People turn into the Super Bowl every year—2025 was no exception for the most-watched sporting event in the U.S. Viewership reached an all-time high with 126M this year, up almost 2% from last year. While two teams battled it out on the field, over 50 brands battled it out during the breaks. Brands put their money where their marketing is, splurging upward of $8M for a 30-second spot (*checks bank account and sighs*), marking a 14% spike in ad cost compared to 2024.

126M

views for this year’s Super Bowl

$8M

for a 30-second spot

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Our team took a closer look at this year’s Super Bowl spots to understand how brands are leveraging their prime-time spend. The purpose was to dig into how they turn those fleeting 30 seconds into something much more enduring. What’s not being capitalized on? And how do brands—and by extension, our clients—ensure they’re building connections that stand the test of time?

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‍Themes Brands Tackled This Year

This year, we saw a mixed bag of themes, from health to humor, each offering unique ways in. A few standouts shaped how brands approached their messaging and aimed to connect with the audience in today’s landscape.

‍Health is broadening its reach. Novartis became the first pharmaceutical company to win the ad-review panel at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management in its two-decade history. It made waves this year by making wellness feel relatable, accessible, and human; proving that pharma brands can connect with consumers in a more engaging way. Health-related ads need to go beyond just product promotion. They need to tap into what really matters to people offering genuine, actionable messaging to form the basis of campaigns that remain relevant throughout the year.

‍Humor is a Super Bowl staple; however, it must still serve a strategic purpose. It shouldn't just be entertainment but a vehicle to align a brand’s mission and values with broader conversations or amplify a key message. Take Coors Light’s campaign, for example, which cleverly showcased the sluggishness of Mondays, a feeling consumers know all too well. By embracing a universal truth with a humorous twist, ads engage audiences in a meaningful way, resonate authentically, and deliver value.

‍Nostalgia isn't novel, but revisiting familiar cultural moments, as seen with the Harry Met Sally reference for Hellmann’s this year, allows brands to create comfort and connection with their audience. The challenge for clients is to use nostalgia as a bridge to innovative storytelling rather than a crutch that limits creative risk.

‍Provocation can be a powerful tool for brands looking to spark conversation. While ads have always sought to capture attention, we’re seeing this element take on even greater significance in recent years. Brands like Nike don’t just sell products; they champion cultural conversations. Their recent campaign highlighting women athletes went beyond celebration, actively confronting outdated perceptions of female strength and visibility in sports. Culturally relevant and strategically timed, Nike continues its legacy of making powerful (albeit sometimes controversial) statements that fuel movements.

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‍The Ads We Saw vs The Conversations We’re Having 

‍Is the investment worth it? It’s not just about the $8M price tag, but how well a brand leverages that investment beyond those 30 seconds. Super Bowl ads should be the kickoff, not the end zone—a cornerstone of a larger narrative. Brands need to build an ecosystem around their campaigns. Even if a brand is not dropping an $8M bag on a commercial, campaigns should integrate social media, digital activations, experiential marketing, and influence partnerships to create a multiplatform experience that has legs beyond game day.

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‍Audible Moments:

• How can we help them do that?
• What touchpoints can we activate to keep the convo going?

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‍Is the marketing game won before kickoff? The Super Bowl is unique. It offers a rare, captive audience with viewers who actually want to see the ads. The hype, the anticipation, the Monday morning debates—this is one of the only times advertising isn’t just tolerated, it’s part of the entertainment. However, the goal isn’t just to create an ad people remember, but a brand they won’t forget. Without a well-orchestrated strategy to extend its lifespan, that moment of brilliance risks fading as quickly as it arrived. The real win comes when that attention translates into long-term affinity. For brands, it’s not just about having a plan but knowing when and how to deploy it. As strategists, we have to think beyond the 30 seconds. 

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‍Audible Moments:

• How essential is a 360 plan if the creative is strong enough to stand on its own?
• How does this ad fit into the broader consumer journey?
• How does it drive ongoing brand engagement? 

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‍How can brands turn attention into connection? When it comes to an event like the Super Bowl, there’s a challenge of reaching new audiences in an oversaturated market. Super Bowl ads guarantee visibility, but visibility doesn’t equal relevance. A viral moment can generate millions of impressions, but if it doesn’t foster a deeper relationship with the audience, it’s just another drop in the content ocean. 

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‍Audible Moments:

• What’s the plan to turn all that exposure into long-term loyalty? Are we crafting campaigns that create multiple touchpoints to reinforce the message across platforms?
• Are we leveraging data to understand who’s watching and what resonates? It’s not just about viewership numbers; it’s about knowing who engaged, why they engaged, and how we can continue the conversation in a meaningful way.
• Are we creating opportunities for two-way engagement? Today’s consumers don’t just want to be talked at, they want to be part of the story. The brands that win aren’t just delivering ads; they’re building ecosystems where audiences feel heard, valued, and compelled to participate.

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‍What makes an ad truly unforgettable? At its core, every memorable campaign hinges on its ability to evoke genuine emotion(s). In today’s marketing landscape, emotion-led strategies do more than grab attention, they forge deep connections. 

‍“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

- Maya Angelou

Our evaluations revealed that themes like humor and nostalgia are attention grabbing, but they are anchored by authentic storytelling. A brand’s identity and cultural relevance can be leveraged to take bold, creative risks. The caveat here is that they should test innovative ideas on a smaller scale before committing to a full-scale campaign. 

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‍Audible Moments:

• How do we balance cultural relevance with brand authenticity? And does humor really serve the larger story, or is it just noise?
• How do we advise brands to take creative risks while staying true to themselves?
• How do we ensure emotional resonance without crossing the line into controversy?

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Final Huddle

At the end of the day, a Super Bowl ad is only as powerful as the strategy behind it. Visibility is easy, sustainable impact is the real challenge. Continuity is key. Ads should spark interest, but the real magic happens when brands nurture that attention throughout the year, staying present with their audience through consistent messaging and authentic engagement. Action drives culture. Brands need to take steps that resonate on a deeper level. Regularly assess how your brand’s message intersects with current cultural movements and evolving consumer values. Insights shape strategy. Leverage data from every campaign to guide future decisions and find ways to become part of meaningful conversations. By doing so, brands not only stay connected but become integral to the cultural fabric, not just for a moment, but for the long haul. 

To win the year, the playbook is clear: build an ecosystem, create opportunities for genuine engagement, and take creative risks that actually mean something. Otherwise, you’re just another commercial people forget before the halftime snacks are replenished … and left wondering if that $8M could’ve been better spent elsewhere.