Touchdown! Marketing lessons from the best Super Bowl ads of 2025

Want to create marketing campaigns that stop scrollers in their tracks? The Super Bowl is advertising’s biggest stage. With every brand pulling out all the stops for its moment in the spotlight, we can learn much from the best Super Bowl commercials of 2025.

From pop culture references to heart-tugging stories that will make millions cry into their nachos, 2025’s lineup gives us a masterclass in video marketing. Let’s dive into the strategies that made these ads pop and discover how to use them in your marketing campaigns, even if you don’t have a million-dollar budget!

While some ads seek to create trends, others happily follow existing ones to significant effect. Let’s explore how these brands turn trending topics into marketing gold.

The HexClad Super Bowl ad shows the perfect way to make cookware exciting: connect it to those mysterious UFO sightings making headlines. Its spot places Gordon Ramsay at Area 51, investigating the company’s pans as suspected alien technology.

The ad works because it uses a timely topic to highlight the product’s innovation. By playing with the idea that its cookware is literally out of this world, HexClad turns what could be a boring product demo into something viewers want to watch.

Michelob Ultra spotted a trend and ran with it. Its ad features Willem Dafoe in an intense pickleball match, where Ultra is the prize. It’s perfect timing; pickleball is everywhere right now, with courts in neighborhoods nationwide.

The clever part? Michelob is not just jumping on a trend—it’s using it to reinforce an existing brand identity. Connecting Ultra with the hottest sport of the moment strengthens Michelob’s position as the beer for active lifestyles.

Mountain Dew found the perfect way to promote its Baja Blast tropical lime flavor: get Seal to perform “Kiss from a Lime,” a clever twist on his iconic 1994 hit “Kiss from a Rose.” But the brand takes the joke even further by having the musician Seal appear as an actual seal, performing alongside a group of barking seals.

The ad succeeds by layering its pop culture references. It’s not just about the song parody—it’s about fully committing to the bit. By having Seal embrace the playful absurdity of the concept, Mountain Dew creates a memorable moment that gets people talking about its product. It’s a masterclass in how to use nostalgia and wordplay to create something fresh.

Not every ad aims for laughs or celebrity buzz—some of the best Super Bowl ads of 2025 go straight for the heart. Let’s explore how these brands use emotional storytelling to create lasting connections with viewers.

How do you sell mortgages when rates are at 7%? The Rocket Mortgage Super Bowl ad skips the numbers talk entirely. Its wordless ad follows a pregnant woman and a series of young families through moments of joy in their homes. No sales pitch, no rate quotes.

The message is clear without saying a word: home ownership is about more than monthly payments. Rocket taps into our deepest desires for stability and belonging by showing everyday moments of family life. It’s a reminder that the dream of home ownership still resonates even in a tough market.

For its Super Bowl debut, Instacart is getting creative about building trust. The brand has brought together beloved mascots like the Pillsbury Doughboy, Mr. Clean, and the Energizer Bunny for a delightful reunion. It’s like seeing all your favorite childhood friends in one place.

This odd mashup makes the Instacard brand feel instantly familiar by borrowing nostalgia from these iconic characters. The ad cleverly shows that all these trusted brands are available through the Instacart service. It’s a clever way for a newer company to make us feel like it’s been here all along.

Dove’s Super Bowl commercial doesn’t need complex narratives or celebrity cameos to make its point. The ad shows a three-year-old girl running down the sidewalk with boundless energy. Text appears: “At three, these legs are unstoppable.” Then comes the gut punch: “At 14, she’ll think they’re unbearable.”

The simplicity is what makes this work. Without a single word spoken, Dove tells a story every parent will feel in their heart. By contrasting childhood freedom with teenage self-doubt, the brand creates an emotional connection that goes deeper than just selling personal care products. It’s a powerful reminder of how body confidence can shape young lives.

Everyone loves free stuff, but in the 2025 Super Bowl, brands are taking giveaways to a new level. These aren’t just simple contests; they’re creative campaigns aimed at getting millions of viewers involved in real time. Let’s look at how these brands have turned prizes into powerful marketing.

The FanDuel Super Bowl ad introduces its “Kick of Destiny” campaign with a twist. In an amusing role reversal, Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks Peyton and Eli Manning have traded their passing prowess for placekicking duties! Viewers can pick which Manning brother will make the kick, competing for a share of $10 million in platform credits.

The brilliance is in the simplicity. FanDuel isn’t just giving away prizes—it’s also creating new customers. Offering free entry and “bonus bets” as rewards is an excellent way of transforming casual viewers into active users. It’s customer acquisition disguised as entertainment.

Fetch is taking an interesting approach to building buzz around its rewards app. During the Super Bowl’s final 120 seconds, it will give $10,000 to 120 winners. But here’s the catch: you have to download the app before those final moments.

By tying its giveaway directly to the game’s closing minutes, Fetch creates real urgency. Driving action means that Fetch is sure to convert more viewers into customers. It’s a clever way for a lesser-known brand to drive immediate app downloads while everyone’s attention is at its peak.

Doritos is trying something different this year. Instead of hiring an ad agency, the brand is inviting its fans to create its Super Bowl commercial. After a month of online voting, the winning fan gets their 30-second spot aired during the game, plus tickets to watch it live.

This isn’t just about saving on production costs. By letting fans create the ad, Doritos is tapping into genuine creativity and passion for the brand. The contest created lots of engagement and UGC long before game day, and the winning ad comes with built-in authenticity that no agency could replicate.

Every Super Bowl brings a parade of celebrities, but not every star-studded ad is a hit. Let’s look at the ones that have got it right this year. The best Super Bowl commercials of 2025 are the ones that succeed in turning star power into real marketing magic.

What if you took three celebrities from different worlds and combined them in your local neighborhood? It sounds like the start of a bad joke, but it’s the formula Budweiser uses to great success in its 2025 Super Bowl ad. Post Malone, Shane Gillis, and Peyton Manning unite in this spot. These three completely different personalities hang out in a cul-de-sac like regular neighbors.

The best part? Nobody’s trying too hard. Each star acts naturally, and the humor comes from their personalities clashing. It feels like a fun block party that just happens to have some famous faces. This is how you use celebrities without making it feel forced.

Uber Eats takes a big swing with Matthew McConaughey’s theory that football was invented to sell food. The spot brings in Martha Stewart and Charli XCX to build this ridiculous case, and it works perfectly.

The ad succeeds because it embraces the absurdity. By memorably linking football and food delivery, Uber Eats creates a connection that sticks with viewers. Every time you watch a game now, you’ll probably think about the theory—and maybe order some food while you’re at it!

Meta takes on a challenge in its 2025 Super Bowl ad: how do you make smart glasses feel less intimidating? Its answer is to show Chris Pratt and Chris Hemsworth using them in everyday situations. No tech jargon, no complicated features—just two approachable stars making new technology look natural.

Instead of overwhelming viewers with specs and features, Meta lets these familiar faces demonstrate real-world use. The celebrities help normalize the technology while keeping things light and engaging. It’s a clever way to make something new feel familiar.

When you have Fast & Furious stars in your Super Bowl ad, you might expect high-speed chases and explosive action. Instead, Häagen-Dazs gives us something unexpected: Vin Diesel and Michelle Rodriguez taking their time to enjoy ice cream, while Ludacris looks on in disbelief. All of this unfolds to Smokey Robinson’s laid-back “Cruisin’.”

The ad works because it plays against type. Instead of asking these action stars to do what we’ve seen before, Häagen-Dazs creates humor by putting them in a completely different scenario. By showing these typically high-octane personalities slowing down to savor a moment, the brand reinforces its own message about taking time to enjoy life’s little pleasures.

While you might not have a Super Bowl-sized budget, these brand stories show what works. The secret isn’t just following trends but finding clever ways to connect them to your message.

The best 2025 Super Bowl ads 2025 showed us the techniques that work. Now it’s your turn to make them your own. With help from Envato, you can create ads with big game without breaking the bank. Use our templates to help you capture the same magic and save time! For more marketing inspiration, check out the behind-the-scenes story of Envato’s own brand campaign, or brush up on the latest digital marketing trends for 2025.