Top Super Bowl Ads and What Small Businesses Can Learn from Marketing Around the Big Day (Copy)
The Super Bowl acts almost like New Year’s Day for marketers.
Every year, brands spend millions of dollars for a few seconds of attention, hoping to create something memorable enough to cut through the noise. And every year, the same lesson becomes clear: the ads that work aren’t just louder, they’re clearer.
Note: I didn’t watch these ads live. I’m referencing coverage from The Athletic and responding critically. If there’s an ad you think deserves to be part of this conversation, reach out, I’m always open to expanding it.
Here is the link: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7016254/2026/02/08/super-bowl-commercials-2026-ranking-shatner-instacart-skittles/
Calling Back to Memorable Moments
One theme that showed up repeatedly this year was brands calling back to shared moments from the past year.
Pepsi is putting two polar bears on a concert jumbotron.
DoorDash is having 50 Cent deliver “beef.”
What these ads did especially well was trust the audience. They didn’t over-explain the reference. You either got it or you didn’t, and that was intentional.
This does two important things for a brand:
If you get the joke, you feel rewarded and included.
If you don’t, you’re curious enough to look it up or talk about it.
Either way, the ad creates engagement without begging for attention.
Small business takeaway:
You don’t need to explain everything. Trust your audience more than you think you should.
Buyer Friction
This has been a topic I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about, and one ad addressed it better than most: Relax, It’s a Blood Test.
The writing wasn’t perfect, especially in moments where NFL tight ends repeated what the narrator already said, but the strategy worked.
They clearly understood why many men avoid prostate cancer screenings:
Fear
Discomfort
Embarrassment
Confusion
Then they removed friction:
Simple language
A clear explanation of the process
A tone that felt approachable, not preachy
They identified the problem, established the stakes, and offered a solution without talking down to the audience.
Small business takeaway:
If people aren’t buying, booking, or engaging, friction is usually the problem.
The Obscene
As the Super Bowl reaches more people every year, the censor button gets more of a workout. Raisin Bran tested the line this year, and for the most part, it paid off.
The brand leaned heavily into bathroom humor to promote a high-fiber cereal. It was funny. It was memorable. And it almost certainly increased brand awareness.
That said, there’s a trade-off.
When humor becomes the entire message, you risk anchoring your brand to something that’s hard to shake. If the first thing people associate with your product is “running to the bathroom,” that may not be a long-term win.
Small business takeaway:
Shock gets attention. Clarity builds trust. Be honest about which one you actually need.
The Misses
Dunkin’
This ad felt lazy.
It starts by turning Good Will Hunting into a sitcom, which could have worked, but then spends the rest of the time cramming in celebrity cameos. The result isn’t funny or thought-provoking. It doesn’t change how I feel about Dunkin’, and it doesn’t make me want their product.
What makes this especially frustrating is that Dunkin’ already owns something powerful: Boston.
If they had leaned into the city’s duality, blue-collar grind versus young professionals, they could have told a story that felt honest and specific rather than crowded and nostalgic.
Hellmann’s
This one is unfortunate.
If the ad ended at 30 seconds, it might’ve been one of the best of the night. The subtle lyric change to Sweet Caroline was smart and sticky — the kind of thing that could live in people’s heads for years.
But it kept going. Once Andy Samberg’s signature chaos takes over, the brand message starts to disappear.
I don’t dislike Andy Samberg — but not every brand benefits from that level of energy.
Small business takeaway:
Knowing when to stop is just as important as knowing what to say.
Final Thoughts
I couldn’t get to every ad, but if there’s interest, I’d love to compare this year’s commercials to some of the best of all time and unpack why it feels like Super Bowl ads are getting worse.
There was a time when people watched the Super Bowl for the ads. That number is shrinking. And that’s worth paying attention to.
Weekly Challenge
Which Super Bowl ad made you think differently about your business?
And if none did which one made you think about your favorite local business instead?
