"It's been called the AI Super Bowl, thanks to Anthropic and OpenAI launching what (hopefully) might become AI's very own Cola Wars. It's been called the MAHA Bowl, thanks to brands like Novo Nordisk promoting Wegovy pills, while Ro and hims & hers are pitching telehealth services, Novartis got NFL tight ends to relax for prostate cancer checks, and pharma company Boehringer Ingelheim hypes kidney health."
"But we know it was the Super Bowl because mixed in amongst the trends were Sabrina Carpenter's FrankenPringles man, both T-Mobile and Coinbase hit play on the Backstreet Boys, Oakley Meta made connected glasses look pretty good, and Manscaped somehow turned shaved body hair into emotionally-resonant characters. Another distinct sign this was as Super Bowl-y an ad game as any other Super Bowl? Celebrity directors."
"Apple continued its complete reinvention of the halftime show, turning Bad Bunny's electric performance into a global event. We also saw a respectable number of hit songs get classically commercial reinterpretations. The aforementioned Backstreet Boys were joined by Andy Samberg becoming Meal Diamond for Hellmann's, Danny McBride and Keegan-Michael Key butchering Bon Jovi for State Farm, and both the NFL and Rocket crafting emotional gut punch moments by reinterpreting two songs from the Mr. Rogers catalog."
The Super Bowl advertising lineup fused tech and health narratives with classic celebrity-driven spectacle. AI-focused campaigns shared the stage with pharmaceutical promotions for weight loss, telehealth services, prostate screenings, and kidney health awareness. Viral and surreal creative moments ranged from FrankenPringles and Manscaped characters to Oakley Meta connected-glasses and Backstreet Boys callbacks. High-profile directors helmed major spots, bringing cinematic styles to commercials. The halftime show became a global event with Bad Bunny, while several brands repurposed well-known songs into commercial reinterpretations, delivering both comedic and emotional beats across the broadcast.
Read at Fast Company
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