Super Bowl Ads Face Scrutiny Over Cost, Relevance, and Evolving Audience Preferences

Brands are rethinking the balance between traditional celebrity-driven Super Bowl ads and creator-focused digital strategies.

The cost of a 30-second Super Bowl ad in 2025 reached $8 million, pushing brands to justify their investment with mass-appeal celebrities like Martha Stewart and Billy Crystal.
Despite their growing influence, creators were largely absent from Super Bowl ads, with brands favoring celebrities for their broad recognizability and safer return on investment.
Experts suggest that creators’ engagement-driven content aligns better with digital platforms like TikTok rather than the polished, one-way storytelling of Super Bowl TV spots.
Some marketers argue the early rollout of Super Bowl ads diminishes their impact, reducing the element of surprise and audience anticipation during the event itself.
Brands are increasingly exploring multi-platform strategies, using social media and digital engagement to complement or replace traditional Super Bowl advertising approaches.