7 Things We Learned About This Year’s Super Bowl Ads

The Super Bowl isn’t just a game. It’s the biggest entertainment spectacle on the planet. And when millions of viewers tune in, advertisers aren’t just competing for attention; they’re competing for entertainment value.

The best ads don’t just sell a product; they delight, surprise, and move us. Whether through humour, spectacle, or emotion, the brands that won this year understood one simple truth: If you want to be remembered, you have to entertain. And from this year’s lineup, there were seven key lessons we took away about what makes an ad truly entertaining.

1. Nostalgia is More Than a Gimmick…It’s also an Emotional Shortcut

Hellmann’s didn’t just bring back Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal for a quick nod to When Harry Met Sally; they leaned into nostalgia with purpose. By recreating a classic moment with a comedic twist and adding Sydney Sweeney for a fresh angle, the brand showed that nostalgia works best when it surprises as much as it comforts. It’s a shortcut to emotional connection, but only if it still feels new.

2. Celebrities Are Only as Good as Their Role

Dunkin’s DunKings 2: The Movie proved that star power alone isn’t enough—it has to serve the story. Ben Affleck, Casey Affleck, Matt Damon, and Tom Brady weren’t just cameos; they were characters in an absurd but entertaining narrative. By making celebrities work for their laughs, Dunkin’ created an ad that felt less like a paid endorsement and more like a comedy sketch people actually wanted to watch.

3. Humour Works Best When It’s Relatable

Coors Light’s Slow Monday wasn’t just funny, it was deeply, universally true. The post-Super Bowl slump is something everyone has experienced, and by bringing in sloths as the ultimate Monday mood, Coors Light made us laugh at our collective exhaustion. The best humour isn’t just wacky or random; it taps into something we all recognise.

4. Music Can Make an Ad Unforgettable

Mountain Dew’s Kiss From A Lime worked because it took a beloved song, turned it on its head, and made it impossible to ignore. SEAL belting out a parody of his own hit (Kiss From A Rose) with full dramatic intensity was both ridiculous and brilliant. Music has an unmatched ability to cement a moment in our memory—especially when it’s played with unexpected humour.

5. Emotion Is Still the Most Powerful Hook

Nike’s So Win reminded us that sometimes, the best entertainment is deeply personal. Watching athletes like Sha'Carri Richardson and Caitlin Clark push themselves to the limit wasn’t just inspiring; it was gripping. The raw emotion of the struggle made the ad feel cinematic, proving once again that great storytelling beats hard selling every time.

6. Weirdness Isn’t a Strategy…It’s a Lazy Shortcut

The Cowboy Hat ad tried to be quirky and surreal, but it ended up feeling like a joke without a punchline. And not in a fun, absurd way. Just in a way that made you wonder if the agency ran out of ideas and thought, “Let’s just make it weird.” The problem with randomness is that it only works when there’s an actual idea behind it. Otherwise, it’s just noise. The best ads surprise you, but they don’t leave you scratching your head and wondering what the point is.

7. Satire Works When You Trust the Audience

Uber Eats packed their ad with unexpected celebrity appearances, including Matthew McConaughey and Martha Stewart, but the real magic was in how it played with satire without underestimating its audience. It didn’t just throw in famous faces, it cleverly toyed with the idea of conspiracy theories, nudging at a cultural talking point rather than over-explaining it. More importantly, it respected the audience’s intelligence. It didn’t dumb things down, nor did it pander. It lets viewers piece things together themselves. In a time when satire often feels like it’s been sanded down to avoid controversy, this ad was proof that sharp, well-executed humour still belongs in the Super Bowl ad playbook. When audiences think they know where an ad is going, the best move is to flip the script and keep them guessing.

Final Thoughts

The best Super Bowl ads aren’t just ads, they’re entertainment. Whether through humour, emotion, music, or sheer surprise, the brands that won this year were the ones that gave us something we wanted to watch. In a world where attention is the most valuable currency, the lesson is clear: The brands that entertain are the brands that win.