Super Bowl Commercials Have Lost Their Edge—Stop BLAMING AI
Super Bowl commercials have long been a cultural moment—sometimes more memorable than the game itself. But this year, there seems to be a feeling that they were just… meh. Some people on social media blamed AI. (See Forbes’ write-up: Super Bowl Ads Used to Be Great — Why are they so terrible now.)
I think that’s an easy cop-out. AI writing probably played a role, but these commercials go through countless rounds of pitches, concepts, and edits before receiving approvals and millions of dollars in funding. A corporation typically needs approvals from multiple departments for a Super Bowl ad, including the creative agency, PR agency, C-suite executives, in-house legal counsel, and the marketing team. That is a lot of people.
It’s not about whether AI is generating scripts or making creative decisions. It’s about the emotional climate—the social, political, and economic atmosphere that brands are navigating. The real reason Super Bowl ads felt lackluster is that business leaders, marketers, and creatives are afraid of misreading the cultural climate, let alone predicting where it’s headed.
No one wants to be wrong. Corporations don’t want to take risks. So what do we get? Content. Just content for the sake of putting something out there.
Take Kendrick Lamar’s halftime performance—everyone is dissecting its symbolism, trying to decode hidden message Easter eggs instead of just engaging with what’s being said. That’s the era we’re in: everything is a metaphor about a metaphor about another metaphor, a ‘thoughts and prayers’ statement, or a signal of sorts—so much so that nothing actually gets done or said outright. Super Bowl ads are falling into the same trap, cloaking themselves in vague symbolism that seems safe. Even Kendrick reportedly wanted to perform a certain song but said he couldn’t because of potential lawsuits and corporate fingerwagging, that’s why we got a Cheshire Cat smile instead.
(For the record: I think Kendrick is a very good artist and poet. But, my favorite halftime performance was 2016’s Beyonce and Bruno Mars.)
In a strange Twilight Zone twist, we live in a world of information overload, yet we spend our time over-analyzing hidden messages from millionaires and billionaires’ brands. Have you seen the cost of eggs lately? We’ve got things to do—say Drake, or it wasn’t said. (Did you catch that? No? Then you missed the hidden symbolism/joke.)
Real (world) eggs are too expensive for us to be messing around with symbolic Easter eggs.
In an era where we are under constant scrutiny, the fear of misreading cultural moments and interpersonal reactions affects creativity. The result? Safe, middle-of-the-road storytelling that neither offends nor inspires. We’re seeing commercials that rely on nostalgia, celebrity cameos, and tired humor—not because AI wrote them, but because human decision-makers are afraid to create their own boundaries. They’re just hoping to go unnoticed and stay within the lines already drawn—by whoever claims to be setting them.
Great advertising has always been about striking the right tone at the right time. But right now, too many brands are opting out of the conversation altogether, hoping that playing it safe is the smartest strategy. The problem? Playing it safe is forgettable.
AI isn’t why Super Bowl commercials feel lackluster—fear is. Embracing cool ideas includes reading the cultural room with confidence and taking smart risks. Being wrong—and then correcting it to make it right—is okay. But being boring? That’s not.
What do you think? Is this a creativity problem, or is AI taking too much of the blame?
More about the author: Andréa M. Garcia is the managing partner of COMMS/NATION LLC where her team builds strategic award-winning PR and communications campaigns and thought-provoking leadership for ambitious business leaders who want to dominate their respective industries. She’s a trailblazer in communications and a dedicated advocate for minority entrepreneurs.