Super Bowl Marketing: The Biggest Night for Advertising
Cassidy (CJ) Depauw
Marketing & Entrepreneurship Undergraduate at UNLV | Student Leader | Marketing Specialist
The Super Bowl isn’t just about football, it’s one of the most important nights of the year for advertisers and marketers, with brands competing for the spotlight in front of millions of viewers. With 30-second ad slots going for over $8 million (up from last year’s $7 million due to rising demand, according to Forbes), companies have to deliver ads that are not just entertaining but also memorable and effective.
Fox’s 2025 Super Bowl broadcast drew over 123 million viewers, reaching a wide audience across different demographics. The massive viewership makes this event a prime opportunity for brands to connect with consumers in a way that sticks long after the game is over.
With nearly 50 commercials aired and the Chiefs chasing their historic three-peat, advertisers had to bring their best. In this article, I’ll break down the most impactful Super Bowl marketing campaigns, why they stood out, and what they might mean for marketing trends moving forward.
Michelob Ultra – "The ULTRA Hustle"
Michelob Ultra’s Super Bowl ad, The ULTRA Hustle, was a clever and entertaining play on sports culture, blending humor and a nod to one of the fastest-growing sports in America: pickleball. The 60-second spot featured influential actors Willem Dafoe and Catherine O’Hara taking on NFL Hall of Famer Randy Moss, Olympic gold medalist Ryan Crouser, and WNBA champion Sabrina Ionescu in a game that, against all odds, ends in a victory for the seniors. As the younger athletes look on in shock, O’Hara seals the win with a smirk and the iconic line, “Play you for an Ultra?”
Michelob Ultra’s target audience spans active, social beer drinkers who enjoy sports, but this ad cleverly expanded its reach through smart audience segmentation. Pickleball has exploded in popularity in the past year, among older and younger demographics, making it the perfect setting for an ad that bridges generations. Dafoe and O’Hara brought instant charm and credibility, resonating with viewers in their 40s, 50s, and 60s, while the presence of high-profile athletes kept younger audiences engaged. The humor was sharp, the premise was unexpected, and the reversal of expectations—seeing seasoned actors outplay peak-performance athletes—gave the ad a memorable plot.
Michelob Ultra’s content strategy was clear: position the beer as the drink of choice for active, fun-loving people of all ages. The brand maximized its screen time by seamlessly integrating Ultra into the action, showcasing the beer in 12 different contexts—bottles, cans, drafts, coolers, bars, and store shelves. The execution felt effortless, reinforcing Michelob Ultra’s signature lighthearted, aspirational brand identity.? The humor and underdog victory played into consumer psychology, making the ad memorable and shareable.
The commercial also tapped into cultural relevance, using the rise of pickleball while keeping Michelob Ultra’s fun, easygoing brand identity. With social media buzz and potential tie-ins from the featured influencers, the campaign had the potential for strong post-game engagement. Through a mix of nostalgia, humor, and multi-channel marketing, The ULTRA Hustle cemented itself as one of the most entertaining and effective Super Bowl ads of the year.
Meta – AI-Powered Ray-Ban Smart Glasses
Meta’s Super Bowl ad for its AI-powered Ray-Ban smart glasses was a bold attempt to reposition the brand and generate excitement around its latest innovation. Featuring celebrity ambassadors Chris Pratt, Chris Hemsworth, and Kris Jenner, the ad leaned on star power to showcase the product’s design and cutting-edge capabilities. In the commercial, Pratt, dressed in a sharp suit, uses the glasses to identify an art piece in a museum, demonstrating their seamless AI integration. Hemsworth adds to the cool factor, reinforcing the product’s appeal to high-income, tech-savvy consumers. The biggest surprise comes when Kris Jenner appears, casually wearing the glasses and delivering a perfectly timed punchline—"Call my lawyer." The unexpected cameo injects humor while making the product feel relevant across multiple demographics.
Meta’s target audience for this product is affluent tech enthusiasts who want both functionality and style. The ad strategically used customer personas to reflect this— actors Pratt and Hemsworth appeal to millennial men, positioning the glasses as both fashionable and high-tech, while Jenner’s inclusion grabs the attention of Gen Z and pop culture fans. The choice to showcase the glasses in a high-end setting, with the actors’ polished styling and confident delivery, reinforced their luxury appeal.
From a marketing strategy perspective, the ad effectively used engagement tactics like humor, surprise, and high-profile endorsements to make the product feel aspirational yet approachable. Meta has faced controversy in 2025 over its shifting of platform policies, including increased censorship and the removal of protections for diversity and inclusivity. By unveiling a cutting-edge product on such a massive stage, the company strategically redirected attention toward innovation, steering the conversation away from past criticisms. The ad also hinted at the other possibilities of AI-driven eyewear, sparking curiosity about how the product could enhance everyday life. By blending celebrity ambassadors, cutting-edge technology, and cultural relevance, Meta successfully turned its Super Bowl spot into a moment of intrigue and discussion.
Unilever Dove – "Keep Her Confident"
Dove’s Super Bowl campaign delivered a powerful and emotional message, championing inclusivity, positivity, and female empowerment in a sports broadcast often dominated by male-targeted ads. Rather than promoting a specific product, Dove used storytelling to reinforce its long-standing commitment to uplift young girls in sports, making its brand values the centerpiece of the commercial.?
领英推荐
The 30-second spot, set to a moving cover of Bruce Springsteen’s Born to Run by Grammy-winner H.E.R., features a joyful young girl running freely. The tone quickly shifts as Dove reveals a sobering statistic: By age 14, 45% of girls drop out of sports due to low body confidence. The ad closes with a call to action: Let’s change the way we talk to our girls. Without showcasing a single Dove product, only its iconic gold logo, the brand crafted an ad that was socially relevant and deeply resonant.
Dove’s target audience extends beyond just women and girls, this ad speaks to parents, coaches, and mentors who play a role in shaping young girls’ confidence. The ad also uses an emotional appeal that fosters brand loyalty based on shared values and social impact. The simple execution of the commercial—a single scene of a girl running—keeps the focus on the message, proving that even a small-budget ad can make a big impact when done right.?
From a marketing strategy standpoint, Dove seamlessly combines its Super Bowl campaign with its long-standing “Self-Esteem Project” and “Body Confident Sport” initiative, which provides resources for young female athletes. By focusing on a social cause rather than traditional branding, the ad reinforces Dove’s position as a purpose-driven company, making it one of the most compelling narratives of the night.
Final Thoughts: Super Bowl Ads in 2025
The most successful Super Bowl ads this year proved that storytelling, cultural relevance, and emotional appeal remain the most effective ways to capture audience attention. Brands leveraged celebrity ambassadors, humor, and cultural relevance to create campaigns that felt both entertaining and authentic. The most successful ads were eye-catching and designed for maximum engagement, sparking conversations across social media and beyond.
As marketing continues to evolve, the key to standing out lies in storytelling that connects, branding that feels effortless, and strategies that turn passive viewers into active participants. The Super Bowl remains one of the last mass-market advertising stages, and in 2025, the brands that won were the ones that understood not just what to say—but how to make people care.
In 2025, brands are leaning further into AI-driven personalization, influencer collaborations, and value-based marketing, aligning their ads with movements that matter to their audiences. With short-form content dominating social media and multi-channel marketing being more important than ever, these Super Bowl campaigns were designed for more than TV—they were built for viral moments across internet platforms.
The biggest takeaway from this year’s ads is simple: brands that succeed aren’t just selling products. They’re selling experiences, emotions, and conversations that extend far beyond game night.
Thank you for reading! My name is Cassidy Depauw, and I’m a soon-to-be graduate with a BSBA in Marketing and Entrepreneurship. I’m currently seeking full-time marketing opportunities in the U.S. beginning after May 2025. If you're looking for a passionate and driven marketing professional, feel free to connect with me here on LinkedIn!
References
Watch the commercials here!
Business Administration, Marketing Student at University of Nevada-Las Vegas
4 周Very insightful. Great work!
English Major/Marketing Minor at University of Nevada-Las Vegas
4 周This is very informative and well written. You did great!