1. Manscaped Hair Ballad
We never thought we’d see an ad where hairballs serenade
their former humans before getting flushed down the toilet, but here we are.
2. "The Mandalorian and Grogu Super Bowl"
Anyone else think this was a Budweiser ad at first? Tauntauns could rival Clydesdales any day, though.
3. Instacart "Bananas"
Would it be a major event without a flip from Benson Boone? Here,
in the Spike Jones-directed ad, he competes with another disco singer (Ben
Stiller) to do the best flip while singing about bananas. We knew it wasn't going to end well for the other guy.
4. Redfin x Rocket Mortgage "America Needs Neighbors Like You"
Lady Gaga appeared in not only the halftime show but also
in two commercials. In this one, we get only her voice as she croons the theme
from "Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood" over footage of two girls bonding in the new
neighborhood. Awww.
5. Levi’s "Backstory"
Levi’s sells us jeans with a montage of famous and
good-looking butts. Sold!
6. Pringles "Pringleleo"
When Sabrina Carpenter decides to build the perfect man out
of potato chips, we couldn’t agree more on what a great idea that is! Kettle chips
might be a bit sturdier, though.
7. Budweiser "American Icons"
A Clydesdale learns to fly from its eagle friend with "Free
Bird" blaring in the background. This is what Super Bowl ads are all about, and Budweiser has mastered the art of grand-scale ads that make us teary.
8. Amazon Alexa "Chris Hemsworth Thinks Alexa+ Is Scary Good"
This ad where Alexa+ is basically trying to kill Chris Hemsworth
is fun, but it doesn’t make us want one. It does make us want an Alexa-themed horror movie.
9. Squarespace "Unavailable"
When Emma Stone appeared in an artsy black and white ad, it
was unmistakably directed by her frequent collaborator, Yorgos Lanthimos. Give them Oscars, please.
10. Dunkin’ "Good Will Dunkin’"
This ad was star-studded with talent, from Ben Affleck,
taking over Matt Damon’s "Good Will Hunting" role, to Jennifer Aniston, Matt
LeBlanc, Jason Alexander, Tom Brady and even Urkel. We got whiplash every time
a new star came on screen.
11. Coinbase "Everybody"
Sometimes the best ads are the simplest. This one was a blue
screen with white type guiding us through Backstreet Boys' "Everybody
(Backstreet’s Back)," and everyone in the party stopped talking to
listen, even if the lyrics were altered to fit Coinbase's message. This was one of two Super Bowl ads starring the Backstreet Boys.
12. Dove "The Game is Ours"
Every year, there’s a fun girl-powered ad about body positivity. This year’s
was an exuberant pep rally for girls in sports, celebrating confidence.
13. Pepsi "The Choice"
Oops, did Coke’s polar bear mascot just choose Pepsi
instead? Taika Waititi directed and cameos in this cheeky spot where the bear
and a new friend get caught in 4K on the kiss cam.
14. Novartis "Relax Your Tight End"
Tight ends relaxing their butts reflect this blood test from Novartis to screen for prostate cancer. Symbolic, funny and effective in getting
the point across.
15. Google Gemini "New Home"
There were lots of ads about or using AI, but this one, where
a mom and son plan their new house together, tugged the heartstrings in a very
human way.
16. Liquid I.V. "Take A Look"
Toilets singing Phil Collins to make you feel bad for being
dehydrated and not peeing enough? Okay, fine, we’ll drink something!