Super Bowl Debrief: Commercial Wins and Losses

When football fans tune into Super Bowl Sunday, brands can shine through the ultimate highlight — Super Bowl commercials. While audiences are sucked into these commercials, their attention alone doesn’t always win their loyalty to these brands. As Chris Bettin, Executive Creative Director, says, “Strategy matters. Think strategically, then execute creatively.” This year’s lineup delivered a mix of emotional storytelling, laughs, and a few misfires, all offering unique creative ways for brands to stand out in the Super Bowl mixing bowl of major commercials. But from Bettin’s perspective, the core elements of a “great” Super Bowl commercial capture audiences’ attention.

“Super Bowl Sunday is perhaps the only time consumers don’t just allow but look forward to and actively pay attention to advertising, you still have to keep people interested,” said Bettin. Whether these commercials did so through over-the-top spectacle, storylines, or celebrity endorsements, it’s not always the best method of resonating with your audience. Bettin believes that authentic, emotional connections to the brands these commercials are advertising are the main ingredients of a “great” Super Bowl commercial.

Too often, audiences remember crazy moments or huge jokey punchlines, but they won’t remember or come away with any lasting takeaways if that’s all these commercials have. The Super Bowl is a time for audiences to bond, whether that’s over food, sharing a space with family and friends, or just enjoying the game and the commercials. That is why, no matter what type of ad you put on screen, it’s essential to capture your viewers’ attention and create a genuine consumer connection in your Super Bowl ads. How you present these ads, however, depends on the goal your brand is trying to achieve.

While there were commercial highlights, there were also commercials that took an ineffective approach to audience connection. “I know how much work goes into getting creative ideas approved and presented. Just getting something on the air that even comes close to the original idea is a long shot,” said Bettin. However, some commercials relied too heavily on a gag, celebrity cameo, or trend that had little to no connection to the brand or fumbled from an entertainment standpoint.

Bettin admits that humor can be subjective; however, there’s a difference between trying to play your ad “safe” and trying to stand out. Not taking risks can make your brand go unnoticed, especially if you just release the same type of ad you’d normally release without Super Bowl backing. “If no one notices your ad, it’s a failure. If they notice it but don’t connect it to your brand, it’s a failure. Conversely, if they notice and make a bad connection to your brand, that can be a failure, too,” said Bettin. “Sometimes, no attention is better than bad attention. But if you’re going to play it safe, there are a lot cheaper (from a media standpoint) ways to do it.”

Bettin notes that there were many Super Bowl commercials that connected with him and inspired him. “Seeing quality writing and production bring quality ideas to life is what every creative in the business loves… I always strive to push SA’s creative work as far as our budgets, timelines, and other factors allow. The Super Bowl is a great place to see amazing ways to do that.”

For him, some of the commercial “touchdowns” of the evening were:

1. Claude AI (Anthropic)
2. Novartis
3. Google

What Bettin loved about Claude AI was that it wasn’t just well produced and written, but it drew you in with a twist audiences couldn’t see coming. It was smart about its presentation and provided beneficial information.

“They demonstrated how to use the tool, but then did it in an emotional storytelling way. It still drew you in, had an emotional connection, plus a reason to care. You get wrapped up in the story and almost forget for a second that this is a product demo. It’s a smart use of storytelling and of a platform like the Super Bowl because you get to share that part of your story, that’s not something that every brand does,” said Bettin.

Google took a similar approach by drawing audiences in with an emotional, yet educational presentation. His other standouts leaned into the unconventional yet engaging way of storytelling. Novartis especially got in touch with humor audiences normally don’t see in pharma ads, encouraging viewers to schedule their prostate screenings and implementing a simple play on words of “relaxing your tight end.”

In general, what makes great commercials stand out at the Super Bowl is that they lean into the brand’s features, tell a good brand story, and connect with your audience emotionally to maintain their attention. There are so few times when audiences want to actively watch commercials, so take advantage of it, and then your brand can score big like these examples.

With today’s political and cultural climate, it can be hard for brands to take a strong stance on their messaging. While we’re living in a divisive world, Bettin recommends that brands strike a balance between making statements and trying to make everyone happy.

“The biggest mistake most brands make is trying not to offend anyone… if you try to appease everyone, you will appeal to no one. That is really where brands in and out of the Super Bowl often fall flat or end up feeling invisible because they tried to do something that nobody could ever be upset by, which means that most people aren’t going to notice it or remember it,” said Bettin.

Due to this climate, some brands are leaning into more unified or supportive messaging or focusing on creating joy for audiences. Ultimately, brands need to focus on what their own audiences want/need. Meaningful engagement tends to resonate the most with consumers, whether it’s through authenticity, humor, or heartfelt storytelling. Taking the opportunity to align with your audience’s desires through intentional strategy will help you “stick out.” Big names, budgets, and spectacles aren’t enough anymore; you need to understand what your customers want to make a creative touchdown.

Super Bowl Sunday doubles as a creative reset for SA. It’s a reminder to pair bold execution with strategic intent, the same principles SA applies year-round, regardless of budget.

At SA, staying in touch with culture is critical to understanding our partners’ audiences and finding ways to engage with them meaningfully. SA’s creative goal is to connect real human needs to a brand’s core promise, telling a brand story that sticks with audiences.

“Great strategic thinking and storytelling tend to be more universal and timeless,” said Bettin, “Ideas that are based purely on trends or ‘now’ topics can be good for making a quick splash, but they aren’t generally a recipe for success.”

Long term, chasing trends and jumping into politically charged topics isn’t always the best strategy for your branding. Instead, focus on emotional and authentic content that’s tied to the brand’s messaging. By fulfilling your audience’s needs through impactful storytelling, you’re able to create a stronger bond with your viewers and draw in a wider audience, because they see your brand as thoughtful.

SA’s integrated approach couples research-driven strategy with emotional storytelling, ensuring creative that breaks through and builds brand for the long haul. From creative concepting to campaign proposals, SA’s creative team helps brands make an impact that outlasts the moment. Whether you’re planning a tentpole moment or refreshing your branding, SA can help you get noticed, stay remembered, and move people to action.

Chris Bettin is the Executive Creative Director at Strategic America (SA). Learn more about our creative and branding services.