—tended to perform better in viewer sentiment and recall.
Humor and Heart Trumped Complexity
Clear storytelling that leaned into humor, heart, or recognizable themes generally outperformed spots that tried to be overly clever or conceptually abstract. This trend highlights the challenge of engaging an increasingly cynical and media-savvy audience.
Final Take
Super Bowl LX’s advertising slate showcased the evolving landscape of big-budget brand storytelling. While tech and AI were headline themes, the most effective ads combined strong narrative, emotional resonance, and clear product or brand messaging. In contrast, spots that failed to communicate their value proposition or leaned too heavily on novelty flopped in both expert rankings and audience perception.
For marketers, the lesson remains consistent: understand your audience, tell a clear story, and use creativity to amplify—not distract from—your core message.
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