Super Bowl LX: Which Brands Should Get Back in the Game?
With Super Bowl LX fast approaching (less than four months!), we’re taking a look back at advertisers that have scored effectiveness wins with Big Game audiences. Each year, System1 tests every Super Bowl ad using our Test Your Ad platform to predict the short- and long-term commercial impact of the most anticipated ads. Our Star Rating predicts long-term brand building potential and our Spike Rating predicts short-term sales potential.
We then categorize all the Big Game ads by year in our Test Your Ad database, enabling subscribers to check out the creative Hall of Fame whenever they’d like. So, let’s kick off our look at which brand we’d love to see return for Super Bowl LX, the 60th biggest night of football, taking place February 8, 2026.
1. Lay’s
Lay’s landed at #1 in our Super Bowl LIX ranking for its “Little Farmer” ad depicting a young girl who grows a potato that eventually becomes a bag of Lay’s chips. Not only did the TV spot perform exceptionally well, scoring the maximum 5.9 Stars in System1’s testing (a Super Bowl rarity!), but the condensed 16-second version for TikTok also entertained social media users, scoring 4.6 Stars.
Lay’s recently unveiled a bold design refresh to showcase its dedication to using real potatoes and mark a move away from artificial colors and flavors. The endearing “Little Farmer” fits well into this mission and message. Perhaps there are still some adventures on the farm for Super Bowl LX? We’ll be delighted to take another journey to the potato fields should we have the opportunity!
2. Angel Soft
First-time Super Bowl advertiser Angel Soft used the Big Game as an opportunity to introduce a new character to viewers. The adorable Angel put forward a surprising proposition – that everyone watching should take a bathroom break right then and there. The ad scored 3.3 Stars, an impressive debut, as well as ‘Exceptional’ on short-term sales potential and Fluency (brand recognition). Will Angel return to give fans another potty-tunity for the toilet during Super Bowl LX? Our research finds that fluent devices are most effective when they’re given time to wear in. Angel Soft already has a strong start and repeated use of Angel can help flush away any doubters that this fluent device is the right fit for the brand’s long-term growth.
3. Doritos
Doritos put the fate of the Super Bowl in the hands of fans, bringing back its contest for people to submit their commercials for a chance to be featured during the Big Game. In his column for The Drum, System1’s Andrew Tindall reviewed and ranked the fan-made films, according to System1’s testing. The ad that scored the highest Star Rating in our Test Your Ad platform went big on entertainment, depicting aliens trying to abduct a man’s bag of Doritos chips. It ended up winning the contest and airing on game night.
Competition can bring out some of the most creative ideas – here’s hoping Doritos runs the contest again so we can put the finalists to the test.
4. Häagen-Dazs
Super Bowl LIX newcomer Häagen-Dazs, supported by agency nice&frank, offered a masterclass in how to use celebrities well. The brand put Fast & Furious stars Vin Diesel and Michelle Rodriguez in the driver’s seat and let them do what they do best: drive fast. They juxtaposed the rush of a post-heist getaway with the slow enjoyment of an ice cream bar.
The result was a 4.7-Star ad that landed at #5 in our rankings for long-term effectiveness. Audiences enjoyed seeing Diesel and Rodriguez reunited with co-star Ludacris in a scene that felt familiar. Fast & Furious certainly knows how to keep a franchise going – could there be a sequel for Häagen-Dazs at Super Bowl LX? We’ll have to wait to see!
5. Instacart
Another advertiser new to the Super Bowl in 2025 was Instacart, and boy did they deliver! The spot, “We’re Here” took a creative risk that paid off – featuring familiar brand characters from the grocery aisles, otherwise known as fluent devices. These included Chester Cheetah (Cheetos), the Green Giant, the Pillsbury Doughboy and the Energizer Bunny. The ad scored 4.1 Stars and 87% of viewers recognized Instacart despite so many brands’ distinctive assets in the spotlight. Will the crew return in 2026? We sure hope so!
6. Duracell
The Energizer Bunny had his moment to shine in Instacart’s Super Bowl ad, but competitor Duracell made sure it was also top of mind on the biggest night in advertising. Duracell leveraged the Big Game to showcase its recently launched fluent device, the Duracell Scientist. Rather than choosing a fluent device instead of a celebrity, the brand opted for both, recruiting Tom Brady to showcase how Duracell batteries boost his energy.
The ad secured a Spike Rating predicting ‘Good’ short-term sales potential as well as ‘Good’ brand recognition. Fluent devices take time to build up familiarity and goodwill with audiences, so we’d be happy to see the Scientist return to screens again and again. For Duracell and their new fluent device, it’s a decent start, especially given 88% of viewers correctly identified the brand.
7. Reese’s
Time and time again, Reese’s has turned up and entertained Super Bowl viewers. This past year, to showcase a new variation of the treat, featuring chocolate ‘lava’, the “Don’t Eat Lava” Big Game ad played up the ridiculousness. Frustrated park rangers had to pull tourists away from a volcano’s molten lava, who exclaimed it looked delicious. Dialing up the antics resulted in a 4.1-Star score (#10 in our list of top Super Bowl ads), predicting ‘Strong’ brand-building potential.
The previous year, the brand also leaned into slapstick comedy and came away with a great result at 4.7 Stars. Will 2026 be a three-peat for effectiveness? Time will tell!
8. Hellmann’s
Hellmann’s and VML know the ingredients to a winning Super Bowl ad. In 2024, “Mayo Cat” featuring Kate McKinnon and a talkative feline was a fan favorite, scoring 4.5 Stars and landing on our Nation’s Favorite Ads list that same year. In 2025, the dynamic brand/agency duo was back again, this time recruiting Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal for a When Harry Met Sally reunion, including that scene. Nostalgia and storytelling play to the right brain, helping Hellmann’s score 4.1 Stars.
What might 2026 bring? We’re predicting celebrity appearances once again, humor and lots of delicious meals made better with mayo.
9. Dunkin’
Dunkin’ is practically synonymous with Ben Affleck at this point. The actor and director’s favorite coffee chain has cast him in commercials for years, including a few that have aired during the year’s most-watched game. Most recently, he appeared in a spot that also featured Jen Affleck, one of the cast members of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives who has previously name dropped the actor . While Dunkin’ has also recently worked with Sabrina Carpenter to launch a Strawberry Daydream Refresher, it appears that Ben is back and that could mean a return for yet another Super Bowl spot in 2026.
10. Uber Eats
Uber Eats continues with its NFL season “Football is for Food” conspiracy theory campaign, leaning into consistency while also putting a fresh spin on the concept thanks to a new spokesperson. This season, they’ve swapped Matthew McConaughey for Bradley Cooper. While McConaughey firmly believed the conspiracy that football only exists to sell food, Cooper begs the NFL board to deny it.
The campaign recently made our Ad Of The Week feature, scoring 4.0 Stars in System1’s testing, putting it in the top 6% of food delivery ads for predicted long-term effectiveness and proving that this conspiracy has staying power.
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