By Tony Marlow, CMO at LG Ad Solutions
The stage seemed set: Super Bowl LIX was going to go down in history as ‘the AI Super Bowl.’ Except, it didn’t quite work out that way.
Many of us in the advertising and media world had speculated that this would be the moment we saw the magic of AI play out; the genie escaping its bottle to dominate the advertising landscape, re-casting the rules as we know them.
But while its technological touch was certainly present, it turns out that AI didn’t magically capture the hearts of audiences. The ads that truly stole the show were those that told us the most powerful stories. And it’s those universal narratives of shared human emotion, of nostalgia – stories that forge connections – that continue to drive the most successful ads.
Growth in Viewership Mirrors Growing Ad Prices
Super Bowl LIX was a Super Bowl for the ages, shattering viewer records by drawing an average of 126 million U.S. viewers across Fox, Fox Deportes, Telemundo, Tubi, and NFL digital platforms. It was streaming’s biggest moment, with Tubi’s free livestream attracting 13.6 million viewers, a massive increase on initial projections.
This growth is proof positive that CTV isn’t just an alternative – it’s now a core part of the whole Super Bowl viewing experience. Advertisers, take note: it’s time to think about your cross-platform strategies, not just linear reach.
At the same time, we have now seen ad prices soaring past the high-water mark of $8 million for a 30-second spot, making Super Bowl LIX one of the most expensive ever for brands. When the stakes are this high, it’s more important than ever to make the most of every on-screen second.
AI Shows Up, But Storytelling Wins Hearts
Despite some feverish pre-game hype, AI-driven ads simply failed to leave a lasting mark. Yes, OpenAI made its Super Bowl debut, and Google’s Gemini had its moment too (complete with “gouda gate” fact-checking debacle), while Meta showcased some AI-powered Ray-Ban smart glasses. But none of those ads managed to deliver anything like the cultural impact that we saw from more emotionally-driven ads.
The bottom line is that AI still struggles to evoke the kind of raw human emotion that makes for a truly unforgettable Super Bowl ad. We saw this in the reception of the AI-themed ads: while they were impressive in technique, they lacked the emotion that’s required to truly reach out to audiences.
Super Bowl Standouts – Top Ads of the Night
The most effective ads of the night didn’t rely on the possibilities of AI, but instead, told emotive stories of nostalgia and authenticity. Some of my standout moments include:
- Budweiser’s endearingly-tenacious Clydesdale foal. This hit all the right notes, and it wasn’t a surprise to see it topping USA Today’s Ad Meter.
- Nike’s return after 27 years, featuring gymnast Jordan Chiles, which was a masterclass in empowerment marketing.
- Beauty brands including NYX, e.l.f., and Dove embraced their growing female audience, blazing a new trail in Super Bowl advertising in the process.
- The continuing power of celebrity-driven humor. An evergreen Harrison Ford, still commanding the screen at 82, starred in Jeep’s ad, while brands like Uber Eats and Doritos also leaned into humor and star power.
For the media and ad industry, this should be a wake-up call: AI may yet have its golden moment in advertising, but today is not that moment. For the meantime, audiences still crave shared human-interest stories, relatability, and authenticity.
Streaming’s Rise Has Implications for Advertisers
In what might be the single biggest story that no one is talking about, we have to take a moment to acknowledge the growing role of streaming platforms in Super Bowl viewership. Tubi exceeded all expectations in delivering 13.6 million viewers, so it’s time to acknowledge that ad-supported streaming has now gone fully mainstream. It would be seriously amiss now for brands to ignore CTV-focused buys. Going forward, a dual-platform strategy that encompasses both linear and streaming is going to be key if you’re aiming to maximize reach.
Want to Make an Iconic ad? Then Tell us a Story
My main takeaway from Super Bowl LIX is that despite the lure of emerging technologies and platforms, the medium is never more important than the creative. Technology is always going to provide us with new and exciting tools with which to tell our stories, but the key to a truly great ad stays the same: a powerful story.
The genie of AI isn’t going back into its bottle any time soon, and is already providing huge value across analysis, optimization, and even prediction. But for me, this year’s Super Bowl was proof positive that stories of emotion continue to reign supreme with ad audiences. Even in these tech-saturated times, mankind still surpasses machine.
