The CPG Guys — Super Bowl 2026 Ad Recap (Feb 10, 2026)
Episode Overview
In this annual Super Bowl Ad Recap episode, CPG industry experts Peter V.S. Bond and Sri Rajagopalan break down the 2026 Super Bowl's most talked-about commercials and thematic trends. They discuss which ads stood out (for better or worse), analyze the major trends driving advertiser choices, and share their own reactions — from personal highlights (like Peter's daughter debuting in a national ad) to brand marketing lessons for CPG and FMCG listeners.
Main Themes & Purpose
- Analyze the creative direction and impact of over 60 Super Bowl ads
- Identify leading trends in advertising (AI, celebrity cameos, weight loss and health, QR codes)
- Provide CPG marketers with key lessons and takeaways from this year’s event
Quick-Glance: Top Commercials (00:00–06:00)
- State Farm “Cat's Eye” (Peter’s daughter featured, crowd favorite)
- Dunkin’ Donuts “Goodwill Dunkin’” (Star-packed, nostalgic)
- Ro featuring Serena Williams (Weight loss, GLP-1 theme)
- Ring’s Lost Dog Ad (Heartstring-tugging use of AI for real-world problem-solving)
“It’s not every day, Peter, your offspring, your family is there on the Super Bowl.”
— Sri, [03:40]
“The opening State Farm ad with Cat's Eye was absolutely hilarious... Maybe I’m a little biased. I don’t care. I love my girls.”
— Peter, [04:46]
Key Themes Identified
1. Artificial Intelligence is Here — Now
"Every AI company that's large and scaled in size. Microsoft Copilot, OpenAI ChatGPT, Google Gemini. Several uses of AI... What's the big takeaway from that, Peter? AI is here. Like, no more AI in the future. It's here, folks. Better start using it."
— Sri, [06:01]
2. Health, Weight Loss, and GLP-1 Medications
- Multiple commercials for GLP-1 drugs
- Comparatively fewer “traditional diet fads” ads
- Growth of self-service health diagnostics and weight loss solutions
3. Celebrities Everywhere
- “All-star cast in almost every ad”
- Commercials indulged nostalgia (Backstreet Boys, Matthew Broderick/Ferris Bueller, Jennifer Aniston, George Costanza)
- “77 celebrities in 70-odd ads,” per Sri [42:13]
4. QR Codes and Interactive Calls-to-Action
- Only two major national ads with QR codes (Salesforce, Lay’s in Q4)
- Touted as a missed opportunity for more actionable, measurable impact
Quarter-by-Quarter Ad Highlights
First Quarter (07:55–13:57)
Standouts
- Lay’s “Pass the Farm” — Emotional legacy/family narrative, “empowering for women” [08:49]
- Ro/Weight loss drugs — Many ads, reinforcing health trend [06:41]
- Instacart with Benson Boone — Playful “banana ripeness selector” demo [08:52]
- Ben Stiller (Disco) — Nostalgic/odd, but memorable [08:55]
- Claude AI — Clever “AI bot posing as a gym trainer” twist [10:15]
Duds
- DraftKings (Colin Jost & Michael Che) — “Just yawn. Horrible.” [09:28]
- Brad Pitt Netflix Teaser — “Did nothing for me.” [09:40]
- Liquid Death; Minions; Apartments.com — Didn’t resonate or lacked originality
“At least pick somebody a little bit more antiseptic... that guy was just rattling off like he was reading from a prompter.”
— Sri on Dr. Shah in Apartments promo, [10:02]
Second Quarter (13:57–20:56)
Standouts
- WeatherTech — Brand expansion, “no celeb needed” [14:03]
- Levi’s — James Brown soundtrack, youthful energy [14:03]
- Uber Eats (Bradley Cooper & Matthew McConaughey) — “Absolutely exceptional” [14:52, 15:16]
- Blue Square Alliance anti-hate/anti-Semitism PSA — “Kudos...solidly against anti-Semitism” [16:29]
- Goodwill Dunkin’ — Star-studded, comedic [17:04]
- Microsoft Copilot — AI analytics for sports scouting, “Moneyball for the NFL” [18:17]
Duds
- TurboTax w/ Adrien Brody — “Do you think the dude has ever, like, done his own taxes in his life?” [19:14]
- Tylenol liquid gels, Crypto Coinbase — “Horrible, horrible ad.” [17:56, 20:40]
- Kinder Bueno — “Not going to make me buy their candy bar” [18:17]
- Nerds w/ Andy Cohen — “Oversaturated... just a gadfly” [20:07]
Halftime Show & Ads (20:55–28:11)
Performances
- Bad Bunny Halftime — “One of the greatest stars of our time... insane sets, Latin flavor, big numbers” [21:41–24:20]
- Lady Gaga, Ricky Martin, Kid Rock — Mixed relevance but high production value
“The pageantry was great. His music is not necessarily my cup of tea.”
— Peter, [23:24]
Ad Standouts
- Raisin Bran (Shat) — “I loved it. Fiber flows it through.” [25:09]
- NFL “I’m a Champion” Kid — Motivational, visually strong [25:31]
- Bud Light w/ Post Malone & Peyton Manning — Played on Super Bowl history [25:41]
- AI (ChatGPT Tamales), Southwest Airlines assigned seats — Practical, clever, or new CPG solutions
- Xfinity/Jurassic Park “What-if” — Whimsical, effective, nostalgia [27:56]
Duds
- Religious/Scientology local ads — “No room on TV for these.” [28:24–28:35]
- GenSpark AI (Matthew Broderick/Ferris Bueller) — Reference heavy, unclear messaging/use case [26:35, 28:43]
Third Quarter (29:20–36:06)
Standouts
- Ring “Lost Dog” — Emotion + AI for good [29:20]
- Google Gemini Home Design — Functional, relatable
- NFL Prostate Screening — Celebrity cast (Rob Gronkowski), strong call to action [29:42, 31:51]
- GrubHub w/ George Clooney — “Eat the fees” — clear, simple [33:05]
- Pringles/Sabrina Carpenter, Budweiser Clydesdales/Eagle — Divided on emotional effectiveness (see quotes)
“For me, being that iconic classic Budweiser commercial... now it’s just like comic relief.”
— Peter, [31:51]
Duds
- Ritz/Scarlett Johansson & Jon Hamm — “Didn’t do that much for me.” [35:29]
- Tree Hut (local), Poppy Soda/Charli XCX — Missed the mark
- Alexa+ w/ Chris Hemsworth — “I don’t want to know about a terminator future... scary.” [38:40]
Fourth Quarter (36:12–41:12)
Standouts
- Hellman’s Mayonnaise w/ Adam Sandberg (“Sweet Sandwich Time”) — Fun, simple [36:15]
- Lay’s QR code —Actionable, “it made me want to pick up my phone” [36:52]
- Hims & Hers Diagnostics — “You can take health into your own hands.” [37:01]
- WOVI w/ Kenan, DJ Khaled — New faces, energy [36:52]
Duds
- Salesforce QR code (MrBeast) — “Why are you on national TV? ...It’s B2B!” [37:55]
- AI Document Dog, Alexa+, religious local spots, Cadillac F1 team — Ranged from “baffling” to “meh” in impact [38:18–40:25]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On AI as the Dominant Super Bowl Trend:
“AI is real. No more talking about AI. It’s a future-forward, mystical... better start using it.”
— Sri, [41:40] -
On Health, Weight Loss & Audience:
“Television viewing audiences are getting older. And guess what happens... you talk about your health a lot more, don’t you?”
— Peter, [42:51] -
On Celebrity Overload:
“There was...77 celebrities in the 70 odd ads that were on the Super Bowl this year. 77.”
— Sri, [42:13] -
On Most Unforgettable Ad:
“The one ad that you won’t forget? Leave State Farm alone.”
“The Ring ad. It just...now I know, like, God forbid Bala were to get out...Sree, you need to get on Ring and put Bala’s picture.”
— Peter, [44:38] -
On generational divide in nostalgia:
“You didn’t like NSYNC either.”
“No...I love BB.”
— Sri & Peter, [15:42–16:01] -
Personal highlight:
“It’s not every day you get an offspring. My daughter kicked off the Super Bowl commercials...which is mind boggling.”
— Sri, [07:55]
Big Picture Takeaways
Was this year’s crop of Super Bowl ads better, worse, or roughly the same as previous years?
- Both hosts agreed: about the same. “No big step change, just a natural evolution.” [44:01]
Top 3 Trends for CPG Marketers to Note:
- AI is no longer theoretical—it's embedded in consumer-facing solutions (Ring, Microsoft Copilot, Claude AI, etc.)
- Health and self-management, especially GLP-1 and diagnostics, drove investment
- Celebrity casts remain key to memorability—but not always to effectiveness or true business outcomes
Action Tips:
- Lean into AI not just in product but also in how you communicate brand utility
- Use health and empowerment as authentic narrative—resonates with the core Super Bowl audience
- Don’t over-rely on celebrity. Standout executions have clarity, emotion, or genuine utility (reference: Ring’s lost dog ad, Lay’s QR code, Grubhub’s clear value message)
Timestamps for Key Segments
- [00:13] – Episode purpose & hosts intro
- [03:01] – Top 3 ads according to Sri and Peter
- [06:01] – Major themes: AI, health, celebrities
- [07:55] – Q1 highlights and personal connections
- [13:57] – Q2 highlights and duds
- [20:55] – Halftime show (Bad Bunny), halftime ads
- [29:20] – Q3 highlights, emotional/AI/health/fails
- [36:12] – Q4, actionable/QR code, end-of-game analysis
- [41:12] – Wrap-up: Ad effectiveness and legacy
- [44:01] – Year-to-year comparison final thoughts
Final Thoughts
The 2026 Super Bowl cemented AI as the must-have utility and storyline for CPG and tech brands. Health and DIY diagnostics took centerstage, and the parade of celebrities continues—not always to great effect. For CPG marketers, the lesson is clear: clarity, authenticity, and utility will always punch through, even on advertising's glitziest night.
Summary prepared by [CPG Podcast Summarizer], maintaining the CPG Guys’ original tone, with quotes and timestamps for key insights.