Thirty years after Pokémon first burst onto handheld screens in 1996, the global phenomenon returned to the biggest stage in American television.
During Super Bowl LX 2026, The Pokémon Company International unveiled its year-long 30th anniversary celebration with a glossy, joy-charged spot built around a deceptively simple question: What’s your favorite?
Titled “What’s Your Favorite?”, the campaign invited fans and celebrities alike to claim the character that shaped their childhood or mirrors who they are today.
Kenji Okubo, president of The Pokémon Company International, framed the idea succinctly: “It’s a question that sparks passionate discussion and reminds fans that no matter who they are, there is a Pokémon for them. We can’t wait to surprise and delight them with more offerings and experiences in the coming months.”
The Super Bowl commercial plays like a cultural time capsule. Lady Gaga steps into a recording studio and locks into a playful duet with Jigglypuff. “Jigglypuff is my favorite,” she says, praising the character’s famously elastic pipes. “She has a 12-octave vocal range.” It lands as a wink to Gaga’s own vocal theatrics and Jigglypuff’s lullaby lore.
Trevor Noah leans into nostalgia with Psyduck, recalling his early days with the original games and anime. He loves Psyduck because it “can change the world using its mind,” a line that captures the Pokémon’s chaotic psychic power and Noah’s own sharp intellect.
K-pop star Jisoo chooses Eevee, the franchise’s ultimate shape-shifter. She admires Eevee’s ability to evolve into multiple powerful forms and adds, “I think she resembles me a bit.” It is a fitting parallel for an artist who moves seamlessly between music, fashion and screen.
On the sports front, F1 star Charles Leclerc picks Arcanine for “his loyalty” and “his speed,” while teenage football sensation Lamine Yamal salutes Zygarde’s strength and ability to overcome opponents.
Actress Maitreyi Ramakrishnan laughs about sharing Luxray’s love of sleep, and Puerto Rican rapper Young Miko embraces Gengar’s mischievous streak, calling it a kind of love language.
The message is clear. Pokémon no longer belongs to a single generation. It belongs to anyone who ever argued over trading cards, memorized theme songs or powered up a Game Boy under the covers.
Three decades in, the question still hits home.
Tell us your favorite Pokémon and why, and share your take with us on X and Instagram. For more pop culture deep dives, visit Lyrical Muse.
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