What Super Bowl Ads Reveal About Marketing Trends

The Super Bowl includes much more than football. For marketers, it’s one of the biggest moments of the year to build brand awareness. Millions of people are watching, and brands are all competing for just 30 - 60 seconds of attention.

This year’s Super Bowl ads gave us a pretty clear look at where marketing is headed in 2026, and honestly, it aligns with how we’re guiding our clients’ marketing (and our own) this year.

Here’s what stood out to us…

More brands are tapping into storytelling

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: storytelling is trending in marketing today (and we can’t seem to remember a time when it wasn’t)!

This Super Bowl, a lot of brands pulled back on the overproduced shock factor and leaned into simple, human stories instead.

More relatability and more emotion went a long way.

Instead of relying on a quick punchline or visual gag, Lay’s presented “Last Harvest” as a heartfelt, character-driven story. The ad follows a father and daughter working their family potato farm as they prepare to pass the legacy to the next generation.

It was about so much more than their chips. This commercial honed in on themes of family, memory, and heritage, which made it feel more like a short film than a commercial. The warm visuals and nostalgic cover of “Somewhere Only We Know” set the tone to pull you in emotionally.

Having true human touch in this ad is what made it land. Viewers weren’t just seeing or hearing how amazing Lays chips taste; they were watching a story about connection and legacy. Those themes are universal, which makes the ad stick.

And by continuing the narrative style they introduced the year before (similar to “The Little Farmer”), Lay’s is building a multi-year storytelling platform, something you don’t see often during Super Bowl commercials. 

Humor is always trending

Once again, we saw a lot of brands tapping into humor this Super Bowl, but this year, it came across as smarter and more authentic. The funniest ads weren't being loud for the sake of being loud. They played off shared experiences as well as subtle cultural moments and self-awareness. 

That’s exactly why Hellmann’s “Sweet Sandwich Time” stood out. Instead of over-the-top nonsense, the ad leaned into the universal struggle of making the perfect sandwich. It took a simple, everyday moment and made it fun. 

The ad started with a simple concept and let the humor build naturally. Instead of over-explaining or forcing the punchline, it trusted the audience to get the joke. That restraint made it feel sharper and more intentional, and it left you smiling without even realizing it.

What made it successful was the self-aware tone, without being forced. “Sweet Sandwich Time” proved that clever writing, strong pacing, and confidence in the joke can outperform over-the-top ads.

Often, the most effective humor is the kind that pushes just enough and knows when to pull back. For local businesses, that can be as simple as acknowledging a common frustration or poking fun at your own industry norms. 

Familiarity over novelty 

Another big trend was familiarity over novelty. Brands brought back recognizable faces, characters, and callbacks instead of trying to reinvent themselves. 

The Dunkin’ commercial was a perfect example. They led with a nostalgia-driven ad packed with well-known celebrities, all rooted in a strong Boston identity. Viewers didn’t have to "figure it out” or process something overly abstract to enjoy it. The references were clear, the faces were familiar, and that made it easy to connect with, which is exactly why it became one of the more memorable spots of the night.

Now, you could argue the ad felt a little engineered.

The celebrity lineup was impressive, maybe even borderline over-the-top. But that instant recognition worked in its favor. When audiences immediately recognize the stars and cultural nods, it creates an immediate emotional connection.

The biggest takeaway is that in a competitive market, familiarity often builds trust faster than something completely new. Consistency is doing a lot of heavy lifting right now, especially for service-based businesses and personal brands that want to stand out without confusing their audience.

Attention is earned…

Maybe the biggest lesson of all: attention is earned, not demanded. The ads that worked felt like they respected the viewer’s time. They were clear, concise, and emotionally aware. That’s especially relevant on platforms like Facebook or Instagram, where people are scrolling quickly and tuning out anything that feels overly salesy or generic.

So what does this mean for your marketing in 2026?

It means leaning into clarity instead of complexity. Choosing consistency over constant reinvention. Using a voice that feels real and authentic, rather than carefully filtered corporate jargon. And remembering that trust is built over time, not in one viral moment.

If the biggest name brands in the world are simplifying, humanizing, and focusing on connection, there’s a lot we can learn from that.