History shows that the Super Bowl ads stick to their playbook.
Brands that consistently use humour, pop culture, storytelling, celebrities, and audience engagement create ads that audiences remember long after the game.
What makes Super Bowl commercials stick?
Millions of people tune into the Super Bowl to watch the commercials that run between each quarter of the actual NFL game.
The 2025 lineup featured more than 50 brands that used this stage to showcase their creativity, humour, and relevance to a captive audience.
In an interview with Creighton University, Tim McMahon, associate professor of practice in marketing management, says the most memorable ads tell a story and have an emotional tug.
“Think of the Budweiser Clydesdales – those ads are about more than beer,” he said.
“They tap into themes of nostalgia, resilience and even patriotism, creating emotional connections that stick with viewers long after the game ends.”
McMahon added that there’s been a noticeable shift from purely entertaining ads to ones that are more purposeful.
“Storytelling has become a dominant trend, allowing brands to communicate their values alongside their products,” he explained.
“Today’s consumers want to align with brands that stand for something, and Super Bowl ads have responded by focusing on values like diversity, sustainability and perseverance.”
A trip down memory lane
Year after year, advertisers push the boundaries to make their Super Bowl spots stand out.
From iconic classics to modern fan favourites, these commercials continue to shape how audiences remember the big game.
Michelob Ultra’s ‘The Ultra Hustle’
Snickers’ ‘You’re not you when you’re hungry’
Dunkin’s ‘The DunKings’
Advertisers snap up Super Bowl LX spots
Airtime during the Super Bowl has become so competitive that advertisers are paying more than AUD$10 million for a 30-second spot.
Despite this, broadcaster NBC confirmed the 2026 ad space sold out earlier than ever.
Here are some of the ads that will be vying for attention during the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks rematch.
Squarespace’s ‘Unavailable’
Website building and e-commerce platform Squarespace has unveiled its 12th Super Bowl campaign, starring award-winning actress and producer Emma Stone.
The 30-second spot, ‘Unavailable’, will air between the first and second quarters of Super Bowl LX on Monday.
The campaign follows Stone as she tries to register emmastone.com, only to discover that the domain is already taken.
“This commercial is based on true events,” said Stone.
“Having the opportunity to play myself in my own home was a joy and a memory I won’t soon forget, despite the pain that came rushing back.”
The game day spot is the centrepiece of a broader campaign showing Stone’s journey reclaiming her namesake domain and the risks of waiting too long to claim one.
“We approach our Super Bowl spots like film rollouts,” said Squarespace chief brand and creative officer David Lee.
“That mindset pushes us to create a fully-realised world that feels cinematic rather than commercial.”
PepsiCo’s ‘The Choice’
PepsiCo Beverages has referenced its long-running rivalry with Coca-Cola in its Super Bowl LX commercial.
‘The Choice’, directed by Taika Waititi, follows a cola-loving polar bear who discovers he prefers Pepsi Zero Sugar over Coke Zero Sugar in a blind taste test.
His initial shock turns into a journey of self-discovery, as he confronts long-held assumptions and unapologetically celebrates his newfound identity as a Pepsi lover.
“For decades, Pepsi has embraced being the challenger cola brand, yet we keep proving we’re number one where it matters most: taste,” said Pepsi VP of marketing Gustavo Reyna.
“Cola drinkers care about taste, but when they choose anything other than Pepsi, they leave taste on the table.”
PepsiCo’s Super Bowl campaign follows a strong year of growth as demand for zero- and lower-sugar soda accelerates.
“I love a good challenge, so I jumped at the chance to take part in what many consider the biggest pop culture competition outside of streaming vs theatrical,” said Waititi.
“I’m honored to play a small part in the Pepsi legacy – and the iconic Cola Wars.”
Manscaped’s ‘Hair Ballad’
Men’s grooming company Manscaped is making its Super Bowl debut with ‘Hair Ballad’, featuring “weirdly lovable” singing hairball monsters.
The campaign, developed with creative agency Quality Meats, plays on a simple truth that some men have hair in places they don’t want, and when it’s gone, they feel better.
“We all get grossed out by hair once it leaves our body – especially when it becomes that sad little clump in the drain,” said Manscaped CMO Marcelo Kertész.
“Giving that hair a voice, and a beautifully overdramatic one, felt like the most honest and entertaining way to tell our story.”
‘Hair Ballad’ opens on a man shaving his chest in front of a bathroom mirror and the buzz of The Lawn Mower trimmer. The camera pans to the floor, revealing an anthropomorphised clump of hair which begins to sing a ballad.
Throughout the spot, a cast of hairballs watch as the song builds to an emotional peak, delivering a final farewell before being flushed down the toilet.
“We wanted to create something America’s eyeballs have never seen before,” said Quality Meats co-founder Gordy Sang.
“And not go the typical Super Bowl route of hot new celebrity for the sake of hot new celebrity.”