Aside from football, the Super Bowl is famous for its many big-budget, high-concept commercials. The advertisements that air on game day are usually comedic, extravagant videos with celebrity cameos. Other times, they’re cinematic and emotional adverts that effectively connect with the audience. Sometimes, these commercials are even more entertaining than the Super Bowl itself. The 2025 Super Bowl is gearing up to unleash another wave of big advertisements. However, it’s unclear if they can top these seven Super Bowl ads, which rank as some of the best from the past decade.
Michael CeraVe – CeraVe
CeraVe effectively promoted its moisturizing cream in a commercial starring Michael Cera. The comedic actor puts himself at the center of a hilarious parody of over-the-top beauty product commercials, complete with flowery language, hunky male models, sexual undertones, and some sort of dolphin-unicorn hybrid. However, it is revealed that Cera was actually pitching this commercial to CeraVe executives, who were not that impressed. They may not have liked it, but audiences sure did.
The DunKings – Dunkin’ Donuts
Ben Affleck did a spectacular Dunkin’ Donuts commercial during the 2023 Super Bowl in which he worked at a store drive-in and was visited by Jennifer Lopez. Affleck topped this commercial the following year by crashing JLo’s recording session with his new boy band, The DunKings, which consists of NFL superstar Tom Brady and Affleck’s pal, Matt Damon. Affleck sings a new Dunkin-centric song to add it to JLo’s new album, but she isn’t having it. Even Damon shares her embarrassment, especially when he reuses his iconic line from Good Will Hunting. Affleck and JLo may no longer be together, but that doesn’t make this commercial any less perfect.
The Shining – Mountain Dew Zero Sugar
Bryan Cranston has appeared in many notable Super Bowl commercials, most of which have him reprising his role as Walter White from Breaking Bad. However, Cranston topped them all when he played Jack Torrance from The Shining in a commercial for Mountain Dew Zero Sugar. This soda commercial features a perfect recreation of Stanley Kubrick’s iconic horror film, mimicking several iconic scenes with accurate sets, costumes, and cinematography. Specifically, it shows Cranston chopping through the bathroom door with a bottle of Mountain Dew, a wave of green soda surging out of Overlook Hotel’s elevator, and Cranston playing those creepy Grady twins. Is this commercial better than the original film? Certainly not. But it’s still very sweet.
Crocodile Dundee Reboot Trailer – Australia
Who was disappointed when they learned this was a fake trailer? This commercial presents Danny McBride as Brian Dundee, the son of Crocodile Dundee, who travels to Australia for an epic adventure through the Outback alongside Chris Hemsworth. This film is also said to feature other Australian actors like Hugh Jackman, Margot Robbie, Isla Fisher, Ruby Rose, Liam Hemsworth, Jessica Mauboy, Luke Bracey, and Russell Crowe. It even has Paul Hogan reprising his role as Crocodile Dundee. While this commercial teases a must-see comedy odyssey, it takes a weird turn when Brian starts touring the beaches, tasting wine, and eating at world-class restaurants. Eventually, Brian shares everyone else’s disappointment when he realizes he’s actually in a tourism ad for Australia. Though this reboot could’ve been an excellent film, it’s still an incredible way for Australia to market itself.
Upstream – Toyota
This 2021 commercial from Toyota centers around Jessica Long, a USA Team Paralympic swimmer who had won 13 gold medals at the time of this ad’s release. It’s a visually and emotionally beautiful video showing Long literally swimming through her life. At the same time, a phone conversation plays over the video detailing how she was adopted from Siberia and how her legs had to be amputated. Though Long’s adopted mother is warned that her child will have a challenging life, the former claims it will be amazing, nevertheless, and that she looks forward to meeting her.
Though some critics labeled the advert “inspiration porn,” the commercial was overall praised for its heartwarming depiction of Long’s life. It showcases humanity’s strength and potential against great hardships without objectifying or pitying Long, and Toyota effectively connected with its narrative by presenting itself as a proud partner to her Paralympic team. While many corporate ads fumble with emotional marketing, this one featured a genuine message that gave a talented athlete the spotlight she deserved.
The Bud Knight – Bud Light/Game of Thrones
In one of the Bud Knight’s many epic tales, the blue warrior is shown entering a medieval jousting match. The commercial starts humorously enough with the Bud Knight telling people to hold his beers before the match begins. However, the commercial completely changes when the Knight’s opponent reveals himself as the Mountain from Game of Thrones. After the Mountain crushes the Knight’s head like Oberyn Martell, one of Daenerys Targaryen’s dragons shows up and scorches everything, revealing the video to be a promo for Game of Thrones season 8. While the final season of this show disappointed many fans, they cannot deny it had some incredible marketing.
It’s a Tide Ad – Tide
How often does an ad invade another ad? Throughout the 2018 Super Bowl, actor David Harbour starred in several commercials that seem to be promoting different products. However, he denies all the possibilities and says it’s an ad for Tide laundry detergent. Harbour crashes commercials for cars, beer, auto insurance, jewelry, and Mr. Clean. He even manages to pop up in a commercial for Old Spice, which itself is known for its wacky surprising advertisements. With Harbor’s hysterical and unexpected appearances, this clever marketing campaign from Tide keeps its product fresh in viewers’ minds, making for one of the most inventive Super Bowl advertisements in recent memory.
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