Super Bowl Ads 2025: A Comprehensive Tier List Breakdown

Super Bowl ads are a massive investment, costing around $8 million each, but are they worth it? In this blog, I’ll break down the latest Super Bowl ads using a tier list based on six key factors to help you understand what makes an ad truly effective and how you can apply these insights to your own advertising strategies.

Introduction to Super Bowl Advertising

Super Bowl advertising has become a cultural phenomenon. With an audience that reaches millions, brands leverage this massive platform to connect with potential customers in unique ways. But what really makes these ads successful? The stakes are high, with each spot costing around $8 million, and the pressure is on to create something memorable.

The most effective ads resonate emotionally, tell a compelling story, and drive viewers to take action. As we dissect the latest Super Bowl ads, we'll explore how these elements come together, and how businesses can glean insights to enhance their own advertising strategies.

Ranking Criteria Explained

To evaluate the ads, we use a systematic tier ranking based on six crucial criteria:

1. Attention Grabbing: Did the ad capture the viewer's attention from the start?
2. Emotional Engagement: Did it create a sense of care or connection?
3. Dream Selling: Did the ad sell an aspirational vision?
4. Urgency Creation: Did it instill a sense of urgency to act?
5. Social Proof: Did it showcase validation from others?
6. Call to Action: Did it clearly tell viewers what to do next?

By analyzing each ad through this lens, we can better understand what works and what doesn't in the competitive landscape of Super Bowl advertising. These insights can also be applied to your business strategies, especially within the framework of platforms like GFunnel, which provides tools to enhance your marketing efforts.

Google's G Gemini Ad: A Touchdown

Google’s G Gemini ad stood out as a remarkable success. It weaved a sentimental story arc reminiscent of a classic animated film, effectively showcasing the product within a brief time frame. The ad's ability to demonstrate product usage while evoking emotion is commendable. It’s a masterclass in storytelling that resonates with various audience segments.

Key to its effectiveness was the demonstration of real human experiences, allowing viewers to relate to the characters depicted. This connection is essential in advertising, as people tend to engage more with relatable content. The ad also successfully provided a clear call to action, guiding viewers toward the next steps.

While the ad excelled in many areas, it could have benefitted from a stronger sense of urgency. However, the overall execution places it in the S tier of this year's Super Bowl ads, setting a high standard for others to follow.

Ramp.com: A Quick Hit

Next up is Ramp.com, which delivered a concise and impactful 15-second ad. The ad effectively targeted its audience—football players—by presenting a relatable pain point and offering a straightforward solution. This contextual relevance is crucial in advertising, as it helps to engage viewers right away.

The ad's effectiveness lies in its demonstration of the product's value in a real-world scenario. By illustrating the inconvenience of managing expenses without their service, Ramp.com quickly establishes a need and presents itself as the solution. However, there’s room for improvement in the call to action. Adding a textual element at the end could enhance clarity for viewers who may not catch the audio.

Overall, this ad earns an A rating, showcasing how brevity and focus can lead to effective advertising. For businesses looking to replicate this success, utilizing tools from GFunnel can streamline your advertising efforts and maximize impact.

Booking.com: A Missed Opportunity

Booking.com’s ad, while aiming for humor and inclusivity, fell short of expectations. It felt outdated and failed to resonate with the audience. The attempt to showcase diverse travel options was overshadowed by a lack of compelling delivery.

The humor didn’t land as intended, making it difficult for viewers to connect with the content. In advertising, especially during the Super Bowl, humor can be a double-edged sword. When it misses, it can leave viewers disengaged and unimpressed.

Moreover, the ad lacked a strong call to action, which is critical for driving viewer response. In a competitive landscape, failing to clearly communicate next steps can result in lost opportunities. If Booking.com had leveraged a more modern approach and clearer messaging, it might have elevated its appeal significantly.

Doritos: A Viral Fan Contest

Doritos took a bold step this Super Bowl with an ad crafted from a fan contest. The concept is brilliant: let the audience create the content. This approach not only engages consumers but also builds a community around the brand. The result? A fun, creative ad that resonates deeply with viewers.

What's fascinating about this ad is its minimal use of words. Instead, it relies on visual storytelling to convey a message. The psychological trigger here is clear—showing something highly desired and the extremes to which one would go to protect it. The ad closes the loop by illustrating the joy of sharing, which adds a layer of humanity to the brand.

This aligns perfectly with the Doritos brand identity—bold and unorthodox. By crowdsourcing their advertisement, Doritos not only saved on production costs but also ensured the content was made by those who genuinely love the product. This strategy is a great lesson for brands looking to innovate their marketing approach.

For businesses utilizing platforms like GFunnel, this insight emphasizes the importance of community and audience engagement in advertising. By leveraging your audience's creativity, you can create authentic and impactful marketing campaigns.

Jeep: The Freedom Narrative

Jeep's ad this year is a testament to branding at its finest. The message is simple yet powerful: "Jeep equals Freedom." The ad paints a vivid picture of what freedom means, aligning the brand with values that resonate with their target demographic. This kind of emotional storytelling is essential in creating a lasting impression.

The ad's narrative was carefully crafted to appeal to specific values and lifestyles. It didn't focus on product details or promotions; instead, it reinforced a lifestyle choice. Jeep successfully positioned itself as a symbol of freedom, which is a strong association for their audience. This is an excellent example of how to create a brand narrative that resonates deeply.

For entrepreneurs and marketers using GFunnel, the key takeaway is to understand your audience's values. Align your messaging to reflect what they care about. By doing this, you can create more meaningful connections with potential customers.

Hims & Hers: A Controversial Approach

The Hims & Hers ad took a different approach, tackling the sensitive topic of obesity head-on. The ad begins with a stark reality: “Obesity is America's deadliest epidemic.” This directness can be jarring, but it aims to provoke thought and discussion about a significant issue. However, the delivery felt somewhat disingenuous, as it seemed to juxtapose a serious message with a commercial agenda.

While the intention may have been to raise awareness, the execution leaves much to be desired. It feels like an opportunistic play rather than a genuine effort to help. This ad serves as a reminder that while bold statements can capture attention, they must be handled with care to avoid backlash.

For brands looking to communicate serious messages, especially in sensitive areas, it's crucial to balance awareness with authenticity. Tools available through GFunnel can help you craft messages that resonate without crossing the line into insensitivity.

On Running: A Celebrity Endorsement

On Running's ad featuring Roger Federer was a classic celebrity endorsement. While Federer is a beloved figure, the ad itself felt lackluster. It revolved around the playful banter about the company name rather than showcasing the product's benefits. This missed opportunity highlights a common pitfall in celebrity endorsements: the focus can shift too much to the celebrity rather than the product.

Effective endorsements should create a narrative that connects the celebrity to the product meaningfully. In this case, the ad felt more like a gimmick than a genuine representation of the brand. For businesses, this emphasizes the importance of ensuring that endorsements align with the brand's message and values.

When utilizing celebrity endorsements in your marketing strategy, consider how the partnership can enhance your brand narrative. Leveraging insights from GFunnel can provide valuable feedback on how to effectively integrate personalities to resonate with your audience.

GoDaddy: Confusing Messaging

GoDaddy's ad this year was a mix of humor and confusion. Featuring actors who seem to struggle with their identities, the ad attempts to connect with small business owners but misses the mark. The messaging got lost in the comedic elements, leaving viewers unsure about the actual product being advertised.

The ad's humor could have worked if it clearly connected to the brand's offerings. Instead, it felt like a disjointed attempt at relatability. For a brand like GoDaddy, which provides essential services for entrepreneurs, clarity is crucial. Viewers need to understand how the product solves their problems, rather than getting lost in a comedic narrative.

When crafting your marketing messages, especially in a crowded space, clarity should be your guiding principle. Utilizing GFunnel's CRM tools can help streamline your communications and ensure your messaging resonates with your target audience.

Instacart: A Mid-Level Performance

Instacart's ad presents a mixed bag of effectiveness. While it showcases the end result of using the service—groceries delivered instantly—there's a significant gap in clarity throughout the majority of the ad. The opening segments left viewers puzzled about what the service truly offers, especially for those unfamiliar with Instacart.

The ad's strongest moment occurs in the last few seconds when it effectively demonstrates a relatable scenario: forgetting an essential item. This clear call to action, highlighting the urgency of immediate delivery, is crucial in driving home the value of the service. However, the first three-quarters of the ad could benefit from a more straightforward narrative to captivate viewers from the start.

For brands looking to emulate this success, it's essential to ensure the problem and solution are clearly defined throughout the advertisement. This approach can significantly enhance viewer engagement and understanding, especially when using tools from GFunnel to strategize effective advertising campaigns.

Nardis Breast Cancer Screening: Attention Grabber

Nardis' ad for breast cancer screening grabs attention with its vibrant visuals and pop culture references. It effectively engages viewers right from the start, maintaining interest through a mix of humor and serious messaging. The ad overwhelmingly scores high on the attention-grabbing scale, making it one of the most memorable spots of the night.

However, the tonal shift towards the end, where the focus turns to the importance of early detection, raises questions about the ad's overall emotional impact. While it does feature a testimonial that reinforces the message, there’s a lingering doubt about whether viewers will act on the information presented. The urgency implied by discussing the potential impact of breast cancer is crucial, yet the execution may leave some feeling more entertained than compelled to take action.

For businesses, the takeaway here is clear: while capturing attention is vital, it’s equally important to guide viewers towards meaningful action. Leveraging platforms like GFunnel can help streamline your messaging strategy, ensuring that you not only engage but also inspire action among your audience.

Nike: A Strong Brand Message

Nike's ad stands out with a powerful message about winning and overcoming challenges. This campaign effectively associates the brand with the spirit of determination and resilience, particularly targeting female athletes. The ad is visually captivating, featuring prominent sports figures who embody the essence of perseverance.

By focusing on the theme of 'winning,' Nike reinforces its brand identity as a leader in sportswear while promoting a message that resonates deeply with its audience. The clever use of strong female icons not only empowers viewers but also positions Nike as a champion of women's achievements in sports.

For marketers, this ad serves as a reminder of the importance of aligning brand messaging with audience aspirations. By utilizing tools from GFunnel, businesses can analyze their target demographics and craft messages that resonate on a personal level, ultimately driving brand loyalty.

Rocket Mortgage: Tapping into Americana

Rocket Mortgage's ad taps into the heart of Americana, showcasing the quintessential American dream of homeownership. The ad weaves a narrative filled with relatable moments, effectively connecting with viewers on an emotional level. While the storytelling is compelling, the execution falters in its call to action, which is briefly presented at the end.

The ad's emotional appeal lies in its portrayal of various aspects of American life, resonating particularly well with first-time homeowners. However, the quick mention of Rocket Mortgage at the end leaves viewers questioning the brand's identity. A stronger integration of the product throughout the narrative would enhance clarity and reinforce brand recognition.

For businesses aiming to create impactful ads, the lesson here is to maintain a balance between storytelling and clear branding. Using GFunnel's CRM tools can help ensure your messaging is both compelling and recognizable, fostering a stronger connection with your audience.

Conclusion: Lessons Learned from Super Bowl Ads

The Super Bowl ads of 2025 offer a wealth of insights for businesses looking to enhance their advertising strategies. Key takeaways include the importance of clarity in messaging, the need for emotional engagement, and the value of a strong call to action. Each ad serves as a case study on what works and what doesn’t in the competitive landscape of advertising.

By applying these lessons, brands can create more effective campaigns that resonate with their target audiences. Utilizing platforms like GFunnel can provide the necessary tools and insights to refine your advertising approach, ensuring that your message not only captures attention but also drives meaningful action.