As the confetti settles on Super Bowl LIX, one thing is clear – the brands behind this year’s Super Bowl ads pulled out all the stops to capture our attention. From heartfelt moments to nostalgia-packed remakes, and laugh-out-loud surprises, this year’s Super Bowl commercials reminded us why storytelling is the secret ingredient in marketing. Here’s a look at the standout ads that didn’t just sell – they made us feel something. Plus, I’m sharing my takeaways so you can bring these lessons into your own brand storytelling strategy – even if you don’t have Super Bowl sized budgets. Make sure you read all the way to the end for my summary of key takeaways from this year’s ads!

1. Coors Light’s Slow Monday: A Case of the Mondays We Can All Relate To

Coors Light turned a universal post-Super Bowl truth – Monday exhaustion – into a clever, multi-touchpoint campaign. The Super Bowl ad featured sloths moving in slow motion, mirroring how most of America feels the morning after the big game.

But this wasn’t just a one-off ad. Coors Light built momentum for weeks with strategic storytelling moments, including:

• A deliberately misspelled “Coors Ligth” typo in national media, which went viral as people debated whether it was a mistake or a marketing stunt.
• Converted 1.8 million cases of Coors Light to read “Monday’s Light,” – allowing them to become the most displayed brand in store leading into the Super Bowl.
• The launch of the Coors Light Beer Face Roller, a cooling facial roller shaped like a beer can, which influencers and media outlets showcased in “Monday recovery” content.
• A partnership with Peloton to sponsor two free “Case of the Mondays” workout classes, including a meditation and a cycling session, helping consumers recover from their Super Bowl Sunday indulgence.
• Influencer partnerships with fitness and lifestyle creators who leaned into the campaign’s themes of slow, sluggish Mondays while promoting Coors Light as the ultimate post-game chill.

Coors Light didn’t just air a Super Bowl ad; they owned Super Bowl Monday. The campaign was built around a deep cultural insight, extended into real-world activations, and gave audiences a fun reason to engage even after the final whistle.

Takeaway: Find ways to extend your campaign beyond a single moment. Cultural insights paired with smart multi-channel execution make a brand story more than just an ad—they make it an experience.

2. Dove’s These Legs: Emotional Storytelling with a Purpose

Dove delivered another powerful message with “These Legs,” highlighting how 1 in 2 girls quit sports due to body image concerns. The ad, featuring a young girl running freely to a cover of Born to Run, contrasted with the pressures that come with growing up. This campaign was part of Dove’s broader Body Confident Sport platform, which aims to support young female athletes. Dove consistently uses storytelling to champion body confidence, but this ad hit differently due to the emotions it sparks. The music choice, visuals, and pacing all brought the story to life in a powerful way – and that’s what makes an ad truly memorable.

Takeaway: The best brand storytelling isn’t just about awareness – it’s about impact. When you tie your story to a cause and evoke real emotion, your audience doesn’t just remember your ad; they remember how it made them feel.

3. Google Pixel’s Dream Job: The Heartfelt Power of AI

Google Pixel showcased how Gemini AI can help users prepare for job interviews, centering on a father navigating career changes while raising his daughter. The ad struck an emotional chord, reminding us of Google’s storytelling legacy (think Parisian Love and Loretta). The Super Bowl ad is a great reminder that Google’s storytelling superpower humanizing technology. By placing AI in a deeply personal, universally relatable situation, they made an emotional connection rather than just a product pitch.

Takeaway: The best tech storytelling isn’t about features – it’s about what those features enable. Show your audience how your product fits into their life, not just what it does.

4. Hellmann’s When Sally Met Hellmann’s: Nostalgia Done Right

Hellmann’s brought back Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal to recreate When Harry Met Sally’s iconic diner scene – but this time, the “orgasmic” moment was due to the addition of the company’s mayo on her sandwich. Add in a surprise Sydney Sweeney cameo, and you’ve got an ad that had everyone talking. Nostalgia is powerful, but only when done right. Hellmann’s didn’t just reference a classic – they reimagined it in a way that felt fresh and relevant to their product.

Takeaway: If you’re going to tap into nostalgia with your storytelling, make it meaningful. A simple throwback isn’t enough; you need to add a fresh twist that resonates with today’s audience.

5. HexClad’s Unidentified Frying Object: Sci-Fi Meets Cookware

HexClad’s first-ever Super Bowl ad took viewers on an intergalactic journey, with Gordon Ramsay discovering that HexClad’s hybrid cookware might just be alien technology. The humor, high production value, and a surprise Pete Davidson cameo made this ad stand out. The quirky concept reinforced HexClad’s brand story of innovation and superior technology in an unexpected way.

Takeaway: Unexpected storytelling elements can elevate a product in a crowded category. Before the Super Bowl, HexClad was selling well in the United States but lacked brand awareness. The Super Bowl ad was not only successful in raising brand awareness but also driving sales, per an interview on the YouTube series Marketing For The Now that I listened to with the company’s CEO. This success showcases that when you make an everyday product feel extraordinary, consumers take notice.

6. Homes.com’s Not Saying We’re The Best: Legal Humor Done Right

Homes.com’s Super Bowl ad played on the tension between marketing and legal teams with this ad featuring Dan Levy and Morgan Freeman. The ad humorously showed their struggle to legally claim “we’re the best” while navigating corporate red tape. The humor resonated with marketers and business professionals, turning a simple message into a relatable story.

Takeaway: Humor rooted in real-world industry truths makes brand storytelling more authentic and engaging.

7. Little Caesars’ Whoa: The Power of Eyebrow Storytelling 

Little Caesars’ ad, starring Eugene Levy, turned a simple reaction into a masterclass in visual storytelling. His expressive eyebrows took viewers on a journey, communicating the feeling of pure delight as he experienced the taste of the new Crazy Puffs. With each movement of his iconic eyebrows and the random places and people they landed on, Eugene conveyed the “wow” factor without saying a word. This proves that sometimes the best storytelling happens without dialogue. 

Takeaway: Great storytelling can be driven by something as simple as facial expressions. Make sure to factor the visuals you use into how you bring your story to life to make a greater impact. Bonus: finding an unexpected angle makes an ad more memorable.

8. Nike’s So Win: The Power of Brand Consistency in Storytelling 

Nike didn’t just dominate screen time with 819 logo appearances – they stayed true to their inspirational storytelling roots. Their 60-second spot celebrated women through their iconic “Just Do It” lens, proving that even during advertising’s biggest moment, brand consistency matters more than spectacle. The ad generated the most social media engagement of any advertiser, showing that authentic storytelling resonates even in a crowded field.

Takeaway: When you have a winning brand story formula, stick to it. Consistency builds trust and recognition, even during high-stakes moments.

9. Novartis’s Your Attention Please: How to Flip the Script on Serious Topics 

Novartis broke convention with their first Super Bowl ad, featuring Hailee Steinfeld and cancer survivor Wanda Sykes. The spot cleverly flipped a provocative topic – attention on women’s bodies – into a powerful healthcare message about breast cancer awareness. By combining humor with hard-hitting statistics and a clear call to action, Novartis created a memorable campaign that drove viewers to take concrete steps for their health.

Takeaway: Controversial topics can be powerful storytelling tools when handled with purpose and clear action steps.

10. Ram Trucks’ Goldilocks: When Fairy Tales Meet Modern Marketing 

Ram Trucks turned the familiar Goldilocks story into an action-packed adventure starring Glen Powell. The “Goldilocks and the Three Trucks” spot reimagined the classic tale with dragons, chainsaw-sculpting, and volcano-jumping, achieving 85% brand recognition. By anchoring their product features in a beloved story framework, Ram made technical specifications feel like part of an epic narrative.

Takeaway: Familiar stories provide a powerful foundation for showcasing product features in an engaging way.

11. Meta’s Who Eats Art?: When Tech Storytelling Goes Bananas 

Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses ad starring Chris Hemsworth and Chris Pratt cleverly used art world humor to demonstrate product features. The spot centered around a $6.2 million banana artwork, which was famously purchased and then eaten by billionaire entrepreneur Justin Sun. The nod to a real life event created a memorable scenario that highlighted the glasses’ AI capabilities while sparking cultural conversation. The ad balanced product demonstration with entertainment, though it also sparked discussions about privacy concerns.

Takeaway: Cultural touchpoints can make technical products more relatable, but remember to address potential consumer concerns.

12. Stella Artois’ David and Dave: The Art of Connection

Stella Artois crafted a classic Super Bowl narrative featuring David Beckham discovering his long-lost American twin brother, played by Matt Damon. The story unfolds with perfect comedic timing and clever nods to pop culture, including a Ben Affleck reference. The brand used the celebrity pairing to create a memorable story that positioned their product as a point of connection between two very different brothers.

Takeaway: Celebrity partnerships work best when they serve the story rather than overshadow it.

13. Taco Bell’s The Fans: When Real People Steal the Show 

Taco Bell flipped the typical celebrity-focused Super Bowl playbook by featuring 400 real customers selected from 3,000 drive-thru visits across five cities. The ad captured authentic moments – from pregnancy announcements to wedding anniversaries – while cleverly incorporating celebrity cameos from LeBron James and Doja Cat as “disappointed” stars who didn’t make the cut. This approach celebrated the brand’s community while still maintaining Super Bowl-worthy entertainment value.

Takeaway: Sometimes your best brand storytellers are your actual customers and their love, use cases or interactions with your products or services. Authenticity can outshine celebrity star power.

14. Uber Eats’ A Century of Cravings: Turning Conspiracy into Connection 

The Super Bowl spot from Uber Eats stars Matthew McConaughey, whose character introduces a hilarious conspiracy theory that football was invented to sell food. The spot wove together historical football moments with food connections, from Buffalo wings to Caesar salad, creating an engaging narrative that tied directly to their service. With cameos from Martha Stewart, Kevin Bacon, and others, the ad showed how an absurd premise can create memorable brand moments.

Takeaway: A well-executed absurd premise can make your brand story more memorable than a straightforward approach. I also think Uber Eats is into something here. The conspiracy theory is just too good!

Key Takeaways from Super Bowl LIX’s Brand Storytelling Showcase

This year’s Super Bowl ads revealed several powerful storytelling trends that marketers should note. Cultural relevance proved to be a winning strategy, whether through Hellmann’s reimagining of a classic film scene, Meta’s art world commentary, or Uber Eats’ conspiracy theory about football’s origins. Authenticity emerged as another key theme, with Taco Bell celebrating real customers and Nike staying true to their inspirational roots.

The most successful ads demonstrated that effective brand storytelling isn’t just about entertainment – it’s about making meaningful connections. Novartis showed how to tackle serious topics with sensitivity and purpose, while Coors Light extended their story beyond the game with smart multi-channel activation. Dove continued their commitment to social impact through emotional storytelling, and Google demonstrated how to humanize complex technology through relatable narratives.

Celebrity appearances worked best when they served the story rather than dominated it, as seen in Stella Artois’ clever pairing of David Beckham and Matt Damon, and Little Caesars’ masterful use of Eugene Levy’s eyebrows for expressive storytelling. Even technical product features found their audience through creative storytelling frameworks, with Ram Trucks turning specifications into an adventure through their Goldilocks inspired ad.

The biggest lesson? Whether you’re selling mayonnaise or artificial intelligence, the fundamentals of good storytelling remain the same: start with a strong insight, make an emotional connection, and give your audience a reason to care. The brands that won Super Bowl LIX weren’t just the ones with the biggest budgets or the most famous faces—they were the ones that told stories that resonated long after the final whistle.

Jessica Gioglio is the co-author of The Laws of Brand Storytelling and The Power of Visual Storytelling. Professionally, Jessica has led innovative marketing and public relations programs for Dunkin’, TripAdvisor, Sprinklr, and more. Today, Jessica is a keynote speaker (book her here) and founder of With Savvy Media & Marketing, a strategic branding, storytelling, and content strategy consultancy.