The last Super Bowl Commercials recap I did was in 2023. They’re a lot of work, so comment and share if you like this. This year I’m including my favorites and some I want to talk about, with a heavy bias towards ads that were released ahead of time. I’m sure to miss a few, especially everything that aired after Bad Bunny’s transcendent Half Time Show. I’m also skipping the trailers and TV series ads. The cost for a 30 second Super Bowl commercial this year was a reported $10 million! That’s insane. Also I’m so glad the Seattle Seahawks beat the New England Patriots!
Squarespace: Unavailable
Emma Stone starred in a commercial directed by Yorgos Lathimos for Squarespace. The premise/background is that she worked for years to get the rights to EmmaStone.com. The main commercial that aired, a black and white film noir-type spot, didn’t work as well as another where she’s in her trailer on set, threatening the person holding her domain hostage.
Dunkin: Good Will Dunkin
Ben Affleck, Jennifer Aniston, Jasmine Guy, Jaleel White, Jason Alexander, Ted Danson, Tom Brady, Alfonso Ribeiro and Matt LeBlanc star as digitally de-aged versions of themselves in this bizarre tribute to Good Will Hunting that somehow works through sheer absurdity. I loved when Ted Danson called out Ben Affleck for being single and working a Boston schtick for Dunkin at 50. When Jennifer Aniston showed up outside with Tom Brady asking “how do you like these nuts?” I screamed.
Telemundo: FIFA 2026
Sofia Vergara coaches Owen Wilson to be a Spanish fútbol commentator in this heartwarming commercial from Telemundo.
Instacart: The Age of Now
This retro ad, featuring Ben Stiller and Benson Boone, is my favorite among the pre-released ads. The extended version kept me glued the whole time. I laughed so hard at the end and watched it a couple times.
Rocket and Redfin Mortgage: America Needs Neighbors Like You
I usually ignore the sentimental ads, but this one is truly moving. They tell a whole story about neighbors working together to help each other through tough times, all while Lady Gaga sings “Won’t You Be My Neighbor.” I loved it.
Hellmans: Sweet Sandwich Time
Andy Samberg and Elle Fanning star in this Hellman’s commercial featuring a clever riff on Sweet Caroline.
Pringles: Love at First Bite
Sabrina Carpenter fashions herself a Pringles boyfriend and ends up consuming him at the end. This reminds me so much of Pinchy the lobster on The Simpsons.
Kellogg’s Raisin Bran: Will Shat
This is similar to the Michael Bublé Bubbly seltzer commercial from 2019 and it’s genius, especially when they bring out the Shih Tzu at the end. Also, I’m glad to see William Shatner doing well.
Bud Light: Keg
I laughed so hard at all the wedding guests scrambling down the cliff to catch the runaway keg. Peyton Manning, Shane Gillis, and Post Malone star. This mirrors the annual Cooper’s Hill Cheese-Rolling and Wake that takes place near Gloucester, England every year.
Turbotax: The Expert
Adrien Brody gets schooled for overacting in this Turbotax commercial. It worked in that it reminded me about their experts.
State Farm: Stop Livin on a Prayer
Keegan-Michael Key and Danny McBride run an inferior insurance agency. When customer Hailee Steinfeld comes in they launch into a janky version of Livin on a Prayer that details all the ways lesser insurance agencies only do it halfway. Bonus appearances from Jon Bon Jovi and Jake from State Farm at the end.
Kinder Bueno: No Bueno
Someone told this ad agency that talking babies, aliens and astronauts scored well with audiences so they threw the kitchen sink at it. I did like seeing William Fichtner.
Pepsi: The Choice
Taika Waititi stars in this Pepsi commercial as the therapist to a confused Coke polar bear. Note the Coldplay kiss cam reference at the end.
Ritz Crackers: Ritz Island
Scarlett Johansson, Jon Hamm and Bowen Yang party on an island where Ritz crackers are the primary snack. I was thrown off by how airbrushed and filtered they all look, but Jon Hamm’s “salty and buttery” line made me want one.
OIKOS: The Bill Hill
Kathryn Hahn saves the day when Derrick Henry’s cable car is stuck on a hill. I would have liked to have seen her cast a spell as Agatha instead, but that’s probably a protected IP.
Budweiser: American Icons
Budweiser sticks to their formula of cute horses and animals, this time featuring a frienship between a horse and an eagle. It relies too much on CGI/AI and isn’t as effective as previous ads that seemed real.
Michelob Ultra: Greg
Kurt Russell plays a ski mentor to Lewis Pullman, a guy named Greg who always ends up buying rounds at the bar. I’m not sure about the point of this other than the Olympics tie-in and the fact that light beer is a better choice. Russell plays Ego and Lewis is Sentry in the MCU though so there’s that.
Fanatics Sportsbook: Betting on the Right Guy
Kendall Jenner talks about how she curses her professional athlete boyfriends and just ends up getting rich with sports bets. Not a bad gig for Bad Bunny’s last known girlfriend. I’m pretty sure they’ve split by this point though. He might be back with his ex, Gabriela Berlingeri.
Manscaped: Hair Ballad
I first saw this commercial on Pajiba and it was so great I linked it. It’s a simple concept, executed well. Also they managed to make piles of hair look cute-ish and not gross.
Bosch: Just a guy
This weird uncanny valley Bosch ad featuring a transforming Guy Fieri and a talking dog got a lot of advanced buzz. It doesn’t make me think of power tools or appliances whatsoever though.
Xfinity: Jurassic Park
Comcast envisions a different ending for Jurassic Park where the park has broadband Internet. This is a good concept and they got the old gang back together, including Jeff Goldblum, Laura Dern and Sam Neill, but the de-aging is super creepy. Dunkin’ did it much better.
Liquid IV: Take a Look
These singing toilets stole the show. I love commercials that keep it simple and lean into the joke.
Open AI: You Can Just Build Things
Open AI is evil, but this commercial was so effective and excellent. The Anthropic commercials for Claude, on the other hand, were pure Black Mirror and just made Anthropic seem awful. It’s no coincidence that Claude’s logo looks like an asshole.
T-Mobile: Tell Me Why
The Backstreet Boys surprised T-Mobile customers in a busy store. The best part was the free Slurpee shoutout.
Coinbase: Everybody Coinbase
I got confused by this ad, which I assumed was for T-Mobile at first since they had already featured the Backstreet Boys. USA Today reminds us that Coinbase aired a similar ad in 2022 with just a QR code. Their website crashed right after that. This year’s ad was much better and I sort of paid attention. It definitely stood out.