Over the weekend, one of television’s most-watched live events drew millions of viewers, not just for the game itself, but also for the ads. With brands competing for this year's most memorable spot, they captured audiences by delivering messages that resonate with today’s culture. Here are some GDC members’ takes on the ads that connected most with them.
Toyota “Superhero Belt”
Video: https://youtu.be/y5bJ612mUt8?si=io1RQpXV94GsWORo
Toyota’s “Superhero Belt” commercial stood out to me for how subtly it shared an important occupant protection message while reinforcing how the brand moves through generations of a family. In the end, the message is clear: People are the destination. That really hit home as we work on traffic safety campaigns rooted in safe driving for the sake of community and getting back to the people who matter most. – Yolanda Haymon, Account Service Director
Dove “The Game Is Ours”
Video: https://youtu.be/84MCtvXCt9E?si=f_GrRZIS23ZXtP4Y
I loved Dove’s Super Bowl spot, “The Game Is Ours,” because it stood out by celebrating girls in sports not for perfection, but for joy, confidence, and belonging. In a society where body type equates value, Dove delivered something more powerful: a reminder that sports help shape who girls become — on and off the field.
As a women-owned agency, this message resonates. Research consistently shows a strong connection between early athletic participation and women in leadership today. More than 94% of women in the C-suite played sports as kids, and more than half competed at the collegiate level. Other studies show roughly 80% of female Fortune 500 CEOs have a background in sports. The throughline is clear: sports build resilience, confidence, teamwork, and strategic thinking — the very traits required in leadership.
That’s what makes Dove’s campaign more than a Super Bowl moment. It’s a signal to girls that their confidence matters and that play can be a pathway to leadership. When brands use their platforms to reinforce that truth, they’re not just shaping culture — they’re helping shape the future. – Michele Brown, Chief Operating Officer
Pepsi “The Choice”
Video: https://youtu.be/pPHI2zNf_ww?si=6V6kX5g7lL0MR979
In this spot, Pepsi cleverly leveraged an animated polar bear, an icon long associated with Coca-Cola since 1993. As the viewer is engaged in the storyline of the bear needing therapy because he’s selected Pepsi in a blind taste test, moments later (out of nowhere), we get jolted with a Coldplay kiss-cam metaphor involving two polar bears! I think it’s clever that Pepsi modernized the polar bears with a wink to the internet and cultural relevance without hurting the equity of these mascots. At GDC, we ensure our client communications are current and relevant to target audiences — and if the brand is open, we enjoy weaving in components to signal the brand’s cultural fluency. – Ana-Maria Phillips, Chief Strategy Officer
Squarespace “Unavailable”
Video: https://youtu.be/NHuBiLk_A04?si=j1roT6mRi-WOIJdL
The Squarespace spot featuring Emma Stone pulled me in right away. For her fans, her expressive, signature acting style made the performance instantly familiar and memorable, and the steady build of anticipation all the way to the end kept you hooked. But the real standout was how painfully relatable the message was. Every marketer has been there, falling in love with a campaign name only to discover the URL is already gone. Smart, entertaining, and way too real. – Beth Ochoa, Chief Executive Officer