Every year, the Super Bowl reminds us why advertising still matters when it’s done at the highest level. In a media landscape where most ads are skipped, blocked, or scrolled past in under a second, the Super Bowl remains the rare moment when people actually lean in. This year’s game drew well over 100 million viewers globally, and for many of them, the commercials were just as anticipated as the kickoff.
With brands reportedly spending north of $7 million for a single 30-second spot, the pressure to deliver something memorable has never been higher. Humor, emotion, celebrities, spectacle, nostalgia. It’s all on the table. Below, we’ve narrowed down the ten commercials from Super Bowl LX that generated the most traction, press coverage, and cultural conversation, along with why they worked when so many others didn’t.
1. Budweiser – American Icons
Why It’s Worth Watching: Budweiser doubled down on what it does best: emotional Americana. Featuring a Clydesdale foal and a bald eagle chick growing up side by side, the ad leaned heavily into nostalgia and national symbolism. In an era of hyper-modern, tech-forward branding, this spot stood out by doing the opposite. It reminded audiences that familiarity, when executed well, still carries enormous emotional weight.
2. Instacart – Bananas
Why It’s Worth Watching: Advertising is buiInstacart’s disco-fueled musical number starring Ben Stiller and Benson Boone was delightfully unhinged in the best way. Directed by the incredible Spike Jonze, the ad transformed grocery shopping (kinda?) into a full-blown performance piece. It was weird, self-aware, and highly shareable, which explains why it dominated post-game social feeds and quickly became one of the most replayed ads online. It made us dance around the room copy-catting and that’s what it’s all about!
3. Michelob ULTRA – The ULTRA Instructor
Why It’s Worth Watching: Michelob ULTRA leaned into premium lifestyle branding with a cinematic mountain narrative starring Kurt Russell. Instead of chasing laughs, the ad focused on tone, pacing, and visual polish. The result felt more like a short film than a commercial, reinforcing the idea that Super Bowl ads don’t always need punchlines to leave an impression. Anyone else catch the Wilhelm Scream?
4. Pepsi – The Choice
Why It’s Worth Watching: I mean, it’s Tika Waititi who directed.. can’t not have it in the list! Pepsi revived the cola rivalry with a self-aware sense of humor, letting its Zero Sugar bear openly question brand loyalty. The ad leaned into meta commentary and playful irreverence. It sparked plenty of online debate, which, in the world of brand marketing, is often the real win.
5. Kellogg’s Raisin Bran – Will Shat
Why It’s Worth Watching: WAI is such a contentious play in today’s world. And Amazon takes it head on, turning the skeptic narratives into a source for comedy… using arguably the world’s biggest heartthrob. To us, it falls a little flat, but worth a watch to see how AI is being sold to the mass consumer.
6. Oakley Meta – Athletic Intelligence Is Here
Why It’s Worth Watching: Oakley Meta used its Super Bowl debut to introduce AI-powered performance eyewear through high-energy POV action and athlete cameos. Unlike many tech ads, the focus stayed on experience rather than explanation. The two-part rollout helped extend conversation beyond the broadcast, making it one of the more strategically savvy campaigns of the night.
7. Pringles – Pringleleo
Why It’s Worth Watching: Sabrina Carpenter starred in this playful satire of modern dating culture, where the ideal partner is literally assembled from Pringles chips. It was silly, self-aware, and perfectly calibrated for meme culture. Why? Well fun fact, it was a group of kids that started an online campaign for the Pringles man to have the name Leo – Not Pringles itself! Unsurprisingly, it found a second life across TikTok and Instagram in the days that followed.
8. Kinder Bueno – Yes Bueno
Why It’s Worth Watching: Making its first Super Bowl appearance, Kinder Bueno took a creative risk with a surreal, sci-fi-inspired spot that leaned into indulgence and escapism. The ad’s strange visual language helped it stand out, especially among more traditional food and beverage commercials.
9. Ring – Search Party
Why It’s Worth Watching: Ring surprised audiences by shifting away from fear-driven security messaging in favor of a heartfelt story about a community coming together to find a lost dog. However! Being the one AI focussed ad in the list, it fell on mixed reviews. From people stating that this feels like 1984 Orwell style surveillance disguised as community features, to straight up ‘F-ck no’s!’. It seems AI is truly a sensitive topic and worth watching for that very reason.
10. Lay’s – Father and Daughter Farmer Story
Why It’s Worth Watching: Continuing the story from last year’s Farmer/Father ad, Lay’s closed strong with an understated, emotional story about family, legacy, and farming tradition. In a sea of big personalities and big concepts, this quieter approach resonated deeply, quickly becoming one of the most emotionally shared ads of the night. It feels like a film, a traditional story, where audiences returned after the game to watch on Youtube for a cheeky sob. Check the comments section for some great takes!
A Note on AI in Super Bowl 2026 Advertising
Despite AI dominating conversations across creative industries this year, its presence in Super Bowl LX commercials was surprisingly restrained. Aside from a few tech-forward brands like Amazon and Oakley/Meta, most advertisers chose not to foreground AI in their storytelling. Instead, they leaned into human emotion, craft, and recognisable cultural touchstones. We’ve definitely spotted a lot of AI video generation, like in Budweiser’s, Pepsi’s and Michelob’s ads, but it’s not over the top and generally serve the story well.
On the biggest stage in advertising, where trust, clarity, and mass appeal matter most, brands appeared reluctant to let emerging technology overshadow the message of in your face AI. In many ways, this year’s ads suggested that while AI may be shaping how work is made behind the scenes, the stories audiences connect with most are still deeply human. That’s where we feel the next few years will land.
