For the 14th straight year, Yahoo Sports is here to escort you through the dizzying array of celebrity cameos, awkward jokes and heartstring-tugs of this year’s waves of ads, updating live as they air.
As always, we graded ads on a completely subjective, utterly biased, totally nonscientific basis, and all grades are final. Feel free to contribute your own takes in the comments or on our social media channels. Now … on with the ads!
Advertisement
Grade: A
Hellman’s, “Meal Diamond”
Andy Samberg looks nearly unrecognizable as Neil Diamond during a parody of “Sweet Caroline.” And while the ad looks like it’s going to be a standard, silly song initially, Samberg is able to inject enough of his desperate, self-loathing and pathetic humor into the commercial, elevating it over your standard wacky Super Bowl ad. Meal Diamond has a backstory and an actual character, which is an incredibly stupid (complementary) thing to say about a 30-second commercial. Also, singing bologna.
Kellogg’s Raisin Bran, “Will Shat”
Genius! It’s rare these days for an ad to make you laugh out loud, but this one just might. William Shatner stars as “Will Shat,” who’s on a valiant mission to bring more fiber to America via Raisin Bran (haven’t you heard fiber is the new protein?). We won’t spoil the jokes here, so just give it a watch.
Advertisement
Toyota, “Superhero Belt”
No wacky celebrities. No crazy stunts. It’s just a simple, touching commercial about giving back to family. There are plenty of Toyota logos in the ad, but no obnoxious voiceover trying to sell you on the product. It’s a subtle ad meant to tug on your heartstrings, and it gets the job done.
Dove, “The Game is Ours”
Dove continues to emphasize body positivity here, specifically for young girls in sports, noting the surprising statistic that one in two girls who quit sports are criticized for their body type, as a young girl donning a flag football belt looks solemnly in the mirror. But the commercial took a celebratory turn, showcasing young female athletes crushing it in a variety of sports, from cheer to track, swimming and everything in between. We love body positivity. We love supporting women’s sports. Win-win.
Advertisement
Michelob Ultra, “The Ultra Instructor”
It’s hard to go wrong when you combine Olympic stars past and present — TJ Oshie and Chloe Kim — and throw in Kurt Russell, who famously played Team USA coach Herb Brooks in the 2004 hit “Miracle.” Lewis Pullman is also there, because why not, and he does a nice job as the student to Russell’s sensei. The ad was shot on a real mountain, and it will get you in the Olympic spirit – if you’re not already.
e.l.f. Cosmetics, “Melisa”
This Melissa McCarthy telenovela fever dream hits all the right notes. You’ve got a comedy star in McCarthy doing what she does best (being both hilarious and ridiculous), and the product is actually showcased in a way that makes sense (relatively). You’ve also got a tie to Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show, the inclusion of telenovela actress Itatí Cantoral and phrases you’ve never heard before, like “fuego, fuego, queso, juego.”
Advertisement
Lay’s, “Last Harvest”
This one has all the right ingredients for your classic Super Bowl tear-jerker: a touching parent-child relationship and a yellow lab getting older over the years. The actual storyline is not only made for a movie, but it hits all the right notes for the product it’s selling. And there’s just something about Keane’s “Somewhere Only We Know” that sweeps you up into all the feels.
Grade: B
Volkswagen, “Drivers Wanted”
In an attempt at recreating its success from the ‘90s, Volkswagen revived its “Drivers Wanted” campaign, which originally debuted in 1995. Back then, the campaign led to record sales numbers in the U.S. The 2026 version of the ad is fine, focusing on various slice-of-life vignettes. Will it have the same effect on Volkswagen sales in 2026? Who knows. But it was inoffensive.
Advertisement
Pringles, “Love at First Bite”
Sabrina Carpenter creates a Pringles man who constantly breaks when she’s not eating him. It’s a silly enough premise, though the twist at the end where the fans are more interested in Pringleleo instead of Carpenter is a pretty good bit.
Bud Light, “Keg”
Post Malone, Peyton Manning and Shane Gillis are back for another Bud Light ad in the Super Bowl. This one features guests tumbling down a hill, chasing after a fallen Bud Light keg. There’s not much to it other than that, though at least there’s one shot of a yelling Post Malone as he “falls” down the hill.
Pepsi, “The Choice”
Advertisement
A Pepsi ad that spoofs the Coca-Cola polar bears re-ignites the rivalry between the brands, and pokes fun at the couple at the Coldplay concert (which happened in July, but feels like it happened seven years ago). You don’t see a lot of brand rivalries these days, so at least Pepsi is bringing something a little different to the table, even if it’s invoking ads of old. The Coldplay concert thing almost knocks it down a peg, though. It already feels like a dated reference.
Oikos, “The Big Hill”
Hey, shouldn’t the 6-foot-2, 252-pound Derrick Henry be the one pushing the trolley up the hill? That’s the entire joke behind the ad, in which actress Kathryn Hahn saves the day. It’s a simple premise, but Hahn is always entertaining. And it’s also fun to see a giant like Henry next to regular people. Also, he absolutely chucks that bottle at the end, so style points for that.
Ro, “Healthier on Ro”
Advertisement
You knew there were going to be GLP-1 commercials during the Super Bowl. Tennis legend Serena Williams has been vocal about her use of Ro — she is a paid spokesperson for the product, after all. She’s an effective spokesperson, too, as Williams dropped 30 pounds since retiring from tennis. If more casual fans weren’t aware of that, they are now, making the Ro ad an effective one.
Verizon, “Tap That App”
Kevin Hart is back for another Verizon spot, this time acting as a coach of a football team, delivering what would probably be the least inspiring halftime speech ever. “We will not win this game; we won’t come close.” Ouch. “Talent won’t get you [to the Super Bowl],” Hart hammers on. Don’t worry, though. Verizon customers have the opportunity to get to the Super Bowl via a ticket giveaway. In short, Verizon’s promo may be the closest any of us will ever get to the Super Bowl. Tough reality.
Ramp, “Multiply What’s Possible”
Advertisement
Brian Baumgartner, who famously played dopey accountant Kevin Malone on “The Office,” is … back in an office, and he’s apparently on a deadline — a very tight one. As he approaches the five-minute mark leading up to this deadline, he discovers Ramp. Suddenly, he’s got body doubles swarming all over the office, accomplishing the tasks he clearly couldn’t have finished on his own. A+ for “The Office” references, including Kevin’s vat of chili, but we’ll give it a B because we’re still not entirely sure specifically what this product does.
Uber Eats, “Hungry for Truth”
Uber Eats continues its concept from last year, with Matthew McConaughey trying to convince Bradley Cooper that football is selling food. The duo is fairly entertaining, but the cameos (Jerry Rice in particular) and the final scene, referencing Cooper’s role in “A Star is Born,” help make it pop.
Oakley Meta, “Athletic Intelligence is Here”
Advertisement
This sleek ad, featuring Marshawn Lynch, Spike Lee and Sunny Choi, among others, succeeds with captivating visuals of skydiving, skateboarding, mountain biking and more while showcasing the capabilities of the Oakley Meta glasses. Whether this will entice people to purchase the glasses, which come with a hefty price tag, is another story.
Grubhub, “The Final Course”
You kind of have to appreciate how on-message this one is, and how well it’s integrated into the story of the ad. And George Clooney adds heft to pretty much anything he appears in.
Skittles, “Deliver the Rainbow”
We’re so on board with the concept of a Skittles horn, as well as the Napoleon Dynamite vibes of this commercial. Elijah Wood does a great job here, and the teens not knowing who he is is played perfectly.
Advertisement
T-Mobile, “Tell Me Why (T-Mobile’s Version)
Backstreet’s back, did you hear? With the ‘90s boy band having a moment thanks to their Sphere shows in Las Vegas, it’s hard to go wrong having them tailor their hit song to include T-Mobile promo. The MGK cameo at the end was a nice touch.
Nerds
Andy Cohen was an interesting choice to star in this spot, but the vibrant colors popped and it was effective in showcasing the product.
Bosch, “The More You Bosch”
This one was simple and clever, drawing well on Guy Fieri’s infamous spiky blonde hair to showcase the difference between when he uses Bosch products and when he doesn’t.
Advertisement
TurboTax, “The Expert”
It’s always kind of fun to see an Oscar-winning actor poking fun at himself — “I don’t do happy” — and Adrien Brody does a nice job dramatizing the pain of doing taxes that we all know too well.
Xfinity, “Jurassic Park…Works”
Playing into Jurassic Park nostalgia, featuring Jeff Goldblum and Laura Dern, works here with the concept of Xfinity helping the park come back online after a network outage. The new-and-improved Jurassic Park looks downright lovely, complete with the pool and flying dinosaur ride.
Fanatics Sportsbook, “Bet on Kendall”
Playing on the much-talked-about Kardashian curse, we are led to believe Kendall Jenner has made her millions by betting on her significant others, rather than modeling. The concept is middling, but it will probably get people talking, which is half the battle when it comes to Super Bowl ads.
Advertisement
Grade: C
Hims, “Rich People Live Longer”
“Rich people live longer,” boasts the ad, about trying to shorten the “health gap” by making medication and healthcare more accessible for everyone. Maybe the goals are admirable, but the reminder that rich people have it so much better isn’t exactly the strongest message, even if the ad is trying to close that gap.
Budweiser, “American Icons”
Who doesn’t love an unlikely animal friendship? Well, this one, between the signature Budweiser Clydesdale and a bald eagle that it befriends from birth, just doesn’t quite land and doesn’t feel all that original. We’ll give it some props for the cool visual at the end of the eagle’s wings atop the horse.
Advertisement
Dunkin, “Golden Cringe”
It would be hard to top last year’s Dunkin ad, and this one just doesn’t hit. Ben Affleck is always a good anchor for Dunkin’s commercials, but the story just isn’t there, and it feels like Jennifer Aniston, Jason Alexander and Matt LeBlanc could serve more of a purpose.
Hyundai, “John Krasinski’s Epic Mission”
In case you forgot, John Krasinski is an action star now, and this spot sees him drive the Hyundai Palisade Hybrid through various action-movie obstacles. It’s a nice showcase for the car, but otherwise, it’s pretty ho-hum.
Boehringer Ingelheim, “Mission: SOS”
Boehringer Ingelheim likely accomplishes its mission here by educating the public about its health testing, and including stars like Octavia Spencer and Sofia Vergara helps pack a punch. The action scenes don’t make a ton of sense, but that’s not really the point here.
Advertisement
Instacart, “For Papa”
A commercial built on Benson Boone’s flips isn’t the most original, but it’s always fun to see Ben Stiller in a “Dodgeball”-esque character. The Instacart message comes across well in the first part of the ad, but then things get a little off the rails with Stiller throwing himself all over the place.
Squarespace, “Unavailable”
The biggest draws of this one are Emma Stone bringing the drama and Yorgos Lanthimos’ art-house vibe. Otherwise, the spot doesn’t do a whole lot for us besides look nice.
Kinder Bueno, “Yes Bueno”
There’s nothing wrong with this ad, necessarily. The concept is decent and it’s pretty snappy — the “yes bueno” and “no bueno” of it all could get stuck in your head — but it’s also not one you’re going to be talking about the next day.
Advertisement
Rocket, “America Needs Neighbors Like You”
Lady Gaga’s rendition of Mister Rogers’ “Won’t You Be My Neighbor” soundtracks this spot, which has a poignant message but is also a little messy. Between the young girls going through a move and a divorce, respectively, neighbors seemingly at odds and a lost dog, there’s a lot to take in. But it’s possible this one could resonate.
State Farm, “Stop Livin’ on a Prayer”
Danny McBride and Keegan-Michael Key are back alongside Hailee Steinfeld — plus a cameo from Katseye — to star as ‘80s rocker types who aren’t going to cover your boat, home, or anything else very well. It’s mildly entertaining, but nothing spectacular.
Grade: D
Liquid I.V., “Against All Odds”
Advertisement
Liquid I.V. tries to capitalize on the success of the hit movie “KPop Demon Hunters” by featuring EJAE, who sings Phil Collins’ “Take a Look at Me Now” beautifully, but the connection to the brand feels thin at best. A sip of Liquid I.V. makes EJAE’s voice sound clearer, and she’s constantly reminding herself to hydrate, but why is she in a giant bathroom that has a piano just sitting there? Why that song? Seems like a bit of a missed opportunity.
Base44, “It’s All App to You”
If you’re not familiar with Base44 at all, this commercial provides a lot of info about what it can do. In a vacuum, this is an ideal ad! But for the Super Bowl, it’s pretty bland.
Salesforce, “How I Made a Super Bowl Ad”
Advertisement
This one was very long, and it was hard to tell where they were going with this. It relied heavily on Mr. Beast’s involvement, and while the thought was creative, it could’ve been better executed if he had just announced his giveaway earlier.
Totino’s, “Somehow Chazmo Returns?”
It was going to be tough to follow up last year’s spot with Tim Robinson and Sam Richardson. Here, we don’t see Chazmo until the final seconds, and it was easy to forget that this was a Pizza Rolls commercial — showing more food in a Super Bowl ad is never a bad idea.
Grade: F
Ritz Crackers, “Shell Phone”
This one has all the ingredients for a great ad, including stars Jon Hamm, Scarlett Johansson and Bowen Yang, but it falls about as flat as the product it’s promoting. The story of the Ritz party doesn’t really make any sense, though Yang’s aversion to sand is quite relatable. Overall, a swing and a miss.
Advertisement
Svedka, “Shake Your Bots Off”
There is pretty much nothing redeeming about this ad, which features robots dancing to Rick James’ “Super Freak” while doling out Svedka. That’s about all there is to it.
Anthropic, “Can I get a six pack quickly?”
The answer is maybe, but also, yikes! This ad underscores the fact that not only is A.I. coming for us, but it’s coming in a very annoying way. While Anthropic’s chatbot Claude allegedly won’t have ads, that doesn’t make it much more palatable.
التعليقات