Best Super Bowl 2026 commercials — I'm ranking the top ads (so far)

The 2026 Super Bowl ads showcase new trends in brand storytelling

Published on Feb. 8, 2026

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The Super Bowl LX ads featured a fresh wave of multimillion-dollar spots that showcased new trends in brand storytelling, including the return of the protein craze, celebrity-led narratives, cross-platform integration, absurdist humor, and AI-driven anxiety. The article analyzes the top ads and emerging trends to watch, such as hyper-personalized micro-ads, interactive experiences, and cross-genre mashups.

Why it matters

The Super Bowl continues to be the ultimate testing ground for high-budget creativity, and the 2026 ads hint at a future where humor, celebrity, tech-driven narratives, and cross-platform storytelling become the norm. Brands that can blend these elements while staying true to their voice will likely dominate the next wave of 'big-game' advertising.

The details

The 2026 Super Bowl LX ads featured a range of new trends, including the return of the 'protein-first' narrative with DoorDash's 'Beef 101' spot starring 50 Cent, celebrity-led storytelling with Andy Samberg, Elijah Wood, and Emma Stone, and a focus on cross-platform integration with extended content on Peacock and NFL+. The ads also embraced the absurd, with Raisin Bran's 'Will Shit' spot and Ritz's island-party ad, and explored AI-driven anxiety with Amazon's horror-styled commercial starring Chris Hemsworth. Sports icons like Derrick Henry also continued to be powerful brand ambassadors.

  • Super Bowl LX took place on Sunday, Feb. 8 2026 at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California.

The players

Seattle Seahawks

One of the teams that competed in Super Bowl LX, with a new quarterback (Sam Darnold) and head coach (Mike Macdonald).

New England Patriots

The other team that competed in Super Bowl LX, with a new quarterback (Drake Maye) and head coach (Mike Vrabel).

Bad Bunny

The headliner for the Apple Music Super Bowl LX halftime show.

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What’s next

As the Super Bowl continues to be the ultimate testing ground for high-budget creativity, the trends from 2026 hint at a future where humor, celebrity, tech-driven narratives and cross-platform storytelling become the norm. Brands that can blend these elements while staying true to their voice will likely dominate the next wave of 'big-game' advertising.

The takeaway

The 2026 Super Bowl ads showcased a fresh wave of multimillion-dollar spots that signaled the future of brand storytelling, with a focus on humor, celebrity, cross-platform integration, and technology-driven narratives. Brands that can successfully blend these elements while staying true to their values will likely lead the next era of Super Bowl advertising.