Are these the best ads from Super Bowl 59?

Forget the game result, was this the best Super Bowl advertising yet? Marketers were asked their expert opinions on the most entertaining and effective ads | WATCH

Nike returned to the Super Bowl with its first ad in 27 years in a bid to win back consumers.

The 59th Super Bowl may be done and dusted, however, the advertising will live on for some time as brands enjoy the halo effect of the work online.

This year’s collection of ads was notable for the high quality across the board and the use of tried and tested Super Bowl formulas, such as the use of celebrities, the silly/weird ideas, emotive storytelling and jokes about Matt Damon and Ben Affleck’s rivalry.

However, a number of brands also used the moment to re-engage audiences after tough times in 2024. Bud Light doubled down on its core audience of blokes in a bid to win back favour after last year’s backlash, and Nike returned to the Super Bowl, 27 years since it last ran an advert during the event, to remind audiences of its core products and shine a spotlight on women’s sport and the dominance of women athletes.

It was also a bumper year for performance, according to creative effectiveness platform System1 chief customer officer Jon Evans.

“This year’s pre-game spots were the best System1 have ever tested,” he told The Growth Agenda. The platform, which marketers use to test and optimise their campaigns uses a five star rating to rank ads based on their impact and short and long term potential.

“With numerous four and five star ads, 2025 is the best Super Bowl advertising performance of the last six years.”

Evans called out the use of emotional storytelling by brands such as Budweiser, Pfizer and NFL, as well as the “no holds barred humour” of Mountain Dew, Pringles, and Doritos as strong contenders in engaging audiences.

With Australian audiences for the American football extravaganza expected to grow next year, following the NFL’s plans to host a game at Melbourne’s MCG, local marketers were paying particularly close attention to this year adverts and selected the top performers within the bunch.

Mr Evans said the “most knockout advert” of this year’s Super Bowl was Pfizer’s spot to promote the pharmaceutical company’s mission to create breakthrough technologies and drug treatments for cancer. He said the company put “more emphasis on testing and improving” than other companies to ensure it struck a strong emotional cord with consumers.

“Many ads will hit hard when we watch the Super Bowl but this ad from Pfizer will hit harder than most.

“When I watched it, I had shivers going down my spine,” said Mr Evans.

Nike’s redemption ad ‘So Win’ was the clear winner for The Iconic chief marketing officer Joanna Robinson.

“It stands out because it boldly gives the spotlight to women in this male-dominated arena of sports, a move that is both disruptive and courageous. The choice to make the ad in black and white adds a cinematic quality that only amplifies its impact amongst all of the other Super Bowl ads. Nike has a long history of creating powerful statement ads that demand attention and provoke thought, and “So Win” is no exception. I loved it,” she said.

Telstra chief marketing officer Brent Smart was swayed by Squarespace for the brand’s unique approach to ensure it stood out on the big day.

“The Super Bowl, is big, brash, with so many celebs and so much obvious, dumb comedy. Amongst all that, one voice that is so distinct is Squarespace. It’s beautifully cinematic and exists in its own storytelling world with unique dialogue that doesn’t try to explain or sell, it’s made with so much restraint. And did I mention a donkey?”

Diageo marketing chief Hayden Abercrombie was torn between two very different adverts.

His top pick is Mountain Dew’s ‘Kiss from a lime’ spot featuring the British singer Seal as a seal. “The ridiculous absurdity and complete randomness of it is what makes it great. Seal as a seal is very engaging.”

At the other end of the spectrum was Dove’s latest work within its ongoing body confidence platform.

“I also love the Dove ad. It taps into a powerful human truth and the execution is so simple yet so effective. I think it resonates strongly with men who are the ones who need to drive the change.”

Marketing consultant Kieran O’Donnell opted for an ad that used nostalgia and storytelling to send a very strong message.

“The NFL’s flag 50 was a standout for the way it challenged the status quo and aimed to break down the stigmas around women’s sport, while airing in the middle of one of the biggest male sporting events. The ad tapped into the rise of women’s sport and showcased women as the heroes. Employing the powerful line “leave the past behind” it was a strong message to men about the future of sport. Inspiring and entertaining, it’s a touchdown,” said Mr O’Donnell.

In a collection of great advertising, selecting just one was too tough for WPP’s Australia and New Zealand president Rose Herceg.

“The Super Bowl is the grand poo-bah of the greatest advertising ever made.The whole world stops. Australia too. It’s thrilling to see what makes the cut. The Super Bowl has its scorecard and so do the ads.”

The ads up the top of that scorecard are Hellmann’s nostalgic mayonnaise ad that revived that iconic scene from When Harry Met Sally,

“It’s fun, funny and feisty,” she said. Uber Eats star-studded ad also scored well with Ms Herceg, “I’ll take anything with Martha Stewart in it”. And Stella Artois’ The other David ad was another top scorer, “Beckham and Damon. Now, there’s a female fantasy if ever there was one.”