As we walked up to find a car to rent, there were hundreds of newly-washed cars, neatly parked in front of us, with the choice to pick anything. The decision of which car to choose appeared daunting. I don’t come from a Jeep-loving family to say the least. We’ve had little luck with the adored car brand in the past. Although, out of character, my dad walked up to a clean, white Jeep. He admired it, and moved into the driver’s seat. We followed suit, questioning why he had chosen this car of all choices.
As we drove, I asked my Dad why he chose a Jeep. He replied, “Harrison Ford’s commercial. It made Jeeps look so good.” One simple commercial has the power to sway a person drastically. And a good (or terribly brutal) Super Bowl commercial will get anyone talking about the best Sunday night in February, because even if they can’t bond about the win or loss, at least they can talk about something so strange such as Mountain Dew’s Puppy Monkey Baby commercial in 2016.
After discussing the commercials with around one hundred people, 2025 was not the best year in terms of quality, humor, or originality. The public praises creativity in advertising, which leads to Lincoln East High students favorite commercial: the Mountain Dew commercial previously mentioned. Internet searches quickly identify Apple’s Macintosh commercial from 1984 as the best of all time. These commercials are doing exactly what modern commercials may be missing: the perfect balance of creativity and entertainment, while getting the advertised subject across is what sets these commercials apart.
After watching hundreds of commercials from both this year and past years, I started to see a theme of both trying too hard, while struggling to develop the plot. Tubi’s “He Was Born to Love the Westerns” commercial served a perfect representation of trying too hard. A boy growing up loving Westerns with his head shaped as a cowboy hat. This commercial left me feeling disturbed and confused, proving that it was trying too hard. And it seems students at East agree.
“The commercials are trying to grab your attention rather than have a good story,” sophomore Joe Waegl said.
Students also didn’t feel moved from the commercials. In such a controversial time, every subject must be avoided. Even the emotional commercials avoided many topics and lacked true inspiration.
“It was a very political year, so they are not trying to spark anything,” Waegli also added.
Super Bowl commercials provide the largest reach in the advertising space each year, reaching nearly 120 million US viewers. However, they come at a cost of multi-million dollars for each.
“The Super Bowl commercials help these companies stay current. The purpose of promotion and marketing are to inform, persuade or remind. So it is just reminding the consumer of the product to keep it fresh and relevant so it doesn’t fade away,” Matt Maw, marketing teacher at East said.
After evaluating the 2025’s Super Bowl commercials, favorites definitely rose to the top. Some of the commercials brought laughter, moved us to tears, and sparked meaningful conversations. Really, that’s the goal for these companies while spending millions on a 30-second air time. I’ll jump in with a brief review of each of the top ten overall commercials, a list of the next ten overall, and a final list of the top ten inspirational commercials.
Top-10
Jeep: Owner’s Manual
Starring Harrison Ford giving an address on writing your own story as life has no ‘owner’s manual’, this commercial was the epitome of a classic and well-developed story. The simplicity of the visuals, address, and single celebrity character gave class to the brand and made the product covetable. My family sat viewing the commercial, fully invested in the storyline and the high value content. Harrison Ford’s last line “Choose what makes you happy. My friends, my family, my work make me happy. This Jeep makes me happy… even though my name is (Ford)” provides star power to the brand, in a way that makes the viewer believe that Ford truly gravitates to Jeep.
Ritz: Salty Club
This commercial stars Aubrey Plaza, Michael Shannon and Bad Bunny. Plaza and Shannon spend time in the ‘Salty Club’ full of salty people. They eat Ritz crackers while comparing who is saltiest, and believe Bad Bunny should not be there. This commercial was quick, and to the point, while having a well developed story line. The ‘Salty Club’ created a great simple branding piece for Ritz crackers by focusing on one element of the product and making use of well-picked celebrity’s own personal brands.
Uber Eats: A Century of Cravings
Matthew McConaughey imagines American football as one big conspiracy to sell food. He narrates the food-related origins of specific names and pieces of American Football. The commercial features Greta Gerwig, who he pitches the movie idea to Charli XCX, Martha Stewart, Sean Evans, and Kevin Bacon. This commercial was an enjoyable and entertaining piece full of creative small details that every viewer can resonate with. Although it didn’t highlight Uber Eats, it had no need to because the quality and entertainment of the commercial spoke for their brand well. This was definitely a fan favorite from online commenters, describing this commercial as exactly what Super Bowl commercials are supposed to be.
Instacart: We’re Here
Opening with Puppy Monkey Baby, iconic brand mascots such as the Kool-Aid Man, Mr. Clean, Energizer Bunny, Chester Cheeto, the Green Giant, and the Old Spice Guy rush to deliver groceries to a family’s doorstep to make breakfast, only realizing that they forgot the milk. This was a fan favorite for many high schoolers, as it caught the eye of many different people. As Mountain Dew’s Puppy Monkey Baby has been a favorite since 2016, it excited many viewers with its comeback. As such a fan favorite that represented all the brands that are included with Instacart, this commercial put a high value on Instacart’s brand while showcasing what the lesser known brand’s service does.
Stella Artois: David and Dave
Featuring David Beckham and Matt Damon, Beckham finds out he has a twin brother in America or ‘Other David’ who is Matt Damon. They meet at a BBQ, and find many similarities. This commercial is once again a perfect use of well-liked celebrities, many perk up when beloved Matt Damon comes on screen, only barely overshadowing popular soccer star David Beckham. Very simply selling the brand, this was one of the most comedic commercials.
Pringles: The Call of the Mustaches
Adam Brody is told to blow into a Pringles can in order to gain more chips, although instead it summons the iconic mustaches of Andy Reid, Nick Offerman, and James Harden, causing them to fly through the city. This was a favorite amongst students, describing it as a very entertaining and original story. Connecting the iconic Pringles mustache to American stars’ own mustaches made the Pringles brand even more iconic and beloved.
Hellman’s: When Sally Met Hellmann’s
Hellman’s own play on the I’ll Have what She’s Having clip from When Harry Met Sally featured Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal replaying the scene in the diner. Ending with Sydney Sweeney repeating the iconic line of “I’ll have what she’s having,” this was a great play on a classic scene in American film. “It is a very effective ploy, because people will recognize actors and it will resonate with the viewers,” Maw said. “Although, the troublesome part is whether the people will remember the brand, or if they will just remember what movie it is based on.” This was a great way to not only hook the viewer, but add a lot of drama to the commercial.
Mountain Dew: Kiss from a Lime
15-time Grammy nominee Seal serenades Becky G to a Mountain Dew Baja Blast rendition of his very own Kiss from a Rose with his face on a seal perched on a rock in the ocean. As possibly one of the weirdest commercials this year, it was hard to turn away. The play on Seal as a seal may have been obvious for those who know him, but it’s hard to not laugh. Somehow, such a strange commercial still made a Baja Blast seem appetizing as the branding tied so well with the vibe of the commercial.
Stock Cold Brew: Hollywood Magic
Channing Tatum, as a soccer coach, challenges the team to level up their celebration dances by staying caffeinated with cold brew. He dances to Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now) and hypes up the team. This was an enjoyable commercial that is hard to not smile at, also resonating with the caffeinated effect.
GoDaddy: Act Like You Know
Walton Goggins, an actor known for “Justified” and “The Shield,” explains how actors don’t know what they’re doing and need assistance. Similarly, GoDaddy can help make you look like you know what you’re doing in creating a small business, allowing Goggins to put his ‘Walter Goggins Goggle Glasses’ small business to life. This commercial’s chaoticness highlighted a well-known actor, and highlighted GoDaddy’s website-building service. This was definitely one of the more enjoyable commercials.
