For marketers, watching commercials during the big game isn’t just about entertainment—it’s about spotting trends. In 2025, a few familiar themes dominated the ad breaks, with technology making a strong showing.
As a financial and agricultural consulting agency , the Gate 39 Marketing Team analyzed this year’s commercials and provided their insights on the biggest themes, standout strategies, and the top three ads that delivered the most impact.
Noteworthy Themes:
Nostalgia: Millennials, Gen X and Boomers love nostalgia so it’s no wonder ads tapped into nostalgic elements to resonate with viewers. Budweiser reintroduced its iconic Clydesdales , including a young foal eager to join the team. Hellmann’s reunited Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal to recreate their famous scene from the 1989 film “When Harry Met Sally,” this time with a humorous twist involving mayonnaise.
Celebrity: No surprise here. Many brands leveraged star power to capture attention. Michelob Ultra featured actors Catherine O’Hara and Willem Dafoe as pickleball champions. Stella Artois paired soccer star David Beckham with actor Matt Damon , portraying them as long-lost twins bonding over a beer, while celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay teamed up with comedian Pete Davidson for a HexClad cookware commercial .
Humor: Advertisers use humor to engage audiences to make their messages more memorable, relatable, and shareable. For instance, Bud Light’s “Big Men on Cul-de-Sac” ad transformed a mundane neighborhood gathering into an epic block party, featuring personalities like Peyton Manning and Post Malone. Pringles and Mountain Dew also leaned into the quirky humor that seem to focus on getting the most people talking.
Now, without further ado, here are our takes on the best commercials from the 2025 game.
1. Rocket Mortgage – “Own The Dream”
VIDEO
Rocket Mortgage’s ad featuring John Denver’s American classic “Country Roads”
By the way—if you haven’t seen it, fans in European countries have been singing Country Roads when the NFL has played recently in Frankfurt and Munich .
2. Google – “Dream Job”
VIDEO
Google’s Gemini “Dream Job” ad
3. Nike – “So Win.”
VIDEO
Nike’s “So Win” campaign
Summing It Up
The best 2025 commercials demonstrated once again that the key to a memorable marketing campaign lies in emotional connection, cultural relevance, and creative storytelling. Whether it was nostalgia-driven moments, celebrity power, or humor, the most successful ads resonated with audiences by tapping into shared experiences and emotions. Brands like Rocket Mortgage, Google, and Nike showcased the importance of striking the right balance between entertainment and messaging to leave a lasting impression.
If you’re looking to create a marketing campaign that stands out—one that captures attention, sparks conversations, and builds brand loyalty—we’re here to help. Let’s discuss how we can craft a strategy that turns your brand’s message into a moment audiences will remember. Contact us today to start the conversation.
Gate 39 Marketing Team members Shane Stiles , Allison Bischoff , and Deandra Henahan contributed their thoughts on the best commercials of 2025 to this post.
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