Super Bowl Advertisers Spent Up to $10M Per Spot. Here’s What Happened Next (Especially With Talent)

A talent strategist on the missing Gen Z play, the AI trust gap and why no one cast the next Walton Goggins

Super Bowl 2026 advertising covered many expected themes and showcased some phenomenal talent (and great music). Brands leaned into creative approaches with many cultural moments and also some risks. There were also a few surprises and overarching opportunities for next year. Whether or not commercials included celebrity talent, traditional themes were prevalent throughout the broadcast: nostalgia, over-the-top humor, pop-culture throwbacks and a noticeable surge in tech and health & wellness brands.

AI being highlighted was no surprise — brands were clearly trying to generate positive PR around their use of AI with a wide audience. When it comes to these high-stakes spots (costing some brands up to $10 million for media alone this year), celebrity talent is often used — and effective — in gaining consumers’ attention immediately. Celebrity involvement can also increase brand awareness and interest, add entertainment value and create buzz (largely through social media).

Brands already leverage their media dollars alongside PR and social efforts, but celebrity-driven spots can also tap into the social platforms of high-profile talent themselves. The most effective commercials convey the importance and benefits of their products in an authentic way — while clearly setting themselves apart from competitors.

Below are key Super Bowl 2026 advertising and talent trends shaping brand strategy — and what they signal for 2027.

Advertising & PR campaigns for AI

The number of artificial intelligence ads this year was expected; it felt as though brands were trying to convince America that their use of AI was something consumers should appreciate, trust and buy into. Amazon’s Alexa spot used Chris Hemsworth and his wife, Elsa Pataky, to show that while he fears Alexa+ may be out to get him, it is ultimately looking out for him instead. It was a risk to focus so heavily on fear for much of the spot versus the benefits, relying on humor to land the message.

Sazerac/Svedka delivered the first primarily AI-generated Super Bowl commercial — an on-brand move, given that Svedka was also the first vodka company to advertise during the big game (and this marked Sazerac’s first Super Bowl spot ever). Dunkin’s use of nostalgic film and television moments and actors (Good Will Hunting, Friends, Seinfeld, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, etc.) was already a massive undertaking from both a talent and IP perspective. It broke through the clutter and delivered appreciated nostalgia-driven laughs, but the added AI layer seemed to receive mixed reviews from consumers so far.

This was a year where many brands took big risks with AI while audience trust remains fragile — we’ll see whether strategies evolve in 2027.

Heavy Millennial, Gen X & Boomer talent — light on Gen Z

Until spots (or teasers) began rolling out in recent weeks, I expected many brands to prioritize Gen Z by utilizing Gen Z talent — or celebrities that strongly appeal to this 14–29-year-old generation. Instead, this appeared to be the generation with the least amount of talent representation.

Sabrina Carpenter appearing in a Super Bowl spot was not surprising (many brands likely approached her). Instacart made a clear Gen Z play by pairing hugely popular Benson Boone with highly recognizable Ben Stiller. Michelob Ultra featured snowboarder Chloe Kim, and Hailee Steinfeld’s appearance in a State Farm ad was a smart move given her organic NFL connection.

Dunkin’ leaned heavily into nostalgic IP, but what if they had added talent from Hannah Montana or The Suite Life of Zack & Cody? Research shows Gen Z currently has less spending power but higher expectations — especially around authenticity and cultural relevance. This felt like a missed opportunity, and I’d love to see that change next year.

No celeb? Super Bowl ads lean into gross-out humor

Several brands that didn’t utilize celebrity talent this year — whether due to budget constraints or creative direction — went with borderline gross-out humor instead. Manscaped’s first Super Bowl commercial featured ballad-singing hairballs; music played a critical role in making the campaign memorable. Liquid I.V. featured singing toilets (again, music doing the heavy lifting), while Liquid Death leaned into exploding heads.

All three spots broke through the clutter by being unexpected. Some made viewers laugh, some cringe and some do both — but they were memorable. For newer brands (or brands new to the Super Bowl), awareness is often the primary goal, making this approach both strategic and entertaining.

Use of established stars vs. breakout talent

In addition to wanting more Gen Z talent in next year’s spots, I’d also love to see more up-and-coming talent. Established names often make sense and resonate — there’s no question about that — but there’s another strategy worth exploring.

Where was the talent on the verge of a breakout or becoming household names in 2026? Creative concepts often include talent ideas early on as prototypes, but thinking outside the box and considering who’s about to break through can be an excellent casting strategy. Not all celebrity talent is open to appearing in Super Bowl commercials, but many are — at the right price. Experts in the field are needed to identify talent on the cusp (and aligned with brand equity).

Sofia Vergara appeared in three Super Bowl spots this year (Boehringer Ingelheim, Skechers and Telemundo’s World Cup coverage). While she’s a fantastic talent, it would be interesting to see more spots featuring unexpected faces. Walton Goggins starred in GoDaddy’s campaign last year and exploded just weeks later with The White Lotus. What if a brand had featured Anna Sawai, who currently has multiple projects underway, including the upcoming Beatles biopic? Iris Apatow is in a similar position — after the next Hunger Games film, she may be a much harder (and more expensive) get.

Health, wellness & self-care — heavy use of celebrity power

Health and wellness brands continue to gain a stronger foothold among Super Bowl advertisers. It was notable how heavily these spots leaned on recognizable talent this year. Wegovy featured six celebrities highlighting its new pill form (Kenan Thompson, DJ Khaled, Danielle Brooks, Ana Gasteyer, John C. Reilly and Danny Trejo). The healthier soda brand Poppi featured Charli XCX. Novartis included Tony Gonzalez along with a half-dozen tight ends — and coach and cancer survivor Bruce Arians — urging early prostate cancer screening. Boehringer Ingelheim utilized Octavia Spencer and Sofia Vergara to raise awareness around kidney health screening.

While experts such as doctors often deliver these messages in other mediums, celebrity involvement helps capture attention and encourages consumers to listen in during these mass reach moments — an essential step in driving awareness for health-focused brands.