If the ads took the field: our breakdown of the winners

The Big Game isn’t just the biggest night in football — it’s the biggest night in advertising. In a world where capturing attention is harder than ever, brands lucky enough to claim a :30 part of it all know they need to seriously bring it. As always, some brands brought it in ways that worked better than others; here's what worked and what didn't.

TLDR: This year’s Big Game was a powerful reminder that advertising is constantly changing. ?While the matchup drew a massive audience (a 41.7 household rating with 3.2% viewership growth year-over-year), the ads that resonated—and those that didn't—proved that success requires more than just a big budget.

Trend #1: Funny’s comeback continues.

As we continue to move away from a pandemic zeitgeist that was understandably earnest, humor continues to be a trend. If you think about your favorite spots, there’s a great chance they made you laugh.

Trend #2: Keeping it real.

Influencer marketing continues to be an MVP of Big Game ads, especially for reaching audiences like Gen Z and Millennials. But authenticity is key here, as social fans can turn sour when something hits wrong.

Trend #3: Think outside the bowl.

The best ads don’t just live on game night—they go beyond. Smart brands used teasers, behind-the-scenes content and digital extensions to maximize reach across social channels. With platforms like TikTok, Reels and YouTube Shorts changing how people consumed content, these brands also leveraged :06 spots to connect with their target audience in a quick, engaging way.

Ammunition’s take on the ads of The Big Game. ??

We asked our Chief Creative Officer, Alex Russell, to referee some of the work…

Who got it right:

• Best use of music: Come Near (He Gets Us), What is Greatness?
• Great twist on an old campaign: Budweiser, First Delivery
• Killer reboot of iconic movie: Hellmann’s, When Sally Met Hellmann’s
• Best brand comeback: Bud Light, Big Men on Cul de Sac
• Best use of new comedy stars: Totino’s Pizza Rolls, Chazmo Finally Goes Home

Who missed the mark:

• Most forced: WeatherTech: Whatever Comes Your Way
• Most generic: Rocket: Own the Dream
• Most celebrity for celebrity sake: Nerds: Wonderful World of Nerds

??STRIKING STATS

• $8M was the average price of a 2025 ad. This has increased from $7M last year (Statista).
• Did you know: The average human attention span has dropped to just 8.25 seconds, making it harder for ads to break through (Samba Recovery).
• Despite being two of the target audiences of this year’s ads, only 16% (ages 18-29) and 19% (ages 30-44) of younger viewers selected that commercials were their favorite part of the broadcast in a 2024 survey (YouGov).

??LIGHTNING ROUND

Ammunition was recognized as one of Atlanta Business Chronicle’s Atlanta's Largest Advertising and Marketing Agencies for the third year in a row.

Ammunition's holiday album, "Out of Office, In the Spirit," earned three Addy Awards: Gold for Direct Marketing & Specialty Advertising and two Silvers for Advertising Industry Self-Promotion on both Film, Video & Sound and Music With/Without Lyrics.

Chief Operating Officer Stephanie Van Meter was featured on The HRKyle Podcast in a segment on Parents at Work: How Employers Can Make or Break Their Success.

VP of Client Partnerships Neale Abshire celebrated her 6-year Ammoversary and Senior Developer Brandon Trecki celebrated his 1-year Ammoversary.