Super Bowl Commercials Spark Joy Nationwide

Quick Smiles:

• USA Today reveals top three Super Bowl 60 commercials.
• Celebrity appearances and iconic songs highlight the ads.
• Budweiser, Lay’s, and Pepsi deliver fan favorites.

The Super Bowl isn’t just about football—it’s also the year’s biggest stage for creative, star-studded commercials. This year, brands pulled out all the stops with heartfelt themes, catchy tunes, and some good laughs.

USA Today’s annual Ad Meter named “American Icons” from Budweiser as the top spot, winning for a record 10th time. The ad, set to “Free Bird” by Lynyrd Skynyrd, celebrated Budweiser’s 150th anniversary and the United States’ 250th birthday through the bond of a bird and the famous Clydesdale.

“We saw a lot of familiar songs, heard those songs really driving narratives throughout these commercials,”

shared USA Today’s Ralphie Aversa.

“Last Harvest” from Lay’s, directed by Taika Waititi, touched viewers with a heartfelt story of a farmer passing traditions to his daughter, soundtracked by “Somewhere Only We Know.” Based on a real family, it captured themes of legacy and connection.

Humor took center stage with Pepsi’s “The Choice,” where a polar bear, usually associated with Coke, learns it prefers Pepsi Zero Sugar in a playful taste test. Waititi, who also directed this ad, made a fun cameo, tying in a nod to last summer’s kiss cam moment.

“Obviously the USA Today Ad Meter panelists, they were in on the joke, first with the polar bears, who are obviously mascots for another drink brand, and the fact of the Pepsi Challenge, which is marking its 50-year anniversary,”

said Aversa.

Each commercial found creative ways to make us laugh, smile, and even tear up, showing the magic that happens when storytelling and sports come together. Looking forward to more memorable Super Bowl moments next year!

Source