The Best Super Bowl Commercials of 2025

Meg Ryan, Billy Crystal and Willem Dafoe are among the grownup stars who showed up in ads during the big game

Chris Nashawaty,

AARP

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Published February 09, 2025

different commercials that appeared during the super bowl

AARP (Courtesy Uber Eats; Courtesy Booking.com; Courtesy Michelob Ultra; Courtesy Instacart; Courtesy Hellmann's; Courtesy Coors Light; Getty Images, 2)

Well, that was fun. But now that the Big Game is over, we can finally discuss the evening’s real winners. That’s right, we’re talking about which star-studded commercials from Super Bowl LIX made the biggest splash. Was it a memorable crop of commercials this year? It better have been. After all, each advertiser shelled out about $8 million for a mere 30 seconds of air time — making it the most precious real estate in TV. We did get to see a parade of stars over 50, including Ben Affleck, Kevin Bacon and Vin Diesel. Those pricey spots included lots of grownup stars and nostalgic touches. These were our top picks among them.

Most Mascots: Instacart’s Ad Mash-Up

This was one of the clear stand-outs of the night. In Instacart’s first-ever Super Bowl spot, the online grocery delivery service knocked it out of the park with the help of some old, familiar faces — the Jolly Green Giant, the Kool-Aid Man, the Old Spice Guy and even the Pillsbury Doughboy riding a Heinz Weiner dog. While most advertisers during the Big Game break the bank to hire A-list celebrities to pitch their wares, in these spots, the brands are the stars. This is the supermarket equivalent of the Avengers assembling for battle in Aisle 9.

Best Reunion: Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan for Hellmann’s

The When Harry Met Sally… fake orgasm scene became an instant classic when that rom-com hit theaters back in 1989. Now, 36 years later, stars Billy Crystal, 76, and Meg Ryan, 63, reunite to tout the explosive taste-bud pleasures of Hellmann’s mayonnaise. Tapping into pop-culture nostalgia to sell condiments could have easily fallen flat, but movie lovers still have a soft spot for these two beloved characters. And seeing them together again bantering in a deli as if they never left is an undeniable treat. Hollywood’s newest rising star, Sydney Sweeney, nails the “I’ll have what she’s having” punchline at the end. Is it time for a sequel? Either way, this spot hits the spot.

Best Grifters: Willem Dafoe and Catherine O’Hara for Michelob Ultra

Super Bowl Sunday has always been one of the biggest days of the year when it comes to not only beer commercials, but beer sales. The brands buying ad time may change and celebrity pitchmen (and women) may come and go, but suds are forever. In the latest spot for Michelob Ultra, the Mad Libs pairing of Willem Dafoe, 69, and Catherine O’Hara, 70, team up to hustle younger, fitter marks at pickleball and make off with their low-cal malty beverages. Serves those cocky kids right.

Best Use of Felt: The Muppets for Booking.com

I’m not entirely sure what a banjo-playing Kermit, a beachcombing Animal, and a very picky, boutique hotel-loving Miss Piggy have to do with online travel reservations, but I’m always happy to see their familiar felt faces. Especially since they also invited those two crotchety critics, Statler and Waldorf, to the party (apparently the curmudgeons are fans of no-fee cancellations). Nostalgia is the hook with this giddy, Muppets Take Madison Avenue spot. And we’re here for it. Even if they did overlook an obvious cameo opportunity for the Swedish chef in the kitchen at a four-star restaurant.

Most Star-Studded: Celebs' Conspiracy Theory for Uber Eats

Matthew McConaughey, 55, has a theory: "From the very beginning, football has been a conspiracy to make us hungry.... " Then a bevy of other stars offer historical evidence: They call the ball pigskin to make us think of bacon, because "everybody loves bacon," says, yes, Kevin Bacon, 66. The bit wraps up with McConaughey pitching the football-was-invented-to-sell-food premise as a movie idea to Barbie director Greta Gerwig, who's not buying it. Yes, the jokes are sort of dorky ("We've got a halftime show sponsored by an apple," he notes in a voice-over, showing the British singer Charli XCX crunching on an apple), but this spot was more successful than Uber Eats’ other gametime ads featuring a painfully unfunny Martha Stewart, 83.

Laziest Stars: Sloths for Coors Light

Unfortunately, after watching this year’s champs hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy over their heads, all thoughts return to heading back to the office on Monday. And apparently, no one loathes the 9-to-5 grind more than the Coors Light sloths. I’m not sold on the wisdom of having lazy, yawning, slow-moving tree-dwellers as beer mascots (they seem like a more natural fit for a caffeinated beverage), but they sure are adorable. Never more so than when they’re sitting behind desks in rumpled suits or causing glacially paced chaos at the supermarket checkout line.

Biggest Family Secret: David Beckham and 'Other David' for Stella Artois

During last year’s game, David Beckham, 49, displayed a natural flair for deadpan comedy in his spot for Uber Eats alongside his former Spice Girl wife, Victoria Beckham, 50. This time around, he’s pitching for Stella Artois while learning from his mum and dad that he has a secret twin brother named… “The Other David.” What does any of this have to do with Belgian pilsner, you ask? Well, beer ads operate on their own strange logic, but it certainly made me thirsty. And the big Matt Damon, 54, reveal as “Other David” paid off, as did the spot’s dig at the less-famous Ben Affleck, 52 (who directed the commercial).

Most Chill Moment: Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez and Ludacris for Haagen-Dazs

After 10 Fast and Furious installments, we’ve gotten used to seeing Vin Diesel, 57, and Michelle Rodriguez behind the wheel of ‘70s muscle cars putting the pedal to the metal. But in this laid-back spot for Haagen-Dazs, the speed demons are neither fast nor furious. Instead, they slow down with a lazy afternoon drive while savoring delicious ice cream treats. Indulgence is the message here, even if their pal Ludacris isn’t buying their new blissed-out, stop-and-smell-the-roses act.

Most Heartwarming: The Budweiser Clydesdales

The Budweiser Clydesdales do it for me every time. Everyone’s favorite workhorses can be counted on to cut through the celebrity cameos and Madison Avenue razzle dazzle to deliver a sense of tradition and feel-good sentimentality. They didn’t disappoint this year, thanks to this spot featuring one of Bud’s majestic equine mascots, who’s too young to go on a delivery run, saving the day. The Clydesdales are to the Super Bowl what Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is to Christmas.

Most Boston: Ben Affleck, Casey Affleck and Jeremy Strong for Dunkin’

Ben Affleck dons an orange sweatsuit and his most wicked awesome Southie accent alongside his younger brother Casey in this spot for their coffee chain of choice. This time around, the brothers Affleck bring in a very different Bostonian, Succession Method actor Jeremy Strong, who confounds the Beantown wiseguys with his immersive commitment to finding the essence of Dunkin’. It's not as memorable as their spot last year with Matt Damon, Jennifer Lopez, 55, and Tom Brady, but we’re always up for hearing Affleck in full pahk-the-cah mode.

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Chris Nashawaty, former film critic for Entertainment Weekly, is the author of Caddyshack: The Making of a Hollywood Cinderella Story and a contributor to Esquire, Vanity Fair, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.