As a young marketer, the Super Bowl was a must-watch for the ads. Not just the teams or halftime shows. It was the commercials. Those breaks felt like the main event (and still do), where brands surprised you, made you laugh, or, occasionally, nailed something memorable. Remember, Whatsssup?!?
Back then, you had to watch it live. That was the deal. Miss it, and it was gone. No replays. No clips. No second chance. The next day, when someone asked, “What did you think of [insert brand]’s commercial?” you either had an opinion—or you were instantly outed as the person who didn’t watch.
Whether your team was playing (go Bears) or not, you showed up. Because if you didn’t watch it live, you didn’t see it at all.
But that’s not how it works anymore. Ads don’t wait for kickoff! They tease; they drop early; they let things leak—and all on purpose.
Pre-game buzz matters now.
And yeah, we didn’t wait either.
Here are the ads we’re watching so far 👇
The Early Standouts
• Taking on Rivals: Pepsi comes in swinging with an ad that pokes fun at a certain couple caught on camera at a Coldplay show and simultaneously takes a shot at Coca-Cola. Competitive, playing on trends, and already racking up serious engagement on Instagram. Polar bears/competitors anyone?
• Keeping it Iconic: Celebrating 150 years, Budweiser leans into who they are. The main stars are American Icons: a Clydesdale, a bald eagle, and American farmers, demonstrating that the heritage brand doesn’t need gimmicks to make a statement.
• Pulling on Heartstrings: Toyota’s “People Are the Destination” ad taps into longevity, safety, and the emotional relationship people have with the cars that carry them through different stages of life.
• Catchy Tunes: Andy Samberg simply does what he does best in the Hellmann Mayonnaise commercial – singing a catchy song set to a well-known classic. This time, posing as a knockoff, Neil Diamond is singing a Hellmann’s Mayo anthem to the tune of Sweet Caroline. Silly, memorable, and bound to get stuck in your head.
Ads We are Still Waiting For
Some teasers give just enough away to make you curious, with Pringles and Uber Eats both leaning hard into star power this year.
Sabrina Carpenter’s “he loves me, he loves me not” Pringles bouquet hints at something romantic unfolding during the game.
Uber Eats teases a will-he-won’t-he moment—Matthew McConaughey yelling about food while Bradley Cooper is working out.
We’re intrigued.
BTW: Who Are You Cheering For?
🏈 Seattle Seahawks
🏈 New England Patriots
Stay Tuned: We’ll share our favorite commercial of the night… that is if we must choose just one. GO BEARS! I mean…
Cheers,
Dami