Super Bowl Sunday isn’t just about the game. While millions tune in to watch football, nearly 18% of viewers watch to see the commercials, according to a recent Harris poll. Increasingly, marketers are looking to design Super Bowl ads that do more than make viewers laugh or even send their ads viral; companies are using the pricey airtime to help shape the public’s perception of their brand identity, values and purpose in the world. 

Some of the best ads from the night did more than just try to sell a product; these companies used the platform to reinforce strategic messaging to strengthen trust among the public and to clarify or remind the large captive audience of their company’s values.

Here are the commercials that successfully enhanced their brand messaging and identity: 

Google’s “New Home” Gemini Ad:

Google positioned their AI tool, Gemini, as warm and inviting for families by showcasing a mother and child using AI to build their dream house. The spot helped to position what could be seen as intimidating technology into an approachable, user-friendly, fun and helpful tool. This commercial is a powerful example of the value in humanizing a brand by pulling at the heart strings to illustrate how an AI tool could draw a mother and young son closer together. 

Anthropic’s Claude Ad:

To no one’s surprise, AI ads dominated the Super Bowl. I thought that few ads communicated their value proposition better than Anthropic’s ad for Claude. Their message, “Ads are coming to AI, but not to Claude,” was delivered cleverly with a young man asking the AI, represented as a female therapist, how he could better communicate with his mother. The therapist representing the AI offered tips on listening and building conversation, but then, seemingly out of nowhere, humorously suggested he create a profile on “Golden Encounters” where “sensitive cubs are connected to roaring cougars.” This demonstrated just how intrusive advertisements can be on these tools and served to assure viewers that ads are not coming to their platform. This ad was a nod to their commitment to user preference for ad-free service.

H-E-B’s Celebrating Community Identity:

H-E-B used a national platform to reaffirm its local, community ties. It’s not something you see often. However, it was effective for the Texas-based grocery chain. In the commercial, a baby, via actor voice-over, pines over tortillas he sees other family members enjoying. At the end, he is delighted to finally be served baby-sized tortilla pieces. Text on the screen then reads, “Born in Texas. Raised on H-E-B’s. Here everything’s better. “ 

H-E-B’s tortilla obsession ad celebrated the local food tradition and reminded viewers of the brand’s commitment to regional identity and consumer loyalty. It served to form a deeper connection with their community. 

Super Bowl LX was a reminder in an AI-saturated, celebrity-driven landscape that strategic “humanizing” storytelling that connects with viewers remains a powerful tool in reaching audiences.  

In a world where audiences are extremely savvy and attention spans are short, good messaging – via marketing or public relations – will revolve around prioritizing clarity, leveraging emotion and connecting to culture or community.

Brands that have a strategic alignment between their message and mission will continue to steal the show in future Super Bowls and beyond, by building trust with their target audience.