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If youâre anything like us, you spent Super Bowl Sunday with one eye on the scoreboard and both eyes on the commercial breaks. Super Bowl 60 didnât just bring the heat on the field; it gave us a glimpse into a new era of advertising where “the celebrity cameo” isn’t enough anymore. Brands had to work harder for our attention this year.
At Fierce, we’re always looking for that moment, where a product meets a wild concept. From AI getting a soul to Jurassic Park getting a Wi-Fi upgrade, here is our definitive breakdown of the top 10 ads that actually stuck the landing.
10. Expedia | Going Places with Ken
Who says 65 is for slowing down? To celebrate Kenâs 65th anniversary, Expedia turned the worldâs most famous “beach guy” into a global jet setter. Using stunning, tactile stop-motion animation, we see Ken booking solo trips to Tokyo and Rome with total confidence. Itâs a wink to the “Barbie-mania” of recent years while shifting the focus to Kenâs own growth. It perfectly illustrates Expedia’s new mission: being the go-to spot for travelers at any stage of their journey, even if theyâre starting 65 years late.
The Win: Using a 65-year-old icon to prove that world travel is simple enough for anyone to master
9. Pepsi | âPolar Bear Remixâ
The Cola Wars are officially back, and Pepsi just threw a polar-bear-sized snowball. Directed by the brilliant Taika Waititi, this spot features an iconic polar bear (yep, that one) taking a blind taste test andâshockerâpicking Pepsi Zero Sugar. What follows is a 30-second existential crisis where the bear heads to therapy to deal with his new identity. Itâs funny, itâs daring, and it uses Queenâs âI Want to Break Freeâ to turn a simple taste test into a cultural moment.
The Win: Itâs a masterclass in ‘poking the bear.’ Pepsi managed to hijack their competitor’s most famous mascot to prove a point about taste superiority, all while keeping the tone light and hilarious.”
8. Amazon | Scary Good
Ever feel like your smart home is a little too smart? Amazon tapped Chris Hemsworth and Elsa Pataky to play out every AI-paranoia dream weâve ever had. Directed like a high-budget action flick, the spot shows Chris imagining Alexa+ is plotting his demise via garage doors and rogue bears. Itâs hilarious to see the world’s toughest action star get bullied by a voice assistant, but the real magic is how it humanizes the tech.
The Win: Amazon tackled the ‘scary AI’ conversation head-on. By leaning into the absurdity of our fears, they made Alexa+ feel like a helpful (if slightly sassy) member of the family rather than a sci-fi threat. Plus, who doesn’t love the idea of an AI booking you a cinnamon scrub massage?
7. Anthropic | The Claude Debut
Anthropic took a massive risk by making an ad that basically said, “We don’t do ads.” It was a meta-commentary on the state of the internet, positioning Claude as the “clean” and ethical AI choice. It was polarizing, sure, but it carved out a very specific lane.
The Win: Sharp, ballsy brand positioning.
6. Bosch | âJustaguyâ
This was a masterclass in “Anti-Casting.” Seeing Guy Fieri – the mayor of Flavortown himself – playing a completely boring, average guy was hilarious. It proved the brandâs point: the more you “Bosch,” the less you have to try.
The Win: Weaponizing a celebrityâs persona by stripping it away.
5. Ritz | âRitz Islandâ
Total escapism. Casting Bowen Yang, Jon Hamm, and Scarlett Johansson as “salty” socialites in an absurd paradise was a stroke of genius. It leaned into the “salty vs. buttery” product debate and gave us the high-gloss production value we crave during the Big Game.
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The Win: Fun, fast-paced, and brand-heavy.
4. Google Gemini | âNew Homeâ
While most AI ads feel like a sci-fi movie, Google went for the heart. It followed a family through the stress of moving day, showing Gemini as a quiet, helpful companion rather than a world-dominating robot. It was grounded, emotional, and, most importantly, relatable.
The Win: Humanizing tech through “practical magic.”
3. State Farm | âHalfway Thereâ Insurance
State Farm chose violence this year, and I loved it. They created a “mediocre universe” where everything is just almost good enough. The Bon Jovi parody was a total earworm, and the “cliffhanger” ending made insuranceâof all thingsâfeel like episodic entertainment.
The Win: Making “good enough” the ultimate villain.
2. Squarespace | âUnavailableâ
Squarespace went full “Art House” with director Yorgos Lanthimos and Emma Stone. It felt like a psychological thriller about a stolen identity (via a domain name). By ditching the bright colors of other ads for a moody, B&W aesthetic, they stood out by being the quietest – and weirdest – thing on screen.
The Win: It treated a “boring” product like a high-stakes drama.
1. Xfinity | Jurassic Park Reimagined
This was the undisputed heavyweight champion. Instead of just “remember this movie?”, Xfinity asked: âWhat if the tech actually worked?â Seeing the original cast realize they couldâve just called for help if they had 10G connectivity was brilliant. It turned a 30-year-old disaster into a modern utility demo.
The Win: High-octane nostalgia used to solve a problem
The big takeaway from Super Bowl 60? Context is king. These ads weren’t just the loudest; they were the ones that understood why we love these movies, celebrities, or moments, and then flipped them on their head.
Which one was your favorite? Weâd love to know if that Jurassic Park flip worked for you as well as it did for us!