The Surge

Super Bowl LX 2026 drew in an average of 124.9 million viewers across all platforms, making it the second most watched U.S. television program in history. With numbers like that, the Super Bowl is not just a football game — it is a massive advertising opportunity. One 30 second ad slot during this year’s game cost companies about $8 million, with some paying over $10 million. When brands are spending millions of dollars, audiences expect quality that reflects the price; however, most ads this year failed to impress or live up to their hefty price tag.  

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been on the rise and Super Bowl ads mirror that, with 15 of the 66 featured ads (about 23%) either promoting AI companies or using AI in some regard to create the ad. These ads felt lazy, using buzzwords as a shortcut instead of putting in the effort to make something funny and memorable. Humans respond to storytelling and emotion, things AI cannot replicate. When brands rely too heavily on AI usage, their ads become memorable for all the wrong reasons. They appear impersonal and overly manufactured, focusing more on showing off technology rather than connecting to the audience. 

Not only did the ads rely too heavily on AI, but they also overused celebrity cameos. For example, Dunkin’ Donuts’ “Good Will Hunting” parody sitcom ad featured A-list celebrities like Ben Affleck, Jennifer Aniston, Matt LeBlanc, Tom Brady and more. In the ad, Affleck played the part of a genius Dunkin’ employee, even organizing the donuts in the mathematical Fibonacci sequence. In fairness, the concept of the ad is humorous and had potential; however, it fell flat once yet another famous face popped up rather than a punchline. Instead of trusting the humor, the ad relied on recognition, hoping the audience would laugh simply by seeing the actors’ faces rather than actual good writing. 

The only thing as anticipated as the actual Super Bowl game are the ads played throughout, and this year they absolutely fell short. For companies that can cough up millions of dollars for a 30 second ad, it makes no sense for them to be lazy about the actual production of it. In the era of ever-declining attention spans, brands need to understand that having this opportunity of millions of eyes watching is a privilege, and they should take advantage of it. Creativity is rewarded when it is authentic and intentional. Viewers can tell when a commercial is thoroughly crafted rather than overproduced and relies on gimmicks. If brands truly want to stand out they should prioritize originality and substance over spectacle. 

Bottom Line: The Super Bowl is one of the biggest stages for advertising, but this year’s commercials proved that a massive budget cannot buy creativity. If brands want to justify the million-dollar price tag, they must remember the most effective ads are the most human.