The Best and Worst Super Bowl Ads: Music Edition

Best to Worst Ranked Super Bowl Ads: Music Themed

1. Take Me Home: Rocket 🙌🏆
2. Knock Out: Pfizer 👍😢
3. The Fans: Taco Bell 👍🔥
4. Turn Back Time: Uber Eats 👍😂
5. It’s a Wonderful World: Nerds Gummies 👍😎
6. Salty Club: Ritz 👍😜
7. You Got Cirkul: Cirkul 👍
8. Kiss From A Lime: Mountain Dew Baja Blast 👎
9. Coffee mate Cold Foam: Coffee mate 👎😳
10. Hims & Hers Weight Loss 👎😡💩

Take Me Home: Rocket

The Take Me Home Rocket Super Bowl ad wasn’t a commercial; it was an experience. By blending the ad with a live stadium sing-along, Rocket created an emotionally charged moment that extended beyond the screen. Featuring a cover of “Country Roads” (sung by Nashville musician Michaela Anne), the spot evoked the cozy feeling of returning home. When the broadcast returned to the stadium full of fans still singing, it transformed the ad into a cultural moment (and prompting marketers around the world to text each other wondering how Rocket made this incredible moment happen).

• Music Tie-In: A heartfelt cover of “Country Roads” taps into nostalgia and sentimentality, making it the perfect sing-along anthem.
• Execution: Aired with a live stadium collaboration, encouraging fans to sing along, which amplified its emotional and cultural impact.
• Innovation: The impeccably timed crowd singalong extended the creative of the ad and created a brilliant line of continuity between the ad and real life.

Knock Out: Pfizer

Pfizer’s Knock Out Super Bowl ad delivers a masterclass in emotional storytelling, striking a delicate balance between heartbreak and resilience. Using LL Cool J’s high-energy “Mama Said Knock You Out,” the spot transforms a difficult subject (childhood cancer) into a tribute to strength and survival. By pairing an intense fight-for-your-life theme with an uplifting soundtrack, the ad lands an emotional punch that lingers, culminating in a tearjerker moment between mother and child.

• Music Tie-In: “Mama Said Knock You Out” by LL Cool J adds an unexpected but effective contrast, fueling the ad’s message of perseverance and hope.
• Execution: Ends on an emotional high, personifying the battle against cancer in a deeply moving moment between mother and child, ensuring a lasting impression.
• Impact: Tackles the heavy subject of childhood cancer, using storytelling to highlight the fight, strength, and resilience of young patients.

The Fans: Taco Bell

Taco Bell’s The Fans Super Bowl ad flipped the usual celebrity endorsement formula, making the fans—not the stars—the real focus. The contrast between the ad’s low-budget fan-shot clips and the polished cameos from Doja Cat and LeBron James gave it a playful, self-aware charm. What really made it shine, though, was the deeper layer of Mexican Pizza lore—a nod to Doja Cat’s viral role in its return. Her real-life campaign to bring it back turned into a cultural moment, making her appearance in the ad a fun easter egg for those in the know. Smart, self-referential, and fan-driven, this was Taco Bell at its best.

• Music Tie-In: Features Doja Cat, whose history with Taco Bell adds a meta-layer to the ad’s storytelling.
• Execution: A fun mix of lo-fi fan clips and high-production celebrity cameos, creating a clever contrast that keeps the focus on the fans.
• Impact: The nod to the Mexican Pizza social media movement adds depth, rewarding engaged fans while making the ad more than just another celebrity spot.

Turn Back Time: Uber Eats

Uber Eats nailed the balance between humor and brand messaging with this clever Turn Back Time Super Bowl spot. Unlike the Kiss From a Lime misfire, this was a virtuoso lesson on how to use an iconic artist and song to elevate an ad. Cher’s legendary “If I Could Turn Back Time” was the foundation of the entire concept, tying into Uber Eats’ expanded delivery services. The added comedic twist of time-traveling mishaps kept it entertaining, making it a fun and effective way to reinforce the brand’s message...and "She's both young and old at the same time" line? Hilarious! It won’t be taking home major awards, but it was a solid execution that hit all the right notes.

• Music Tie-In: Cher’s “If I Could Turn Back Time” is perfectly integrated, reinforcing the ad’s theme in a way that feels natural and entertaining.
• Execution: A playful mix of nostalgia and humor, with Cher navigating time-traveling mishaps to highlight Uber Eats’ expanded delivery capabilities.
• Impact: A fun, well-executed ad that uses an iconic artist effectively—memorable without feeling forced or gimmicky.

It’s a Wonderful World: Nerds Gummies

Nerds Gummies delivered a fun, vibrant Super Bowl ad that balanced music, culture, and creative flair without overcomplicating things. Featuring Shaboozey singing a cover of “What a Wonderful World,” the spot showcased a trending artist in a way that felt fresh and engaging—I’d love to hear a full release of his version. The ad’s colorful visuals gave a nod to New Orleans, the Super Bowl’s host city, adding a subtle but thoughtful cultural tie-in. No gimmicks, no forced humor; just a well-executed, lighthearted commercial that used music and setting to enhance the brand’s playful identity.

• Music Tie-In: Shaboozey’s cover of “What a Wonderful World” was a beautiful choice that complemented the ad’s upbeat tone.
• Execution: A colorful, celebratory ad with a nod to New Orleans, tying the visuals to the Super Bowl’s location.
• Impact: Nothing groundbreaking, but a solid, feel-good commercial that effectively used a trending artist and cultural references to enhance brand appeal.

Salty Club: Ritz

Ritz’s Salty Club ad brilliantly turned everyday frustrations into comedy gold, using Aubrey Plaza’s signature deadpan wit and Michael Shannon’s intense energy to embody peak saltiness. The cultural references to relatable “salty” moments were spot-on, making it both funny and universally relatable. And then Bad Bunny shows up as his most authentic self, radiating pure positivity and completely disrupting the salty dynamic in the most hilarious way. Seeing Plaza and Shannon visibly cringe at his upbeat energy was the perfect comedic contrast. Smart, well-executed, and funny, this ad nailed its theme without feeling forced.

• Music Tie-In: Features Bad Bunny, whose presence adds an unexpected and humorous contrast to the ad’s “salty” theme.
• Execution: Uses the perfect mix of celebrity personalities—Aubrey Plaza’s dry humor, Michael Shannon’s intensity, and Bad Bunny’s positivity—for a comedic, high-energy ad.
• Impact: A clever spot that plays on relatable cultural frustrations while delivering humor and brand relevance in a fresh way.

You Got Cirkul: Cirkul

The music connection in the You Got Cirkul ad might be a stretch, but let’s be real, I’m a sucker for Pitch Perfect. Anna Kendrick is on my list—and Adam Devine? Always brilliant. Beyond that, this ad stands out for its playful energy and clever execution, integrating a product giveaway into a fun, engaging narrative that keeps viewers entertained while driving home the brand’s message.

• Music Tie-In: While not a direct music connection, the ad features Pitch Perfect star Adam Devine, bringing his signature comedic energy to the screen.
• Execution: Smartly incorporates a giveaway into the storyline, with Devine breaking the fourth wall at the end to engage viewers directly.
• Impact: Uses humor to turn an accidental mass order into a fun moment, making the brand feel playful and approachable.

Kiss From A Lime: Mountain Dew Baja Blast

Mountain Dew’s Kiss From A Lime Super Bowl ad aimed for absurdity, but it landed somewhere between divisive and unsettling. While weird can be brilliant (see Nutter Butter and Duolingo), this felt like weirdness for the sake of weirdness, without the artistry or intention that makes it work. The real misstep? Taking an iconic song, rewriting it into a product jingle, and making Seal himself sing it on the CGI body of a literal seal. Parody and song syncs for commercial music usage aren’t inherently bad, but when it undercuts the integrity of an artist’s own work, it just feels off.

• Music Tie-In: A parody of “Kiss From a Rose,” but with a questionable twist: Seal himself sings the rewritten lyrics, turning a classic into a product jingle.
• Execution: Leans into absurdity with a CGI seal featuring Seal’s face, but the randomness lacks the intentional craft that makes surreal ads work.
• Impact: While memorable, the ad risks alienating audiences who see the parody as more degrading than clever, making it a polarizing Super Bowl spot.

Coffee mate Cold Foam: Coffee mate

When it comes to memorability, this ad undeniably delivers, but not in the way you’d hope. The “music” element? A tongue concert. And honestly, the jingle didn’t land, the creative felt off, and the last thing anyone wants is an up-close performance from a dancing tongue. It was, well…gross. But here we are, talking about it, which means it nailed brand recall. Whether that translates into actual sales? Hard to say—but was it worth an $8 million 30 sec Super Bowl price tag? Doubtful.

• Music Tie-In: A bizarre “tongue concert” serves as the musical element, though it’s more unsettling than engaging.
• Execution: Prioritizes shock value and memorability over likability, banking on strong brand recall.
• Impact: While undeniably attention-grabbing, the odd creative choice risks alienating consumers rather than driving sales.

Hims & Hers Weight Loss

Hims & Hers Super Bowl ad felt like a misfire on multiple levels. It opened with a sobering statement about obesity’s impact on health, only to pivot into promoting a weight loss product, and completely missing the deeper systemic issues fueling the problem. Framing weight loss as a simple solution to a complex societal issue felt superficial and more predatory than empowering. But the most baffling choice? Using Childish Gambino’s “This Is America,” a song with powerful commentary on racism, gun violence, and societal complacency. The disconnect between the song’s meaning and the ad’s message was jarring, turning what could have been a thoughtful approach into a tone-deaf misstep.

• Music Tie-In: Uses “This Is America” by Childish Gambino—an odd and inappropriate choice given the song’s themes of racial injustice and gun violence.
• Execution: Starts with a heavy-handed message on obesity’s dangers, then pivots to selling a weight loss product, creating a jarring disconnect.
• Impact: Comes across as exploitative rather than empowering, with a misguided musical choice that further weakens its credibility.