Show summary Hide summary
- Why Super Bowl 2026 ads feel bigger than the game
- Early looks at Scream 7 and the new ad‑movie crossover
- Michelob, Budweiser and the new era of legacy beer advertising
- Beyond beer: Instacart, Liquid I.V., Hims and the wellness turn
- Teasers, taste tests and why anticipation shapes Super Bowl 2026
- Sports betting, snacks and the role of cultural in‑jokes
- Why are Super Bowl 2026 ads released before the game?
- What makes Scream 7 stand out among Super Bowl 2026 trailers?
- How is Michelob using the Super Bowl to position its brand?
- Why are wellness and hydration brands investing in Super Bowl ads?
- Where can I follow all confirmed Super Bowl 2026 commercials?
NFL fans are still debating whether the Seahawks can handle the Patriots’ playoff experience, yet your group chat is already swapping links to the most exciting ads. That instinct is right: the Super Bowl 2026 commercial slate reveals more about culture, technology, and marketing than any press release ever could.
Why Super Bowl 2026 ads feel bigger than the game
The Super Bowl has always been a major sports event, but this year the advertising buzz is operating on its own timeline. NBCUniversal confirmed its inventory sold out months in advance, with 30‑second units reportedly hovering around seven million dollars. That price forces brands to treat every frame as a strategic asset, not just a flashy joke.
Marketers from beer, tech, wellness, and delivery categories rushed to announce their participation, while fans searched trackers such as detailed Super Bowl 60 ad rundowns for clues. The Seahawks–Patriots matchup creates a strong narrative on the field, yet online anticipation centers on which commercials will dominate Monday discussions at work. For many viewers, watching ads early has become part of the ritual.
Save nearly $250 on antigravity’s 360-degree a1 drone—experience full-spectrum flight today!
A New Virus Threatens the Chrome Web Store: Google Remains Unaware of the Infection
Movie trailers and entertainment brands chase cultural momentum
One clear storyline is the rise of film and streaming trailers as headline attractions in Super Bowl 2026. Horror franchise fans immediately seized on the Scream 7 spot, which teases the return of Sidney Prescott, a menacing Ghostface, and a long‑running fan theory about Stu. The twist: Sidney’s daughter appears to be the new target, framed by fire‑filled visuals that hint at a more personal story.
Studios know a Big Game placement can redirect a film’s entire marketing arc. Research from previous seasons showed that strong Super Bowl trailers often correlate with opening‑weekend surges, and executives at companies following reports from outlets like Deadline or specialized movie trailer previews measure that impact carefully. When a horror sequel earns a prime slot opposite legacy beer brands, it signals how entertainment now competes directly with consumer goods for attention and share of conversation.
Early looks at Scream 7 and the new ad‑movie crossover
The Scream 7 trailer encapsulates how Super Bowl 2026 blends advertising and storytelling. Rather than a simple announcement, the clip functions as a mini‑episode in the franchise. Long‑time fans dissect still frames for hints about Stu’s fate, while new viewers meet Sidney’s daughter under immediate threat. The ad does not explain everything, which is exactly why people replay and share it.
For marketers, this approach offers a template. A thirty‑second placement during the game becomes the centerpiece of a months‑long narrative that extends across social media, fan forums, and reaction videos. Brands outside entertainment are taking notes, asking how they can borrow suspense, character arcs, and unresolved questions to keep their own Super Bowl commercials alive well beyond the fourth quarter.
Storytelling tactics brands borrow from horror marketing
The Scream 7 team leans on three tactics that consumer brands quietly emulate. First, the trailer gives just enough plot to create stakes, then cuts away at peak tension. Second, it rewards franchise knowledge through subtle references, encouraging communities to interpret and debate. Third, it releases early, before the game, building a drumbeat of anticipation that peaks on Super Bowl Sunday.
Consider a marketer at a retail app watching fan response to this horror teaser. That person can apply similar methods: tease a new feature without fully revealing it, seed “easter eggs” that loyal users will notice, and coordinate rollouts across YouTube, TikTok, and broadcast. The border between advertising and entertainment erodes, and a horror preview like Scream 7 becomes a playbook for attention‑driven campaigns.
Michelob, Budweiser and the new era of legacy beer advertising
While horror fuels one type of excitement, beer brands are writing a different chapter for Super Bowl 2026 ads. Anheuser‑Busch, still the NFL’s long‑time beer sponsor, returns with Michelob, Bud Light, and a milestone‑focused Budweiser commercial. The latter celebrates 150 years of the brand and syncs that narrative with America’s 250th anniversary, turning the spot into a double birthday toast.
The Budweiser ad leans into emotion, featuring its horse mascot apparently taking flight. It is not Pegasus, yet the image suggests heritage lifting off into a new era of advertising. Michelob, by contrast, takes viewers to the slopes with Kurt Russell and Lewis Pullman, joined by Olympians T.J. Oshie and Chloe Kim. That casting links beer with performance, resilience, and aspirational leisure, which helps the brand speak to younger, health‑conscious drinkers without abandoning its sports roots.
From Clydesdales to Olympians: why the casting matters
Choosing Russell, Pullman, and two Olympic athletes is more than celebrity collecting. The combination aligns generations: older viewers associate Russell with classic cinema, while younger fans follow Chloe Kim’s snowboarding dominance. The Super Bowl 2026 Michelob spot therefore works as a bridge, suggesting wisdom passed down on the mountain, with high‑altitude camaraderie echoing how people gather around screens at home or sports bars.
Budweiser’s flying horse, meanwhile, aims at memory and meaning. Long‑time Super Bowl followers remember iconic Clydesdale commercials that once defined emotional advertising. Updating that symbol in a modern, slightly surreal direction signals that the company respects its past yet refuses to stay static. For anyone tracking brand strategy via resources such as the Brand Innovators Super Bowl ad tracker, these choices highlight how legacy players compete in a fragmented ad landscape.
Beyond beer: Instacart, Liquid I.V., Hims and the wellness turn
Not all exciting ads rely on nostalgia. Several newcomers frame Super Bowl 2026 as a stage for everyday life, especially around health, hydration, and convenience. Instacart, for instance, is entering what its creative team jokingly calls a “disco era.” The brand recruited Ben Stiller and singer Benson Boone as sequin‑clad performers to highlight a very specific feature: the ability to pick bananas exactly the way you like them in the app.
The joke lands because it takes a tiny functional improvement and inflates it into a musical spectacle. At the same time, it communicates a real differentiator: personalized grocery choices delivered fast. As CEO‑types scan previews on hubs like Super Bowl ad sneak‑peek roundups, they see lessons about making obscure product updates feel emotionally meaningful, even glamorous.
Health, hydration and the bathroom‑mirror concert
Liquid I.V. takes another route into viewers’ routines. Its teaser features singer EJAE from K‑Pop Demon Hunters delivering an a cappella version of “Against All Odds” in a so‑called Tiny Vanity Concert. The setting is small, intimate, and instantly familiar: singing in front of the mirror. By focusing on that private moment, the brand associates hydration with self‑care, not just athletic recovery or hangover survival.
Hims also attempts to reframe wellness for a mass audience. Narrated by Common, its Super Bowl spot opens with images and lines about rich people accessing premium health services. The script then pivots, asking you to consider your own care and options. Together with Liquid I.V., these campaigns show how medical and wellness companies treat the Super Bowl as a national check‑in, using humor and relatability rather than fear to prompt behavior change.
- Instacart targets personalization through playful disco storytelling.
- Liquid I.V. links hydration to small daily rituals at home.
- Hims uses contrast between luxury care and everyday reality.
- Oikos highlights physical capability through an uphill trolley push.
- Fanatics Sportsbook wraps betting in celebrity‑driven superstition.
Teasers, taste tests and why anticipation shapes Super Bowl 2026
A different cluster of brands is betting on pure curiosity. Squarespace releases a moody teaser titled “Unavailable,” starring a visibly troubled Emma Stone. Viewers see that something online is missing, yet the spot refuses to resolve the puzzle before February 8. The underlying message hints at how painful downtime or broken links feel for anyone whose work depends on the web, from solo creators to mid‑size businesses.
Pepsi enters the teaser race with a polar bear in a blind taste test, playfully borrowing a mascot style long associated with another cola. The animal’s sense of disloyalty becomes the punchline and fuels social conversation about brand allegiance. Grubhub, meanwhile, promises to “put their mouth where their money is,” hinting that some sort of offer or stunt could drop around game day, right when people are ordering wings and snacks.
Sports betting, snacks and the role of cultural in‑jokes
Fanatics Sportsbook leans into superstition with a cheeky Super Bowl commercial about the so‑called Kardashian Kurse, featuring Kendall Jenner. Sports fans have traded versions of that joke for years, and the brand turns it into a narrative about perceived luck, risk, and fandom. By referencing a pop‑culture meme, the betting platform makes a complex, regulated category feel less intimidating for casual viewers.
Other spots focus on physical feats to keep viewers engaged between plays. Oikos showcases Kathryn Hahn pushing a trolley uphill, supported by NFL star Derrick Henry. The visual ties yogurt to strength and endurance without resorting to lecture‑style nutrition messaging. When people scroll lists such as the roundup of all current teasers and full spots, they are effectively browsing a catalogue of modern storytelling techniques deployed in the tightest timeframes advertising offers.
Why are Super Bowl 2026 ads released before the game?
Brands release teasers and even full spots in advance to build momentum, encourage social sharing, and secure coverage from media outlets. Early looks extend the life of a 30-second investment, transforming one broadcast placement into weeks of conversation and search interest.
What makes Scream 7 stand out among Super Bowl 2026 trailers?
The Scream 7 trailer combines the return of Sidney Prescott with a new focus on her daughter, plus hints about long-running fan theories. That balance of nostalgia and mystery invites repeat viewing, fan analysis, and cross-overs between horror communities and sports audiences.
How is Michelob using the Super Bowl to position its brand?
Michelob uses a snowy, high-altitude setting featuring Kurt Russell, Lewis Pullman, and Olympians T.J. Oshie and Chloe Kim. The spot connects the beer to performance, outdoor adventure, and multi-generational appeal, reinforcing its link to sports while speaking to modern lifestyle trends.
Why are wellness and hydration brands investing in Super Bowl ads?
UpScrolled’s Founder Reveals Social Network Surges Beyond 2.5 Million Users
Get $100 Off the Newest iPad Mini – Limited Time Offer!
Companies like Liquid I.V. and Hims see the Super Bowl as a rare moment when broad demographics watch together and discuss health openly. By using relatable scenes and light humour, they reposition hydration and medical care as everyday choices rather than specialist topics.
Where can I follow all confirmed Super Bowl 2026 commercials?
You can track confirmed brands and released spots through dedicated commercial trackers and entertainment outlets that aggregate information, including which companies have bought airtime, when teasers drop, and where full versions of the ads are available to watch online.
