Every year, brands pull out all the stops to make a splash. Some go for patriotic, some go for sentimental, while others go for absurdity. This year, three ads caught our attention and got us talking. Melody Curran (Brand Strategist) and Rory Nolan (Creative Copywriter) broke down the Tubi, Dunkin’, and Fetch commercials — analyzing what made them stick with us from both creative and strategic perspectives — and highlighted the importance of aligning strategy and creative toward a common campaign goal.
1. Tubi: Weird, Wild and Western
Ever heard of Tubi before this year’s Super Bowl? Yeah, us neither. But their ad made sure we’d remember the name. The spot featured a kid with a cowboy hat… that was part of his skull. Yep, you read that right.
The ad leaned into the absurd while subtly playing on trends. Westerns were once America’s favorite genre, but fantasy has taken the crown in recent years. We have a hunch that Tubi cleverly (and creepily) used that data point to showcase its broad selection of content. And it worked.
We couldn’t stop talking about the underlying message: your media preferences are part of your identity. From Yellowstone-loving city slickers to fantasy fans sporting wizard hats, the ad reminded us that Tubi has something for everyone — no matter what genre speaks to you.
The Verdict: Memorable, weird, and surprisingly insightful. We’ll be thinking about that cowboy hat for a while.
2. Dunkin’: All Celebrities, No Substance
Ah, Dunkin’ — the beloved Massachusetts staple. This year, the coffee giant went big with a celebrity-stuffed spectacle featuring Ben Affleck, Casey Affleck, Jeremy Strong, Bill Belichick, Bill Belichick’s girlfriend and more. It was loud, beyond colorful, and jam-packed with pop-culture references.
The problem? It tried to do too much. Between the pop-culture nods, the over-the-top humor and the sheer number of stars crammed into 60 seconds, the core message got lost. We couldn’t help but wonder: What was the plan here?
We get it — Dunkin’ doesn’t need to introduce itself. But this felt more like a flex than a clear, cohesive ad. The best part? A brief moment of real, relatable banter about Dunkin’ being for “real” people. If they’d leaned into that, maybe the ad would’ve hit harder.
The Verdict: A classic case of “too much of a good thing.” Dunkin’, we love you, but next time, maybe skip the Dune references.
3. Fetch: A Stunt That Missed the Mark
Fetch took a big swing with a Super Bowl giveaway, promising $10,000 to 120 lucky viewers who participated through their app. The idea was solid: turn a passive ad experience into an interactive event (while hacking their big game ad-buy). But in execution? It fell flat.
For starters, Fetch isn’t exactly a household name. The ad didn’t do enough to explain what the app actually does (it’s a rewards platform for everyday purchases, like groceries) ahead of encouraging downloads – a direct response strategy. Instead, viewers got a vague message and an arguably clunky process that required them to stay on the app for 10 minutes to participate in the giveaway. We’re curious how many of those that did download the app kept it on their phone and learned more about what Fetch Rewards does the other 364 days of the year.
We admired the ambition, though. Fetch used its budget to give back to consumers instead of just paying celebrities — something you don’t see often enough. They also saw a huge lift in site traffic with a 803% spike on Feb. 9th, according to Similarweb. But without more brand awareness or clearer instructions, the stunt likely left many viewers scratching their heads and may lead to a drop off in traffic, app downloads post-event versus capturing long-term, loyal customers.
The Verdict: A promising concept that needed more groundwork. Maybe next year, Fetch.
Super Bowl ads are like halftime shows: some blow you away, some leave you baffled, and all of them get people talking. Tubi won the “weird but compelling” award, Dunkin’ went celebrity-overload, and Fetch tried to hack the system with mixed results.
At the end of the day, these ads reminded us that creativity, strategy and clarity matter more than celebrity cameos or flashy stunts. And if you’re going to attach a cowboy hat to someone’s skull, well, you better have a solid story to back it up.
What did you think of these ads? Did Tubi’s weirdness work for you? Did Dunkin’ make you laugh? And did you even know what Fetch was before the giveaway? Let us know!
