Big ideas, big budgets, bigger cultural moments
Every year, the Super Bowl ads are less about the game and more about what brands choose to say when the world is watching. Super Bowl LX felt particularly interesting from a creative and advertising lens. This year leaned hard into storytelling over stunts, emotional connection over gimmicks, and ideas designed to live far beyond the broadcast.
From absurd humour to nostalgic Americana, the best-performing ads weren’t just memorable, they were strategically smart, culturally tuned, and built for conversation. Here’s our curated list of the 10 standout Super Bowl 2026 ads, with a creative-industry eye on why they worked.
1. Pringles – “Pringleleo”
Pringles delivered one of the most talked-about spots of the night by leaning fully into surreal romance and pop culture. Starring Sabrina Carpenter, the ad imagines her constructing the “perfect man” entirely out of Pringles chips, charming, absurd, and inevitably doomed. The narrative unfolds like a glossy rom-com trailer before undercutting itself with the brand’s classic humour.
What makes this spot sing is how confidently it balances celebrity appeal with brand identity. The product isn’t just featured, it is the story. It’s playful, self-aware, and perfectly engineered for replay, GIFs, and social chatter.
This is a masterclass in making a brand idea the hero. Celebrity casting works best when it amplifies the concept, not replaces it and Pringles nailed that balance.
2. Pepsi Zero Sugar – “The Choice”
Pepsi Zero Sugar revived the cola wars with a beautifully restrained spot featuring a polar bear blind taste test. The ad builds quiet tension before delivering a confident punchline, positioning Pepsi as the smarter, bolder choice without ever naming the competition outright.
Visually polished and deliberately minimal, this ad trusts the audience to read between the lines. It’s a reminder that not every Super Bowl commercial needs chaos, sometimes clarity cuts deeper.
Strategic restraint is powerful. This ad proves that simplicity, when backed by a clear brand position, can stand out just as loudly as spectacle.
3. Budweiser – “American Icons”
Budweiser returned to its emotional roots with sweeping visuals of Clydesdales, wide-open landscapes, and a symbolic young bald eagle. The spot is cinematic and patient, tapping into themes of resilience, tradition, and national pride.
Rather than reinventing itself, Budweiser doubled down on its heritage and it paid off. In a noisy ad environment, familiarity became its strength.
Legacy brands don’t need to chase trends, they need to own their story. This ad shows how emotional continuity builds long-term trust.
4. RITZ – “RITZ Island”
RITZ went full escapism with a tongue-in-cheek fantasy island populated by Jon Hamm, Scarlett Johansson, and Bowen Yang. The narrative is ridiculous by design, an over-the-top paradise where RITZ crackers are the ultimate currency.
The ad leans into humour and celebrity chemistry, positioning the brand as confident, fun, and unapologetically indulgent.
This is snack branding done right: joyful, self-aware, and built around vibe rather than logic. Sometimes tone is the strategy.
5. Uber Eats – “Hungry for the Truth”
Matthew McConaughey and Bradley Cooper star in a mock investigation uncovering the “real reason” people watch the Super Bowl, the food. The ad cleverly reframes the event itself, positioning Uber Eats as essential to the entire experience.
It’s sharp, culturally observant, and grounded in a genuine consumer truth.
The strongest ads often start with insight. This one proves that understanding why people care is more valuable than shouting louder.
6. Instacart – “Bananas”
Directed by Spike Jonze and starring Ben Stiller, this ad turns a simple grocery item into a full-blown creative spectacle. It’s weird, stylish, and unmistakably authored.
Instacart elevates the mundane by treating everyday shopping as something worth celebrating and laughing about.
Distinctive creative voices matter. This spot shows how strong direction can turn simplicity into something unforgettable.
7. Michelob ULTRA – “The ULTRA Instructor”
Kurt Russell leads a snowy, aspirational story that blends fitness, fun, and social connection. The ad reinforces Michelob ULTRA’s positioning at the intersection of performance and pleasure.
It’s lifestyle-driven without feeling forced, a brand living naturally within its audience’s world.
When brand values align with lived experience, storytelling becomes effortless. This is positioning done with confidence.
8. Lay’s – “Last Harvest”
Lay’s delivered one of the most emotionally resonant ads of the night with a generational farming story. The spot celebrates legacy, labour, and care. Grounding a global brand in human experience.
It’s slow, sincere, and deeply considered.
Emotional storytelling still cuts through, especially when it’s rooted in authenticity rather than nostalgia for nostalgia’s sake. Still prefer Smiths.
9. Bud Light – “Keg”
A chaotic wedding, a runaway keg, and a stacked cast including Peyton Manning and Post Malone. This ad embraces mess, humour, and shared cultural chaos.
It’s not subtle, but it doesn’t need to be.
Know your role. This ad understands exactly what it’s meant to deliver and executes with confidence.
10. Skittles – “Deliver the Rainbow”
Skittles leaned fully into surrealism with Elijah Wood delivering candy via a magical rainbow horn. It’s strange, memorable, and unapologetically weird.
In a sea of polished storytelling, this one stands out by being proudly odd.
Bold creative risks still matter. Memorability often comes from doing what others won’t.
Some Special Mentions
Dunkin – “Golden Cringe”
Fanatics Sportsbook – Bet on Kendall
What Creatives Can Take Away
Super Bowl 2026 reinforced a simple truth: big moments reward clear ideas. The ads that resonated weren’t always the loudest, they were the most intentional.
For creatives, strategists, and brands alike, the takeaway is clear: storytelling wins when it’s rooted in insight, executed with confidence, and designed to live beyond a single screen.
That’s the thinking we champion at Artisan, helping brands and creatives turn ideas into moments that actually connect, travel, and last.
