George Clooney and Kendall Jenner to feature in Super Bowl ads as off-field battle heats up

As Super Bowl Sunday draws near, the intense competition among advertisers to capture the attention of over 120 million viewers promises to be as gripping as the on-field rivalry.

This year, dozens of brands are deploying every tactic imaginable for Super Bowl 60, airing on NBC, hoping to embed their names in the minds of the vast audience.

From A-list celebrities like Kendall Jenner for Fanatics Sportsbook and George Clooney for Grubhub, to beloved advertising mainstays such as the Budweiser Clydesdales, and nostalgic nods to iconic film franchises like "Jurassic Park" for Comcast Xfinity, the commercials are packed with star power and familiar faces.

Historically, Super Bowl advertisements serve as a cultural barometer, offering a snapshot of the American zeitgeist and highlighting which industries are currently flush with capital.

This trend has been evident from the "Dot-Com Bowl" of 2000 to the "Crypto Bowl" of 2022.

open image in gallery

For this year's spectacle, emerging themes include health and telehealth companies promoting weight loss drugs and medical tests, tech giants showcasing their latest gadgets and applications, and a notable surge in advertisers integrating artificial intelligence into their campaigns.

Given the weight of recent global headlines, from immigration enforcement surges to international conflicts, Charles Taylor, a marketing professor at Villanova University, anticipates a predominantly light-hearted and humorous tone from advertisers.

"Because of the Super Bowl’s status as a pop culture event with a fun party atmosphere, the vast majority of brands will avoid any dark or divisive tone and instead allow consumers to escape from thinking about these troubled times," he explained.

The annual influx of advertisers is driven by the game's unparalleled viewership.

In 2025, a record 127.7 million US viewers tuned in across television and streaming platforms.

Demand for ad space is at an all-time high, as live sporting events remain one of the few avenues in a fragmented media landscape where advertisers can reach such a massive audience simultaneously. NBC confirmed that all ad slots were sold out by September.

Peter Lazarus, executive vice president for sports & Olympics, advertising and partnerships at NBCUniversal, revealed that a 30-second spot commanded an average of $8 million, while a handful sold for over $10 million – a new record.

He dubbed February, with the Super Bowl, Olympics, and NBA All-Star Game, a "legendary February."

open image in gallery

Lazarus also noted that 40 per cent of advertisers purchased spots across all of NBC’s major sports properties, and 70 per cent of Super Bowl advertisers also bought into the Olympics.

Celebrity endorsements remain a tried-and-tested method for brands to garner goodwill.

This year, Fanatics Sportsbook features Kendall Jenner discussing the "Kardashian Kurse”, a playful jab at the perceived misfortunes of basketball players she has dated.

George Clooney appears in a Grubhub advertisement, promoting a deal where the delivery app offers to "Eat the Fees" on orders exceeding $50.

Several commercials boast multiple famous faces. Michelob Ultra’s ad shows Kurt Russell training actor Lewis Pullman, with Olympic snowboarder Chloe Kim and hockey player T.J. Oshie observing on a ski slope.

Xfinity reunites Sam Neill, Laura Dern, and Jeff Goldblum in a humorous "Jurassic Park" reimagining, where an Xfinity technician restores power to the island, averting disaster.

Uber Eats, for the second consecutive year, enlists Matthew McConaughey to convince celebrities – this time Bradley Cooper and Parker Posey – that football is a conspiracy designed to induce hunger, prompting food orders.

Artificial intelligence is making significant inroads into Super Bowl advertising for the second year running. Oakley Meta promotes its AI-enabled glasses in two action-packed spots featuring Spike Lee, Marshawn Lynch, and others using the eyewear to film videos and answer questions.

open image in gallery

Wix Harmony debuted an ad for its web design software, which incorporates AI tools, and is also airing a commercial for Base44, an AI app builder. OpenAI is also set to advertise during the game with a yet-to-be-revealed spot.

Svedka Vodka collaborated with AI studio Silverside AI to create its ad, which features its robot mascot FemBot alongside a male counterpart, BroBot. Sara Saunders, chief marketing officer at Sazerac, which acquired the Svedka brand in 2025, explained this approach aligns with Svedka’s positioning as the "vodka of the future."

"We reimagined the robot via AI," Saunders said. "It took us many, many months to rebuild her, to give her functionality, to give her that human spirit that we wanted to show up on behalf of the brand."

Health and telehealth providers are notably prominent during Super Bowl 60. Two pharmaceutical companies are advertising medical tests: Novartis promotes a blood test for prostate cancer with the tagline "Relax your tight end," featuring football tight ends relaxing. Boehringer Ingelheim’s ad stars Octavia Spencer and Sofia Vergara, encouraging kidney disease screenings.

Liquid I.V., an electrolyte drink mix manufacturer, has teased an ad focused on hydration.

Telehealth firm Ro features Serena Williams in its ad for GLP-1 weight loss drugs. Novo Nordisk, makers of Wegovy and Ozempic, has also hinted at a forthcoming spot.

Hims & Hers, another company offering GLP-1 weight loss drugs, has an ad suggesting it provides broader access to healthcare typically reserved for the wealthy.

"You could call this the GLP-1 Super Bowl," commented Tim Calkins, a clinical professor of marketing at Northwestern University.

"Often you don’t see a lot from pharmaceutical companies on the Super Bowl, but this year we’re going to see quite a few showing up."

open image in gallery

Some advertisers are sticking to time-honoured themes. Budweiser’s heartwarming commercial depicts a Clydesdale foal growing up with a bald eagle, set to Lynyrd Skynyrd’s "Free Bird”, celebrating Budweiser’s 150th anniversary.

Pepsi aims to reignite the "Cola wars" with an ad showing polar bears – Coca-Cola’s famous mascots – choosing Pepsi Zero Sugar over Coke Zero in a blind taste test, concluding with the bears caught on a "kiss cam”.

While many Super Bowl advertisers release their commercials early to build anticipation, some opt to keep their ads under wraps until game day.

Pepsi-owned soft drink Poppi has teased that pop star Charli XCX and actress Rachel Sennott will star in its ad. Ben Affleck returns in a Dunkin' Donuts commercial, with a teaser featuring him alongside 90s sitcom legends Jennifer Aniston and Matt LeBlanc from "Friends," and Jason Alexander from "Seinfeld”.

Although there are fewer car advertisers this year, Cadillac has hinted at showcasing its new Formula 1 car in an upcoming spot.