Lyrical Muse

Super Bowl LX brought the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots to Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, on Sunday, Feb. 8. By the final whistle, the Seahawks secured a 29–13 victory and lifted the Vince Lombardi Trophy. Bad Bunny headlined the Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show with a cinematic set that featured surprise appearances from Lady Gaga, Ricky Martin and more, turning the night into a full-scale pop spectacle.

Yet the sharpest competition unfolded between plays. With 30-second ad slots priced between $8 and $10 million, brands arrived armed with A-list celebrities, viral-ready punchlines and high-concept storytelling. For many viewers, the commercials remain as much of a draw as the game itself, capable of shaping internet discourse within minutes and cementing their place in the pop culture cycle.

The strongest ads understood the assignment. They delivered a clear idea within seconds and committed to it fully. Some leaned into emotion, others chased absurdist humor, and several rode the AI wave shaping the broader tech conversation. Nostalgia returned in full force, while a few brands turned long-running rivalries into sharp, self-aware punchlines.

Here are the 12 commercials that truly scored this Super Bowl season.

Google’s Gemini: AI with a human touch

Google built its Gemini spot around possibility. Titled “New Home,” the ad follows a homeowner using the AI tool to visualize fresh paint, redesign a child’s bedroom and imagine a garden coming to life. The ad oozes cuteness with an adorable baby, a charming house and a loyal dog adding an easy warmth. Instead of spectacle, Google keeps it intimate and aspirational, showing how technology can quietly support everyday dreams.

Anthropic’s Claude: A subtle AI rebellion

Anthropic made its Super Bowl debut with a clever twist on chatbot culture. In the ad, a young man asks an AI for workout help, only for the bot to start pushing products he never requested. The punchline lands with a clear promise: ads may be coming to AI, but not to Claude. The tone feels self-aware and restrained, and in a crowded AI field, that simplicity stands out.

Pepsi: The polar bear switch

Pepsi’s Super Bowl commercial revived the cola rivalry with a playful jab. A polar bear, long linked to Coca-Cola, takes a blind taste test and chooses Pepsi Zero Sugar, spiraling into an existential crisis with Taika Waititi appearing as its therapist. The ad later cuts to two polar bears on a kisscam, nodding to 2025’s viral Coldplay moment, as they proudly raise their Pepsi cans. Mischievous and self-aware, the spot packaged parody, nostalgia and brand warfare into one sharp punchline.

Lay’s: A father, a daughter and a farm

Lay’s delivered one of the night’s most emotional spots. The cinematic ad followed a father-daughter farming duo working side by side across generations, golden-hour fields and quiet glances carrying the story. The commercial felt sincere and grounded, reminding viewers where their chips begin and choosing heart over flash.

Dunkin’: A ’90s sitcom fever dream

Dunkin’ leaned hard into ’90s nostalgia with its “Good Will Dunkin’” Super Bowl spot, starring Ben Affleck, Jennifer Aniston, Tom Brady and a parade of sitcom heavyweights. The ad reimagines Good Will Hunting as a never-aired 1995 sitcom set inside a Cambridge Dunkin’, with Affleck spoofing Matt Damon’s math genius by arranging Munchkins in a Fibonacci sequence before losing his girlfriend to Brady. Matt LeBlanc, Jason Alexander, Ted Danson, Alfonso Ribeiro, Jaleel White and Jasmine Guy round out the ensemble. The commercial moves fast, plays up Boston bravado and lands as a winking cultural throwback—loud, nostalgic and unapologetically fun.

Squarespace: Emma Stone’s offbeat PSA

Emma Stone starred in a faux public service announcement that balanced dry absurdity with sleek direction. The spot played with seriousness before undercutting itself with humor. It felt slightly surreal but never self-indulgent, positioning Squarespace as both creative and accessible.

Pringles: Sabrina Carpenter’s edible boyfriend

Sabrina Carpenter introduced “Pringleleo,” a man-shaped stack of Pringles who escorts her to red carpets and romantic coastal drives, only for her to sneak bites mid-date. The ninth consecutive Super Bowl outing for the brand turns a simple snack into a full-blown pop culture bit, blending absurdist romance with Gen Z-savvy humor. With Carpenter’s sharp comedic timing and built-in fanbase, the spot balances nostalgia and novelty, leaning into internet chaos while reinforcing Pringles’ long-standing playful identity: once the can opens, anything can happen.

T-Mobile: Backstreet Boys reunion energy

T-Mobile tapped the Backstreet Boys for a full-throttle nostalgia hit. The “Tell Me Why” Super Bowl commercial leaned into millennial memory and let the band’s charm do the heavy lifting. It felt familiar, comforting and strategically sentimental.

TurboTax: Adrien Brody goes dramatic

Adrien Brody treated tax prep like an awards-season role, brooding and overcommitting in stark black-and-white scenes. The clash between his intensity and the promise of stress-free filing sharpened the comedy. The ad commercial felt sleek and knowingly theatrical.

Pokémon: A global fandom roll call

Pokémon assembled a cross-cultural cast that included Lady Gaga, Trevor Noah, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Charles Leclerc, Lamine Yamal, Young Miko and BLACKPINK’s Jisoo. Each celebrity spotlighted a favorite Pokémon, turning the ad into a fandom mosaic. The Super Bowl 2026 commercial felt expansive and celebratory, bridging generations and continents in seconds.

Levi’s: Denim with swagger

Levi’s “Behind Every Original” campaign marched to James Brown’s “Get Up Offa That Thing,” spotlighting iconic denim-clad backsides, including BLACKPINK’s Rosé. The camera moved quickly, confidently and without clutter. The ad felt playful and refreshingly simple, celebrating personal style without overcomplicating the message.

Bosch: Guy Fieri, unfiltered

Bosch stripped Guy Fieri down to “just a guy” in a button-down shirt before transforming him back into his flame-haired persona through the power of kitchen appliances. The transformation gag felt bold and visually punchy, pairing humor with a clear product showcase.

Which Super Bowl 2026 commercial stood out to you? Share your thoughts with us on X and Instagram. Visit Lyrical Muse for more sharp takes on pop culture’s biggest moments.