The on-field action at Super Bowl LIX may have lacked drama—the Philadelphia Eagles crushed the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22—but the strategies advertisers used to capture viewers' attention on Sunday were varied, with some approaches clearly outdated.

On a macro level, there is growing evidence that brands may need to change their strategies to avoid losing viewers in the future. Data from creative evaluation platform Daivid shows this year's ads scored a five-year low. In its top ten list, seven spots were occupied by ads with a public-interest angle or tackling serious topics, while the overall tone of the night leaned toward the absurd and humorous.

"Most Super Bowl advertisers this year wanted to make us laugh, and interestingly, the brands that broke away from the usual celebrity/humor formula received the most positive feedback," said Ian Forrester, founder and CEO of Daivid, in a statement. "This shows how difficult it is to stand out when everyone is trying the same approach."

As usual, celebrity-packed ads filled the broadcast, with some faces appearing multiple times (like Matthew McConaughey). Many ads were touting the latest generative AI technology, echoing the zeitgeist, while GLP-1 weight-loss drugs also made frequent appearances, following headline trends.

But Super Bowl LIX also saw a wave of solid, cause-driven ads. Amid backlash against diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, this strategy had seen its prominence on the big stage fade. This year, inclusivity became one of the most successful strategies, with numerous ads targeting women and girls scoring high, aligning with the NFL's increasingly diverse audience.

Some ads also tried to bridge divides in American society on a broader level, calling for setting aside prejudices and crossing divides. President Donald Trump attended the game at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, but the event overall lacked drama, aside from halftime performer Kendrick Lamar directly calling out rapper Drake to the camera. Perhaps what advertisers need is a bit more drama.

"It's hard to pick a winner from this year's game," Matt McCain and Michael Boychuk of DNA&Stone said in a joint email comment. "The creative freshness and epic fun we expect to experience when watching the Super Bowl were lacking this year."

A Night Dominated by Women

Pop superstar Taylor Swift had boosted female interest in the NFL, but she had a rough night—her team's hopes for a Super Bowl three-peat were quickly dashed by the unstoppable Eagles. However, on the advertising battlefield, women came out on top at Super Bowl LIX. For Nike, this was a striking return—the brand had not appeared on the Super Bowl stage in nearly three decades, and it is betting big ona return to stronger brand building as part of its recovery plan。

The sportswear giant unveiled a powerful black-and-white ad narrated by rapper Doechii, featuring athletes like Jordan Chiles, Caitlin Clark, and Sha'Carri Richardson, who each shatter the so-called "can'ts" of gender stereotypes—like not being able to break records or fill stadiums. The "So Win" ad, created by Wieden+Kennedy Portland, won a Super Bowl Clio Award and was widely praised for its narrative, copy, and bold stance.

"Nike understands the times we're in and has seized the moment. In a season where gender equality is under attack, they didn't shy away—they took a stand. This isn't just another sports ad; it's a cultural statement," said Dara Treseder, CMO of Autodesk, in an email.

The NFL itself also aired two ads attempting to broaden football's audience, one of which encouraged flag football as an inclusive sports option for high school girls. A subversive spirit also ran through several other ads targeting women and addressing women's issues.

Novartis's ad "Pay Attention" initially seemed a bit frivolous for focusing on breasts, but then comedian Wanda Sykes delivered a sincere call for early breast cancer screening. Dove also used a "sweet then bitter" approach: first showing a three-year-old girl laughing and running down a street to "Born to Run," then hitting viewers with data—that child's carefree joy could disappear as she enters puberty due to declining body confidence.

"The simplicity and depth of (Dove's ad) stood in stark contrast to the extremely high production values of other ads," said Tom Denari, president and CEO of Young & Laramore, commenting on Dove's spot. "Unfortunately, it aired too late, when many people may have already lost interest or gone to bed."

The Celebrity Strategy: Alright, Alright, Alright

Super Bowl advertisers are increasingly relying on celebrities to deliver their big-game messages. According to data from iSpot.tv shared with Marketing Dive, roughly two-thirds (or more) of ads have featured stars since 2020. This strategy continued this year but is starting to feel perfunctory and uninspired, especially when there's no connection between the star and the brand (or their co-stars).

"The real surprise was watching one brand after another fall into the Super Bowl celebrity trap, packaging everything into a knockoff Saturday Night Live sketch in an attempt to get the biggest laugh of the night," said Allen Adamson, co-founder of Metaforce, in an email comment. "It felt like every creative brief read: 'Find a celebrity face, shoehorn in a joke.'"

The worst cases of the "celebrity trap" included MSC Cruises (the odd pairing of Drew Barrymore and Orlando Bloom), Homes.com, and advertisers who used stars multiple times, like Matthew McConaughey, who appeared in a total of three ads for Salesforce and Uber Eats.

"While (McConaughey) is a powerful spokesperson, he appeared so many times that each appearance felt less special," said Carli Jurczynski of Kepler in an email comment. "Super Bowl ads should feel like a highlight moment; when a familiar face appears too often, it starts to feel overexposed rather than impactful."

As in previous years, many advertisers prioritized quantity over quality when using celebrities. But the right pairing can hit all three notes of celebrity, surprise, and humor (like David Beckham and Matt Damon playing long-lost twins in a Stella Artois ad), while ill-conceived combinations can dilute the message (like Catherine O'Hara and Willem Dafoe playing pickleball in a Michelob Ultra ad).

Tongues Aflutter, but Seal Wins Big

Advertisers often use the Super Bowl to showcase their most outrageous humor, but "weird" and "effective" aren't always the same thing. Coffee Mate's cold foam ad, scored by Shania Twain, was rated by several executives as one of the worst of the night.

"Who would have thought that watching a disgusting CGI tongue wriggling around would make you want to add artificial foam to your coffee?" questioned Metaforce's Adamson.

Although Tubi had one of the most eye-catching ads of the night in 2023 and scored high marks for streaming the Super Bowl free without interruptions, its own marketing failed to hit the mark this year. The ads featuring a man with a flesh-colored cowboy-hat-shaped head, intended to promote the streaming platform's vast and varied content library, ended up being a major swing and a miss.

"Among the many ads that truly resonated or made you laugh, Tubi's ad fell short—it felt like it was trying too hard to be different, and the result was disappointing," said Autodesk's Treseder.

Tongues and heads weren't the only body parts getting "played with," with mixed results. Eugene Levy's eyebrows "took flight" in a Little Caesars ad, while several celebrities' mustaches "flew" in a Pringles spot; similar concepts and execution dragged down both ads.

Not all humor missed the mark: Coors Light continued its "Monday Blues" marketing with anthropomorphic sloths; Totino's gave its recent campaign a dramatic send-off (RIP Chazmo). But Mountain Dew was an exception, breaking the rules on both celebrity and quirky humor—staying true to its refreshed brand image, by placing singer Seal's head on a seal's body for a brand-customized version of "Kiss from a Rose."

"The execution was sharp, and the humor was self-aware, making the weirdness feel intentional rather than random," said Jamie Maunder, chief creative officer at Mādin. "This kind of ad sparks conversation, whether people love it or are simply confused. But that's the point—it cuts through the noise."

Testing the Waters in Choppy Political Seas

With Donald Trump becoming the first sitting U.S. president to attend the Super Bowl, several advertisers tried different strategies to navigate the political minefield of the so-called "vibe shift."

He Gets Us, airing its third ad—a marketing platform aimed at raising cultural awareness of Jesus Christ—cleverly walked a middle path. The 60-second spot, set to Johnny Cash's cover of Depeche Mode's "Personal Jesus," weaves together simple, diverse images of people helping each other—including someone power-washing "Go back" graffiti off a wall and Pride parade participants embracing.

"It didn't feel preachy—it just felt human," said Rick Sellar, vice president of creative at Think Shift, in an email comment. "Even if you're not religious, this ad touches you, which is more than I can say for many other ads."

Jeep returned to the Super Bowl after sitting out the 2024 game with a two-minute ad that leaned on familiar big-game tropes—American flags waving, American-made cars tearing through the wilderness—and a heartfelt direct-to-camera monologue from Harrison Ford about freedom, heroism, and the American Dream. The copy seemed designed as a political Rorschach test, with something for the left ("Real heroes are humble—they aren't driven by pride"), the right ("Freedom belongs to everyone, but it isn't free—it's earned"), and the center ("We don't always agree on which path to take, but our differences can be our strength").

"The ad walked a very careful line between inclusivity and celebrating different ways of thinking, using a vehicle to show that people can live in the same country yet hold different views," said Josh Golden, CMO of Quad, in an email comment.

The Foundation to Combat Antisemitism aired its second consecutive ad, and its efforts are under the spotlight—with the aftermath of the Gaza war and Elon Musk's Nazi salute. "There's No Reason for Hate" had Snoop Dogg and Tom Brady listing "stupid" reasons for hate, but the choice of spokespeople, in the view of some executives, undermined the ad's effectiveness.

"Snoop and Tom Brady both support our current president, so how did they end up in an anti-Semitism ad? It really baffles me," said Kindra Meyer, executive creative director at experience agency Verb, in an email comment. "It makes no sense at all."

Generative AI's Big Moment Fails to Arrive

Super Bowl LIX was expected to be a breakout moment for generative AI, similar to the "crypto bowl" of 2022, but the field ended up looking rather sparse and disappointing.

Google, in promoting its latest Gemini model and Pixel phones, tried to balance tech hype with tearjerker sentimentality. The ad "Dream Job" shows a father preparing for a job interview with the help of generative AI. As he thinks about polishing his talking points, flashbacks show him raising his daughter—a precious life experience comparable to a challenging and rewarding career role. This marks another misstep for Google in the AI space, following a batch of localized ads aimed at promoting small businesses that wereriddled with inaccuracies and have become a heavy burden for the generative AI platform。

"The aging father watching his daughter grow up is an overused, heavy-handed attempt at sentimentality, and the so-called career advice from AI is nothing but superficial corporate platitudes," said Ted Wahlberg, senior vice president and group creative director at Mower, in an email comment.

OpenAI, shortly afterappointing its first chief marketing officer, launched its largest consumer push to date with an ad created by Accenture Song. The spot uses an ever-changing array of black-and-white dots to depict major human achievements, with AI being the latest. This creative was one of the few ads not fully released before the game and stood out for its visually driven narrative approach.

"It perfectly blends complexity and minimalism. And I'd bet its production cost was a fraction of most other ads, which makes it even more impressive," said Think Shift's Sellar.

Others agreed that "The Intelligent Age" was aesthetically impressive but felt the concept failed to connect the dots to humanity. Sarah Bolton, executive vice president of business intelligence at Advertiser Perceptions, felt emotionally cold toward the ad, especially coming right after the NFL's heartwarming spot inspiring young athletes.

"In those 90 seconds, humanity triumphed over AI," Bolton said in an email.