We watched a whole lot of ads Sunday night. Some of them were dumb. Some of them were funny. Some were even heartfelt.

But which ones were effective in convincing us to buy what they’re selling?

That’s what this article is about.

Table of Contents

How to Train Your Dragon

I’m biased because I absolutely do not want to see a remake of this movie. When you’ve already made a perfect thing, the answer is not to try and remake a different version of the perfect thing. The answer is to try and make something completely new.

That said, this ad does its job of showing what it’s selling and why we should care, so I’m giving it a grudging WIN.

Rocket.com

This ad claims to be selling the American Dream, but by playing Take Me Home, Country Roads over the whole commercial, it felt like they were really only selling the American Dream to people who live in West Virginia.

If this ad were only playing in West Virginia with other ads targeting people in other states, it would be fine.

But given that the Super Bowl is a national event with people watching in all 50 states, a song that praises all of America, rather than just one state, would have been more effective.

FAIL.

Thunderbolt

It’s a Marvel commercial, so I think it’s fairly safe to assume this movie is going to do well. But I think it’s interesting that this commercial is leaning pretty heavily on actors who are not part of the established Marvel Universe, which gives those of us who have not watched the 20+ movies and even more TV shows with the established MU a chance to enter this new universe, which I think is a plus.

Admittedly Florence Pugh has been in a Marvel movie and one of the Marvel miniseries on Disney+, but I doubt you need to know that to appreciate this ad. Besides, who doesn’t love Florence Pugh?

WIN.

Jesus: He Gets Us.

Jesus standing on a mountain with the sun rising behind him

There are so many better ways to promote Christianity, starting with, I don’t know, actual quotes from Jesus’s teachings?

Being part of a church can also foster a sense of community and help people feel connected to the people around them, which is something we need more than ever right now.

This ad didn’t talk about any of that, which makes it a major FAIL.

Liquid Death

This ad lost me as soon as it claimed “everyone is drinking on the job.”

Its reversal into “It’s just water and iced tea” tried to be clever, but did not undo the damage of seeming to promote alcoholism.

There are so many better ways to promote water and iced tea, but instead they had to trick us into thinking they were talking about one thing, and then laugh at us when they revealed they were talking about something else.

Nope. Major FAIL.

Hexclad

All famous people are aliens.

Hilarous. This had Pete Davidson, who could totally be an alien. The only way it could be better is if it had Tilda Swinton, but I assume they couldn’t get her to pose as a fictional alien because she’s an actual alien.

But I have no idea what Hexclad is or why I should buy it, so despite the amusement factor, I have to give this ad a major FAIL for failing to achieve the only objective any ad should have: selling your widget.

Duracell

I loved that it featured someone asking Tom Brady if he’s OK, and Tom responds, “Why does everyone keep asking me that since the Roast?”

This is tough because selling batteries is tough. They’re not fun or sexy. They’re a necessity we only think about when they die and we can no longer use the thing they were powering.

So, although I sympathize with their struggle, I still have to give this ad a FAIL because it only mentioned the Duracell brand briefly, and never mentioned what makes Duracell better than its competitors.

Dunkin’ Donuts

Ben Affleck is apparently the only celebrity Dunkin’ could get back from last year’s ad featuring Ben, Matt Damon, and Jennifer Lopez.

This ad appears to be trying to recreate that energy w/ 1/3 of the star power and it just doesn’t work.

Unlike last year’s ad, this one didn’t talk about the coffee or donuts we can enjoy at Dunkin’ Donuts. It relied heavily on having their brand name and colors splashed all over the screen, but what good does that do if it doesn’t ignite that craving?

FAIL.

Hellman’s

Is a callback to the famous “I’ll have what she’s having” scene from When Harry Met Sally, and I have to admit I love it. Is it over the top? Absolutely.

But it also successfully positions Hellman’s as the star of the meal, and that’s what an ad for a condiment needs to do.

WIN.

Pringles

This ad made us believe Pringles was causing mustaches to leave the faces of famous people.

How is that supposed to make me want Pringles?

Like the Dunkin’ commercial, this one leaned way too heavily on the snack’s logo instead of what it is about Pringles that makes us go through a whole can without realizing it.

Your logo is not your brand, and it’s certainly not what you’re selling, but apparently no one told that to Pringles.

FAIL.

Nike

Starts by telling women what they can’t do, then shows them doing it.

Not only that, but it shows the Nike font in the middle of the commercial, even without a Nike tagline, which is A+ branding! WIN!

Screening for Breast Cancer

Features Wanda Sykes, and everyone loves her. It has a good message, and it makes that message clear, which makes it hard for me to hate on it, so I have to give it a WIN.

IndyCar

This is allegedly the “fastest racing on Earth.”

Again, I’m not the target audience for this, but that doesn’t mean they didn’t effectively demonstrate what they’re selling and show plenty of clips to get the blood pumping and make their target viewers want to take part, so I’ll go ahead and give this a WIN.

Ontario

Trying to convince Americans that we need what they have.

I feel like we already knew this, but I can’t blame them for trying, especially since they probably bought the ad space before Trump backpedaled on his tariff threat, so I’ll go ahead and give it a WIN.

Stok Cold Brew

W/ Channing Tatem. Features dancing and trying to pump up a losing team. I wonder if they filmed two versions of this.

It’s another commercial that’s amusing, but does absolutely nothing to make me want to drink what they’re supposedly trying to sell, which makes it a FAIL.

Rescue Hi Surf

The ad certainly makes this show look intense, but it’s not for me.

I can’t blame them if I’m not their target audience, though. I think people who are looking for some high-stakes escapism might be attracted to this show, so I’ll go ahead and give it a WIN.

Angle Soft

I love the term “pottytunity” and I love that they encouraged us to get up and actually use toilet paper. I mean, I feel like bathroom breaks is what commercials were invented for, so I have to give this one a major WIN

Reese’s

Shows people wanting to eat actual lava.

No. It shows people are stupid, and it shows a confusion between Reese’s chocolate lava and actual lava. That shows a lack of brand awareness, and that’s not good for anyone.

How do you mess up a commercial for chocolate?

Did they figure it’s so easy to sell they could skate by with anything, as long as their brand was visible for a few seconds?

Yeah, probably. And they’re probably right, but I still have to give this a major FAIL.

Weight loss Injections with Ro.co/tv

Curb hunger with less nausea.

Wait. Does that mean there’s still nausea? No thank you. FAIL.

Carnival

“A paradise you’ll want to lose yourself in.”

It’s a good tagline, and we can all relate to the feeling of not wanting to go back to reality at the end of a good vacation.

I do think the commercial could have done more to talk up the specific amenities of a Carnival cruise make it so hard to leave, but the vibes are strong in this ad, so I give it a WIN.

DoorDash

Makes it seem like spending on Doordash is irresponsible spending, which makes their customers seem dumb, and makes it seem like buying the thing they’re selling is a bad idea.

Are they trying to use reverse psychology to get people to order through their app?

FAIL.

Agent Force

I hate these commercials because they promote AI as the answer to everything simply because it’s AI.

In fact, the “problems” their AI is allegedly solving could be solved by a human asking a few simple questions or checking the weather forecast.

I love Matthew McConaughey as much as the next person. His charm is undeniable, but nothing about these ads make me want to use Agent Force, so they have to be a FAIL.

Lays

This commercial is the best. It shows a young girl planting her own potato plant, sheltering it from storms, and trying to nurture it into the best potato it can possibly be.

I mean, Lays isn’t even my favorite potato chip brand, but how can this story not bring a tear to my eye and make me want to eat more Lays potato chips?

WIN!

Homes.com

It’s focused on why they are legally obligated to NOT say Homes.com is the best and to try to use wordplay to get around it.

Instead, they could have focused on why the ARE the best, and claimed the only reason they can’t claim to be the best is because a lawyer says they can’t (even though they clearly are.)

As it is, they provided no evidence as to why they should be called the best, which makes this a FAIL.

Haagen Daas

three ice cream cones with three different flavors

Not so Fast. Not so Furious.

Promotes slowing down to enjoy some ice cream, and who doesn’t want to do that?

WIN!

Fleshy Cowboy Head

Wait. What?

I don’t even know what this is supposed to be promoting.

FAIL.

Poppi

Stop spiraling. Get a Poppi.

I don’t love the idea of a bunch of people pressuring me to make a decision to get a Poppi, although I do like the idea of getting a healthier soda.

I feel like their ad last year was much more compelling.

This year it feels much more like peer pressure to get a Poppi, and no one wants to make a decision out of peer pressure, and no one should want their brand to be associated with that kind of stress.

FAIL.

Extracted

It’s not for me, but it does look like something a lot of Americans will watch because it promotes people taking stuff from other people in order to survive and if that doesn’t define America right now, what does?

WIN.

Science Moms

Trying to bring awareness to climate change by showing how our kids are growing up without the climates they are entitled to.

Honestly, I kind of love it, and I don’t even have kids.

Climate change is reaching a point where it is affecting us right now, but for those who don’t want to admit that, why not appeal to the fact that it will affect their kids, even before they reach adulthood?

Will this ad reach the people it needs to? Probably not.

Is it making parents think about their choices when it comes to climate change?

I certainly hope so.

WIN

Jeep

Something about heroes and freedom?

It relies on a lot of platitudes like “freedom isn’t free.”

How does buying a Jeep solve that problem?

It stars Harrison Ford and a German Shepard, and it’s trying really hard to be unifying, but it still doesn’t do anything to make me want to buy a Jeep.

It does make me want to become a political activist, though.

FAIL.

Stella Artois

This ad with David Beckham and Matt Damon is hilarious, but it doesn’t make me want to drink Stella Artois. If anything, it makes me want to eat buffalo wings.

FAIL.

Dove

Trying to change the way we talk about girls’ body types and girls in sports.

I like the idea, but it could have done more to talk about how Dove can help you take care of your body at any age or shape. As a commercial, it needed more than just a message and a logo, but it didn’t have it, which makes it a FAIL.

Booking.com

Promotes the idea that they have “something for everyone” and uses a variety of the most famous (and different) Muppet characters to convey that idea while showcasing some of their hotel options.

It’s a perfect WIN!

Bosch

I like the idea of Bosch appliances and power tools making you feel like a boss. It’s a great feeling to channel in your advertising, and I love the wordplay with their brand name, but I think it could have been done better.

They dress Antonio Banderas up in a tux and then make him do silly dances, which completely negates the powerful feeling they’re trying to channel.

This is my first WIN/FAIL! It started out so strong, didn’t quite make the landing, but came close enough I can’t deem it a complete fail.

Totino’s

There’s an alien who likes Totino’s but then dies as he’s waving goodbye to his human friends as he boards his spaceship and gets killed by his own automatic door?

It says absolutely nothing about Totino’s.

It does nothing to make me want Totino’s.

It doesn’t even make me hungry.

FAIL.

The Floor

“America’s most addictive game show?”

I’m definitely not the target audience for this show, but it does a good job of showing what the show is and why people should watch, so I’ll give it a WIN.

DOC

I hate the concept of this show so much because no one who has no memory of the past eight years should be practicing medicine.

Does no one involved in the making of this show know that doctors have continuing education credits they have to take to maintain their license?

Do they have any idea how much medicine can change in 8 years?

BUT, this ad does a good job of showing what the show is and why we should tune in, so although I won’t be tuning in, I’m still going to give this a WIN.

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The post Lessons from the Best and Worst Superbowl Ads 2025 first appeared on AV Writing Services.

Photo of Alison Ver Halen Alison Ver Halen

Alison Ver Halen majored in English and Psychology without realizing she was getting the perfect degree for content marketing. It wasn’t until a few years after she graduated, when a family friend asked her to write blog posts for his law firm, that…

Alison Ver Halen majored in English and Psychology without realizing she was getting the perfect degree for content marketing. It wasn’t until a few years after she graduated, when a family friend asked her to write blog posts for his law firm, that she realized she could make money doing what she loves. Fast forward to today and Alison is still writing blog posts, as well as website landing pages and emails, but also integrates SEO and marketing strategy into the content she writes to give her clients their best chance of attracting, engaging, and converting their ideal clients.

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