My favorite blog post of the year—where I get to assess the best commercials, track the rise in ad costs, and challenge you to identify your favorite celebrity endorsement.
This year, demand for ad space was “robust” with some 30-second ad spots going for $8 million (up from around $7 million last year), according to an AP News article. And what’s the primary theme this year? According to another AP News article, most of this year’s commercials “are going for laughs, with advertisers betting that America could use a little break,” though you’ll also see themes of nostalgia, celebrity mash-ups, seriousness, and artificial intelligence (shocking!).
If you missed any of the commercials because you were too busy refilling your heaping plate of buffalo chicken nachos or you didn’t tune into the game at all (gasp!), you can find them online afterward. There are plenty of “best of” and “top 10” lists online. Even Forbes categorized the “Ten Best Super Bowl 2025 Ads,” as curated by advertising executives, in this article that describes the best ads as those that are true to the brand, have a sense of “bigness,” and evoke an emotional response. (And for the biggest fanatics who want to see every ad, there is even a website, superbowl-ads.com, dedicated to archiving past and current ads.)
Many commercials were released in advance, but some advertisers prefer the element of surprise. So… what surprised you the most? What made you laugh the hardest? Do you agree with Forbes’ list of the “Ten Best”? I have opinions, but I’ll let you decide for yourself this year. Happy commercial watching (even if just once per year!).