THE BEST 10 SUPER BOWL ADS OF 2025, ACCORDING TO IPSOS DATA
Little Caesars, Pringles, and eight other brands took home the win for Best Super Bowl ads of 2025, according to new Ipsos data.
In a year with a great body of work — literally, body parts everywhere, from legs and breasts to facial hair and Tubi’s “skin hats” — some brands were head and shoulders above the rest. Unlike more simplistic Super Bowl ad rankings, Ipsos assesses each ad on a variety of metrics which are linked to real-world business outcomes, including the ad’s ability to generate sales, build brand equity, change a perception about the brand, or generate buzz and conversation among viewers.
These are the 10 ads that really won the night – the ads that leveraged creativity to deliver maximum impact on the brand’s objectives:
Happy CFO
The ad that got the most bang for the buck
Who knew facial hair could fly? Pringles and Little Caesars both arrived at this out-of-the-box concept — and it paid off, with both landing among the best Super Bowl ads in Ipsos’ database. Both ads used iconic distinctive assets in fun and playful ways: Little Caesars leveraged Eugene Levy’s iconic eyebrows, while Pringles tapped into some of the nation’s best-known mustaches to keep viewers highly entertained.
Compared to all other ads in Ipsos’ database, both landed in the top 10% for creative effectiveness (which predicts sales potential) and top 5% for social power (which measures the likelihood of social sharing and amplification). This is sure to delight the brands’ CFOs.
Ads with a high Creative Effect Index deliver 44% greater sales lift compared to poor performers. Read more in “Follow the Money”.
Brand Purpose
The ad that does good for business and for society
Nike set out to start a conversation about women in sports — and they achieved it, with the highest volume of social mentions seen in Ipsos’ Synthesio social intelligence platform.
In their return to the Super Bowl after a long absence, Nike launched a powerful spot with elevated positivity, strong equity (indicating long-term brand-building potential) and high social power, which will ensure this meaningful message continues to be amplified.
Ads that deliver positive portrayal of women or girls are 24% more effective at driving business results. Read more here.
Best Use of Brand Assets
The ad that didn’t even need to say the brand name
Every year, whether Budweiser’s iconic Clydesdales are in or out of the game, they (and the brand) are one of the most-recalled Super Bowl advertisers. This year they were back, with an emotional and nostalgic story highlighting one young horse’s perseverance to complete its first delivery. It landed in the top 10% of brand linkage, indicating an extraordinarily high number of people who link to the ad to Budweiser. It’s clear that leveraging these classic assets is a win for Budweiser.
Ads using character brand assets are six times more likely to deliver high brand attention. Read more in “The Power of You.”
Understood the Assignment
The ad that was the most Super Bowl-worthy
After years of conventional, product-focused ads, WeatherTech employed their “wild grannies” to bring a truly Super Bowl-worthy experience to consumers. Tapping into popular culture with a funny and entertaining narrative, the ad is likely to get consumers talking. Its social power lands in top 5% of the database, which will keep the conversation going long after the game ends.
When its time for a change, Learn more about how Ipsos can help you nail your assignment!
The Second-Screen Sensation
The ad that went beyond the commercial break and infiltrated social conversation
Seal as a seal? That works. But singing a Mountain Dew Baja Blast-themed version of “Kiss from a Rose”? That gets viewers talking. With one of the highest social power results of all the ads in the game, landing in the top 5% of Ipsos’ database, people will be talking about this ad for a long time.
68% of marketing leaders say that social assets are the new TV commercial. Learn more about the growing power of this media channel.
The Misfit Mindset
The ad that broke conventions to spark brand growth
Ipsos’ Misfits research shows that the most effective ads combine creativity with empathy, and Novartis blended both perfectly to raise awareness about breast cancer. This provocative, attention-grabbing work engaged the audience early, breaking category conventions with a top 5% in creative experience. Then it shifted gears to deliver a highly empathetic and differentiated message. The result: a high equity measure, indicating long-term brand-building potential.
Popularity contests aren’t the best way to pick the most effective ad. Learn more about Ipsos’ CreativeISpark methodology here.
The Blast from the Past
The ad that best tapped into nostalgia
Thanks to a potent blend of nostalgia, humor and star power, Hellmann’s performed above Ipsos’ Super Bowl benchmarks on memorability and social power. Recreating Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal’s iconic scene from “When Harry Met Sally,” with a cameo from Sydney Sweeney, kept viewers engaged throughout the ad. And with social power in the top 10%, the audience will be sure to keep sharing the mayonnaise.
Two in three Americans (66%) want their country to be the way it used to be. Nostalgia presents an opportunity for brands to connect with consumers by tapping into the feel-good factor in their past. Check out our paper with Effie to learn more.
The AI+HI Hero
The ad that best leveraged artificial intelligence with human intelligence
Google’s “Dream Job” anchored the groundbreaking capabilities of artificial intelligence in human connection, with a man talking about his best job – being a dad. The life lessons he shared to Gemini AI took viewers on a highly emotional journey and highlighted how AI can play a role in our daily lives. Google’s approach helps to show the value of AI − and with a long-term equity impact in the top 10% of all ads, viewers clearly agree.
Read our research about why AI alone can’t crack creative effectiveness HERE.
Didn’t Make the Cut
The most Super Bowl-worthy ad that wasn’t aired
Doritos’ “Barbershop” ad didn’t actually make the big game – it was a finalist in a Doritos contest for fans to submit their own ads, and eventually lost out to another ad involving alien abduction. But “Barbershop,” with its culturally authentic portrayal of a black barbershop and its unique and surprising visceral finger-licking moment, it performed the strongest of the three finalists in Ipsos’ CreativeISpark evaluation and also outperformed aired Super Bowl norms on Social Power and Creative Effectiveness.
Popularity contests aren’t the best way to pick the most effective ad. Learn more about Ipsos’ CreativeISpark methodology here: https://www.ipsos.digital/creative-spark
Methodology
Ipsos analyzed Super Bowl 2025 ads using multiple insights and data streams – from surveys to real-time social intelligence – to provide a more robust and nuanced picture of ad effectiveness
For many viewers, the commercials are the true MVPs of the Super Bowl as brands unleash their creative playbooks backed by their stratospheric budgets. This year's lineup showcased a dazzling array of tactics – from star-studded casts and nostalgic nods to AI-powered innovations and cross-platform activations. At Ipsos, our Super Bowl Ad Awards go beyond simplistic rankings.
Ipsos combined three different data sources to provide a fast, agile and accurate look at the holistic performance of Super Bowl commercials:
Creative|Spark
Super Bowl ads were tested for robust evaluation for creative effectiveness. Creative|Spark helps advertisers quickly learn, evaluate and optimize creative to power brand growth.
Fast Facts
After the game, Ipsos surveyed 1,000 adults on its Ipsos.Digital platform. Fast Facts lets you create your survey questions and get fast answers from Ipsos’ quality sample. View results in an interactive dashboard, export charts in PowerPoint or tables in Excel.
Ipsos Synthesio
The Ipsos Synthesio team used their AI-enabled consumer intelligence platform to track and analyze 4.9 millions of Super Bowl-related social mentions in real time