Every Super Bowl delivers big budgets, celebrity cameos, and cultural moments. But only a handful of ads actually understand the audience well enough to earn attention. This year, these five stood out not just for entertainment value, but for how smartly they tapped into psychology, timing, and brand positioning.
1. Claude: “Ads Are Coming to AI, But Not Claude”
Claude’s spot was quietly one of the most strategic ads of the night.
By opening with a character clearly meant to represent a “generic AI” giving stiff, inhuman, checkbox-style responses, the ad immediately mirrors a fear people already have. AI that feels soulless, overly monetized, and clearly built to sell you something rather than help you.
The reveal, that this AI response pivots from fitness advice to ‘get a six pack’ into selling gym insoles, lands the point perfectly. Then comes the line that matters: “Ads are coming to AI, but not Claude.”
From a brand perspective, this is smart positioning. Claude is not selling features. They are selling trust. They frame themselves as the alternative to an inevitable future people already dislike. That’s powerful, especially in a category where differentiation is hard and skepticism is high.
This ad works because it doesn’t explain AI. It acknowledges how people already feel about it.
High-level marketing lens: Claude’s commercial is effective because it directly addresses a core audience concern and reframes it as a differentiator. By acknowledging skepticism around AI commercialization, the brand positions itself as aligned with user values, building trust through contrast rather than feature-led messaging. This approach strengthens long-term brand equity in a category where credibility and perceived intent are critical.
2. Pepsi: Polar Bear (The Choice)
Pepsi pulled off something rare here. They used Coca-Cola’s most iconic mascot against them and made it feel earned.
The polar bear conducting a taste test and choosing Pepsi instantly creates tension. His horror afterward is funny, but it also reinforces brand rivalry in a way that feels playful rather than aggressive. The therapy scene pushes it further into absurdity, making the bear’s internal conflict feel oddly relatable.
The emotional low point, seeing others happily drinking Pepsi, sets up the payoff. When another polar bear finally hands him a Pepsi and everything resolves, the message is clear without being shouted. Pepsi is the choice you secretly want, even if you were raised on Coke.
From a strategy standpoint, this works because it relies on decades of cultural memory. Pepsi doesn’t need to explain the rivalry. They just flip it.
High-level marketing lens: Pepsi leverages decades of brand symbolism to instantly connect with a broad, mainstream audience. By subverting Coca-Cola’s iconic polar bear, the ad uses humor and familiarity to trigger emotional engagement while reinforcing competitive positioning. This works because it relies on shared cultural knowledge, allowing the message to land quickly and memorably.
3. Liquid IV: “Take a Look at Your Pee”
This is a masterclass in delayed branding.
For most of the spot, viewers are watching toilets sing “Against All Odds.” It’s bizarre, slightly uncomfortable, and completely impossible to ignore. You don’t know what the ad is for, which is exactly why you keep watching.
The line “Take a look at your pee” reframes everything instantly. Suddenly, the absurdity has a purpose. Hydration. Health. Self-awareness. Then the Liquid IV product reveal lands cleanly and confidently.
From an expert perspective, this is risk done right. Liquid IV trusts that their audience is smart enough to connect the dots and mature enough to handle humor that skirts the edge. In a sea of safe ads, this one stands out because it commits fully to being weird.
High-level marketing lens: Liquid IV’s ad succeeds through pattern interruption and delayed brand reveal, a classic attention-retention strategy. The absurd opening captures interest, while the eventual product tie-in delivers a clear functional benefit tied to personal health awareness. This balance of entertainment and relevance ensures the message resonates without being ignored.
4. Relax Your Tight End
This commercial succeeds because it uses humor to open a door most ads are afraid to touch.
Bruce Arians narrating as a prostate cancer survivor gives the spot immediate credibility. The double entendre around “tight ends” is funny, but it’s also strategic. It disarms the audience before delivering a serious health message.
Featuring actual tight end players relaxing, followed by Arians sharing his experience, strikes a careful balance. It never feels preachy, but it never loses the message either. When Gronk is told to “relax his tight end,” the humor peaks, and the PSA lands without resistance.
This is how awareness advertising should be done. Meet people where they are, make them laugh, then give them information that could genuinely matter.
High-level marketing lens: This campaign effectively combines humor with credibility to address a traditionally sensitive topic. By using a respected spokesperson and relatable metaphors, the ad lowers psychological barriers and increases message receptivity among its target demographic. The result is awareness-driven marketing that educates while maintaining engagement.
5. Dunkin’: “Good Will Dunkin”
Dunkin’ once again proves it understands Super Bowl advertising by fully embracing self-aware, celebrity-driven comedy and pushing it just far enough.
“Good Will Dunkin’” is framed like a dramatic prestige film trailer, with Ben Affleck leading the charge and delivering mock-serious lines that elevate Dunkin’ to something resembling a misunderstood cultural institution. The humor comes from that contrast. Huge emotional stakes applied to something as simple and everyday as coffee.
What elevates the spot further is the supporting cast. Matt Damon’s appearance reinforces the fake-film energy and plays directly into the “Good Will” reference, rewarding viewers who catch the cultural callback. The added celebrity cameos throughout the ad amplify the joke rather than distract from it, making the commercial feel dense with moments without becoming cluttered.
From a strategic perspective, this is not a product-focused ad. Dunkin’ is reinforcing brand identity. Familiar, blue-collar, self-aware, and proudly unserious. They understand they already have awareness. This spot is about cultural relevance and emotional connection, not features or promotions.
The result is a commercial built for replay, quotes, and social sharing. In a Super Bowl full of high-concept storytelling, “Good Will Dunkin’” stands out by knowing exactly what it is and committing fully to the bit.
High-level marketing lens: Dunkin’ focuses on brand salience rather than product persuasion, using celebrity associations and cultural parody to remain top of mind. The exaggerated, self-aware tone aligns with its core audience and reinforces an established brand personality. This approach strengthens emotional connection and recall, which is particularly effective in a high-noise advertising environment like the Super Bowl.
Final Take
What these five commercials share is confidence. None of them try to explain too much. They trust the audience, lean into cultural context, and commit fully to a point of view.
The best Super Bowl ads don’t just entertain for 60 seconds. They position brands in ways that last long after the game ends. These five understood that assignment.
