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what was the best super bowl commercial 2026

The “best” Super Bowl commercial of 2026 depends on what metric you care about (likeability scores, critic rankings, or social buzz), but a few clear front- runners have emerged and are being talked about as the top ad of the year.

Quick Scoop: Top Contenders

Several ads are consistently showing up at or near the top of rankings, audience scores, and early industry lists.

  • Budweiser – “American Icons” : Classic emotional Budweiser formula with Americana visuals, nostalgia, and high likeability; its likeability score is reported well above the norm and it has very strong brand recognition.
  • Pepsi Zero Sugar – “The Choice” (Taika Waititi, Queen soundtrack) : Celebrity-driven, humorous, and highly nostalgic, with one of the highest likeability and brand-recognition scores among 2026 game-day ads.
  • Lay’s – “Last Harvest” : A heartfelt, story-driven spot leaning into emotion and message, also scoring significantly above average on likeability and brand recognition.
  • Michelob ULTRA – “Olympics: The Instructor” (Kurt Russell, Chloe Kim, T.J. Oshie) : Sports-star power, stylized visuals, and a light, aspirational tone make it one of the more talked‑about beer ads.
  • XFINITY – “Jurassic Park… Works” (original Jurassic Park cast) : Heavy nostalgia play with Sam Neill, Laura Dern, and Jeff Goldblum, ranking highly on likeability and especially on “nostalgic” emotion.
  • Toyota – “Where the Dream Began” : A sentimental, inspirational spot featuring Bubba Wallace, Puka Nacua, and Oksana Masters, praised for its message and above‑norm likeability.
  • Bud Light – “Keg” (Shane Gillis, Post Malone, Peyton Manning) : A funny, celebrity-packed beer ad with strong likeability and brand recognition numbers.

Separately, teaser and pre‑release rankings ahead of the game have highlighted celebrity‑heavy campaigns from Uber Eats (Matthew McConaughey, Bradley Cooper), Instacart (Ben Stiller, Benson Boone), Pringles (Sabrina Carpenter), Skittles (Elijah Wood), Hellmann’s (Andy Samberg), and others as likely to dominate post‑game conversation. Early editorial lists of “best Super Bowl 2026 ads” also pull heavily from this same pool of star‑driven, nostalgia‑laden spots.

So which one was “the best”?

Because there is no single official “winner,” different sources crown different ads:

  • Audience metrics and likeability scores suggest Budweiser “American Icons” and Pepsi Zero Sugar “The Choice” are among the strongest candidates for “best commercial of Super Bowl 2026.”
  • Pop‑culture and TV editors tend to favor the more playful, celebrity‑filled spots (Uber Eats, Pringles, Skittles, Hellmann’s, Michelob ULTRA, etc.), often ranking them in their “top 10” or “top 25” lists.

If you want one concise answer that matches both data and buzz:

  • Budweiser’s “American Icons” and Pepsi Zero Sugar’s “The Choice” are the two ads most commonly positioned as the standout, “best of the night” Super Bowl 2026 commercials, thanks to their high likeability scores, strong nostalgia factor, and heavy online chatter.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.