Super Bowl ads worth copying
The Super Bowl commercials and big-game stunts people still talk about, grouped by what made them work. Each tactic has a template, and each example has a one-line version for your brand.
Doable with a small team, gifting or a simple partner swap.
Needs a paid creator, some production or a co-branded product run.
Celebrity fees, TV airtime or a large custom build.
Budget is our estimate of what it would take to run the same idea yourself, not what the brand spent.
The funny ad
12 examples
Truth: one thing everyone recognises about [TOPIC] Joke: exaggerate it until it's absurd Product: the punchline or the fix Length: under 60 seconds
Budget: Small to mid.
The five-second butt
Duolingo bought a five-second regional Super Bowl slot showing Duo's cartoon behind, and timed a push notification to hit learners' phones as it aired.
Result Notifications reached 95% of eligible learners within 3.9 seconds of the ad, per Duolingo.
Why it spread
A tiny ad that joins up with the app on your phone makes five seconds feel much bigger. Source
Calling JohnMalkovich.com
In its Super Bowl ad, Squarespace showed John Malkovich making an increasingly angry phone call to the person who owns johnmalkovich.com, the domain he needs for his fashion site.
Result Won an Emmy, per Adweek.
Why it spread
Based on something that really happened to Malkovich, it made the pain of a taken domain funny and familiar. Source
Will Shat
William Shatner fronted a Super Bowl spot with blunt jokes about fibre and going to the toilet.
Why it spread
Toilet humour on the biggest ad stage stands out from the polish around it. Source
Jurassic WiFi
Xfinity's Super Bowl debut asked what would have happened if Jurassic Park had decent internet.
Why it spread
A film everyone knows plus one small change makes an instant premise. Source
Seal as a seal
Mountain Dew's Super Bowl ad turned Seal into a literal seal.
Why it spread
A pun this literal is impossible to forget. Source
Beckham's long-lost brother
In Stella Artois's Super Bowl ad, David Beckham discovers he has a long-lost American brother.
Why it spread
A simple comic premise with a famous face lands with both US and UK fans. Source
Stop calling them rock stars
Workday's Super Bowl ad had Ozzy Osbourne, Joan Jett, Billy Idol, Paul Stanley and Gary Clark Jr. object to office workers being called "rock stars".
Why it spread
A B2B brand used a mass-audience joke about office jargon everyone recognises. Source
It's a Tide ad
David Harbour appeared in Tide ads that made every other Super Bowl ad with clean clothes look like it might be a Tide ad.
Why it spread
It hijacked the whole ad break, not just its own slot. Source
Alexa loses her voice
Amazon's Super Bowl ad showed Alexa losing her voice and being replaced by celebrities including Gordon Ramsay and Cardi B.
Why it spread
A funny what-if about the product failing shows how much people rely on it. Source
#ItsThatEasy
Website builder Wix ran its #ItsThatEasy Super Bowl campaign with Brett Favre and Rex Lee, airing a 30-second spot in the fourth quarter.
Why it spread
Putting famous faces next to a small-business tool says the product is simple enough for anyone. Source
No Bollocks
Newcastle Brown Ale mocked Super Bowl advertising with an ad about the ad it couldn't afford to make.
Why it spread
Joking about not having the budget made the brand part of the Super Bowl anyway. Source
You're not you when you're hungry
Snickers' Super Bowl ad showed Betty White playing football badly until a Snickers turned her back into a young player.
Why it spread
The line explains the product's job in one sentence, and it could be repeated with new celebrities for years. Source
The emotional story
9 examples
Story: one person and one small moment Turn: a reveal or kindness near the end Product: part of the plot, not a pack shot Length: 60 seconds to 3 minutes
Budget: Mid to big.
The Future
CrowdStrike returned to the Super Bowl with a futuristic Wild West ad in which its AI character protects a town from cyber adversaries.
Why it spread
Turning abstract threats into a story gives a technical product a hero. Source
Your everyday AI companion
Microsoft used the Super Bowl to launch Copilot, showing everyday people being told they can't do something, then using AI to try.
Why it spread
A human story about ambition makes a new tech product feel personal. Source
The New Frontier
Salesforce's Super Bowl ad had Matthew McConaughey reject space and the metaverse and argue for fixing Earth instead.
Why it spread
Taking a side against the billionaire space race gave a software ad something to talk about. Source
5 to 9
Dolly Parton reworked 9 to 5 as 5 to 9 for Squarespace, celebrating people building side businesses after work.
Why it spread
A famous song rewritten for your customers makes the product the hero of their story. Source
Pay With Lovin'
McDonald's let randomly chosen customers pay with hugs, high-fives or calls to their mums, and showed it in its Super Bowl ad.
Why it spread
Real reactions to a kind surprise are warm and easy to share. Source
Puppy Love
Budweiser's Super Bowl ad told the story of a puppy's friendship with a Clydesdale horse.
Why it spread
A simple animal friendship story is the easiest thing in the world to share. Source
Ferris Bueller's day off
Honda's Super Bowl ad for the CR-V brought back Matthew Broderick in a tribute to Ferris Bueller's Day Off.
Why it spread
A beloved film revisited decades later hits a nostalgic audience. Source
The Force
A small boy dressed as Darth Vader tries to use the Force, and his dad starts the car remotely. Volkswagen released it online before the game.
Why it spread
Releasing the ad early turned a Super Bowl spot into a days-long online event. Source
1984
Apple launched the Macintosh with a Ridley Scott-directed ad that aired nationally once, during the Super Bowl.
Why it spread
It treated a computer launch as a cultural event, and the single airing made it legendary. Source
The collab
6 examples
Partner: [BRAND / PERSON] with an obvious link to you Thing: one product, ad or event you make together Run: limited Launch: both post the same day
Budget: Small to mid.
Michael CeraVe
CeraVe spent a month seeding a fake rumour, with paparazzi shots and influencers, that Michael Cera had founded the brand, then paid it off with a Super Bowl ad.
Result 9 billion earned impressions before kick-off.
Why it spread
A believable conspiracy gave creators something to debate before the ad even aired. Source
Wrexham at the Super Bowl
Channing Tatum brought Wrexham AFC, owned by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, to the Super Bowl for STōK Cold Brew.
Why it spread
A story fans already follow gives the ad built-in interest. Source
When Harry Met Mayo
Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan recreated the famous diner scene from When Harry Met Sally for Hellmann's.
Why it spread
Nostalgia for one famous scene does the setup; the product is the punchline. Source
The halftime compact
During her Super Bowl halftime show, Rihanna paused to touch up with a Fenty Beauty compact on stage.
Why it spread
A founder using her own product in front of the biggest TV audience of the year. Source
The Dude and Carrie
Stella Artois brought back The Dude and Carrie Bradshaw, played by Jeff Bridges and Sarah Jessica Parker, reaching for a Stella instead of their usual drinks.
Why it spread
Iconic characters switching their famous drink order is a small change fans notice. Source
The Sleeping Tapes
Squarespace's Super Bowl campaign starred Jeff Bridges building a website for his 'Sleeping Tapes' project.
Why it spread
A real, odd celebrity project gave people something to go and look up after the ad. Source
The stunt
3 examples
Act: [WHAT YOU DO] in [PUBLIC PLACE / LIVE MOMENT] Twist: the one thing people will repeat Proof: why it fits your product Capture: film it properly and send to press the same day
Budget: Mid to big.
The ad in your dreams
Shut out of Super Bowl TV ads, Coors created what it called an ad viewable only in your dreams.
Why it spread
A playful workaround to a restriction becomes the story. Source
Skittles: The Musical
Skittles skipped its Super Bowl ad and staged a one-night Broadway musical instead.
Why it spread
Not advertising, loudly, on the biggest ad day gets its own coverage. Source
The Doritos photobomb
At Super Bowl XLVIII, Doritos dressed about 30 people in bright orange to photobomb the event.
Why it spread
Showing up in other people's photos gets the brand into coverage it didn't pay for. Source
The mystery or tease
2 examples
Clue: [A CHANGE / A CODE / A RUMOUR] Wait: days of guessing Reveal: on a date you've hinted Rule: never fake real harm or news
Budget: Small to mid.
The bouncing QR code
Coinbase's Super Bowl ad was just a QR code bouncing around a black screen, like an old DVD screensaver, leading to free Bitcoin for new users.
Result Over 20 million visits in one minute, crashing the app, per Decrypt.
Why it spread
It was the only ad people could interact with, and curiosity did the rest. Source
Dundee
Tourism Australia released trailers for a fake Crocodile Dundee sequel starring Chris Hemsworth and Danny McBride, then revealed it as a tourism ad in the Super Bowl.
Why it spread
People debated whether the film was real until the reveal, and the stars promoted it on their own accounts. Source
The crisis turned story
2 examples
What happened: stated plainly Response: within hours, in your brand's voice Follow-up: what you do next, in public Rule: never joke about harm to people
Budget: Mostly small.
Journey Home
GoDaddy's planned Super Bowl ad showed a lost puppy making it home, only for its owners to sell it through a website built with GoDaddy, as a parody of Budweiser's puppy ads.
Result An online petition against it gathered 42,000 signatures and the ad was pulled, per Wikipedia.
Why it spread
The joke read as backing puppy mills, and the backlash made the company pull it before the game. Source
Wow wow no cow
Oatly aired its CEO singing badly in a field during the Super Bowl, then leaned into the criticism with T-shirts saying it hated the song.
Why it spread
Owning the backlash turned a disliked ad into a joke fans joined in on. Source
Let people make it
2 examples
Ask: one simple thing people can make Reward: [FEATURE / PRIZE / THE REAL THING] Show: the best entries, with credit Timebox: [2–4 WEEKS]
Budget: Mostly small.
Small Business Big Game
Intuit ran a contest where small businesses entered and the public voted for one to win a free Super Bowl ad; toy company GoldieBlox won.
Result Tens of thousands of entries and millions of votes, per Intuit.
Why it spread
Giving away its Super Bowl slot made Intuit the champion of its own customers instead of the star of the ad. Source
Crash the Super Bowl
Fans made their own Doritos ads, and the winners aired during the Super Bowl.
Why it spread
Entrants campaigned for votes, promoting the brand for free.
The real-time reply
2 examples
Moment: [NEWS / LIVE EVENT / RIVAL / VIRAL POST] Reply: one image or line, within hours Sign-off: one person who can approve quickly Follow-up: deliver on it if people rally
Budget: Mostly small.
Dunk in the Dark
When the power cut out during the Super Bowl, Oreo posted a dimly lit cookie with a line about dunking in the dark.
Why it spread
Speed. Approvals were in the room, so it went out within minutes while everyone was watching the same moment.
The polar bears watch the game
Coca-Cola's polar bears reacted live online to in-game events during the Super Bowl, each supporting a team.
Why it spread
Live reactions give a second-screen audience a reason to stay with the brand. Source
More ideas
4 examples
Idea: [WHAT YOU'LL DO] Why it fits: [LINK TO YOUR PRODUCT] Where: [CHANNEL / PLACE] When: [DATE / MOMENT]
Budget: Varies.
KegChup
A 114-ounce ketchup keg designed for game-day parties around the Big Game.
Why it spread
It plays on how obsessed some fans are with ketchup, at the one event built for sharing food. Source
The Beckhams forget Uber Eats
David and Victoria Beckham recreated their viral "Be honest" moment in Uber Eats' Super Bowl ad.
Why it spread
A meme people already quote makes the ad feel like part of the conversation. Source
The five-second Reddit ad
Reddit's first Super Bowl ad was a static text image that flashed on screen for about five seconds.
Why it spread
A tiny ad in the biggest slot made people pause, rewind and talk. Source
The breathalyser bag
Tostitos made a Super Bowl chip bag that could detect alcohol on your breath and call you an Uber.
Why it spread
A useful, surprising pack solves a real problem on the night. Source
How to use these ideas
- Decide if you need the TV slot at all. Many of the best Super Bowl moments were replies, stunts or teasers.
- Build around one idea people can repeat the next morning.
- Release a teaser or the full ad online a few days early.
- Have someone ready to reply live during the game.
- Give people something to do: scan, vote, order or share.
Want creators talking about your big-game moment?odim.co runs on-demand influencer marketing around live events.
Talk to odimSuper Bowl Ads: FAQ
What are the most famous Super Bowl ads?
Apple's 1984, Volkswagen's The Force, Snickers with Betty White, Tide's It's a Tide Ad and Coinbase's bouncing QR code are among the best known.
How much does a Super Bowl ad cost?
Reported prices for a 30-second national slot have run into the millions of dollars. Several examples here got attention without buying one, like Oreo's Dunk in the Dark and Newcastle's ad about the ad it couldn't afford.
What makes a Super Bowl ad go viral?
A single clear idea, a surprise people want to talk about the next day, and often releasing it online before the game so the conversation starts early.
Can small brands market around the Super Bowl?
Yes. Real-time replies, local watch-party offers and cheeky ads about not having a Super Bowl budget all work without buying airtime.
More viral marketing examples
By industry and season
Spot a mistake or know a campaign we should add? Email team@odim.co.