Super Bowl 60 Ads: A PR Analysis of Strategy, Nostalgia, and Brand Purpose
Why Is This Relevant?
Super Bowl Sunday is infamously known as the biggest event of the year for advertising and creatives. For Super Bowl 60, a 30-second advertisement costs between 8-10 million dollars. This cost stems from the idea that this is the one night a year viewers tune in for advertisements instead of switching the channel to avoid them. This brings similar advertisement themes that come around each year.
How to Compete
There are two ways to look at these advertisements as a PR professional: whether it’s based on popularity or strategic efforts. The ads that typically get the most traction focus more on larger concepts rather than selling a specific product. Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management ranks Super Bowl advertisements based on strategy each year. They rank with the application of whether the advertisement was able to clearly communicate the brand purpose while maintaining creativity. They believe Google Gemini’s “New Home” ad meets the criteria through the heartfelt storyline of a child imagining their new home and all the familial growth that could come with it. This ad played well with emotion while still giving viewers a concrete understanding of how the product can be applicable to all of life’s moments.
Beginning to Break It Down
Typically, there are 3 classic Super Bowl genres: Nostalgic, Celebrity, and Wit. With serious competition and a need to stand out, these three are the main genres of ads used to reach desired audiences who are tuning in. Celebrity ads focus on whether the brand’s ad has the potential to become a meme by coming up with a niche idea, like Sabrina Carpenter creating her dream man out of chips. Nostalgia is also a common theme as it works to reach the emotions of viewers who have been familiar with certain brands since their childhood.
Nostalgia Winner: “Good Will Dunkin” by Dunkin' Donuts
This year was filled with advertisements working to play on nostalgia, as it allows brands to connect with a large audience. Dunkin was able to feature both celebrity and nostalgia by using actors from popular 90’s media like Jennifer Aniston, Jason Alexander from Seinfeld, Alfonso Ribeiro from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, along with others. The brand was able to properly use these specific celebrities instead of simply picking someone popular at the time. The cast fit the overall theme of the advertisement without putting all the focus on their star power. Another interesting scope that put this advertisement high on the list was the careful use of AI. AI in the creative industry is seen as controversial, so using it was a risk taken by Dunkin. The technology was used to “De-age” the cast, which allowed the advertisement to take them back to their prime.
Wit Winner: “The Choice” by BBDO and Pepsi
This was a clear winner from the start as Pepsi released its advertisement for the Super Bowl on January 29th, 2026. A whole 10 days before the airing of the big game. It takes skill to poke fun at the competition without being mean or dragging them through the mud, and Pepsi was able to do just that. Using Coca-Cola's beloved polar bear mascot, it depicts the animal going through a crisis when he discovers he actually prefers to drink Pepsi.
Honorable Mention: Dove’s “The Game is Ours”
After over 2 decades, the Dove “Real Beauty” campaign continues to stand strong. On the biggest sports night of the year, the company continues to show its dedication, empowering the younger generation to take pride in their athletic abilities no matter what anyone else tells them. The advertisement creates a sentiment similar to Google Geminis through the use of youth and a sense of empowerment.
About Katelyn
Katelyn Rambo is currently a junior majoring in Advertising and Public Relations with a minor in Digital Studies. She is currently in her second semester with GrandPR, now taking on the role of an Account Executive. After graduation, Katelyn would like to immerse herself in agency life and explore new cities around the world.