Best Ads of the Week: Key Findings
Welcome to Best Ads of the Week, where we spotlight campaigns that earned attention through smart creative decisions.
This week focuses exclusively on Big Game teasers as brands reveal how they'll show up on advertising's biggest stage on February 8.
What connects these featured ads is a willingness to challenge assumptions about what Super Bowl advertising looks like in 2026.
1. MANSCAPED: 'Mancare Your Everywhere'
Quality Meats Creative developed MANSCAPED's first Super Bowl spot, airing just before kickoff on NBC.
The men's grooming brand positions the campaign as game-day preparation, linking grooming to pre-game rituals.
"Mancare Your Everywhere" uses humor and timing to reach mass audiences, extending through social teasers.
2. Bad Bunny x Apple Music
Apple Music's trailer positions Bad Bunny's halftime performance as a global cultural celebration.
The spot shows the artist dancing through Puerto Rico with Spanish-language lyrics without translation.
It reframes halftime as storytelling for international audiences, reflecting confidence that global viewers (62.5 million outside the U.S. last year) don't need compromise to connect.
3. Bud Light: 'Rollin' Into SBLX'
draftLine NY created Bud Light's spot starring Post Malone, Shane Gillis, and Peyton Manning on their way to a wedding.
The teaser shows the trio tapping the keg, which was on the gift registry, and creating a catchy tune.
The campaign extends through a $60 keg discount via QR code and the San Francisco show, "Bud Light Presents Post Malone & Buddies," on February 6.
4. Salesforce x MrBeast
Salesforce has handed creative control to top YouTuber MrBeast, pivoting from 2025's McConaughey and Harrelson spot.
A vertical video shows MrBeast, real name Jimmy Donaldson, pitching Salesforce's team and negotiating freedom, with constraints limited to legality and product inclusion.
He hints that viewers "might become a millionaire," framing the ad like his challenge videos, which drive engagement based on participation.
5. Liquid I.V. x Ejae
Anomaly created a teaser starring Ejae, whose voice powered Rumi of Netflix's "KPop Demon Hunters," which has accumulated 482 million views.
The spot features her version of Phil Collins' "Against All Odds," with vocals distant until she sips water and walks to a mic, singing with clarity.
The campaign extends across Instagram and TikTok, tapping Ejae's 2.5 million combined followers to connect hydration messaging with K-pop fandom.
Three patterns define this year's Big Game approach:
- Timing is part of the creative. Brands are treating ad placement around the game as an important strategic decision.
- Fandom now drives reach. Creators and artists with built-in communities are replacing traditional endorsements.
- Specific stories travel globally. Clear cultural identity is proving more effective than generalized messaging.
These trends matter for brands weighing an expensive Super Bowl buy, as campaigns shift toward culturally grounded ideas built to live outside the broadcast.
In 2026, real value comes from activations that can extend beyond the broadcast window.
Brands that know how to build momentum before the Big Game and sustain it through social platforms will get more return than those still treating the Super Bowl as a single 30-second moment.
Our Pick: Bad Bunny x Apple Music
We think Bad Bunny's halftime trailer represents one of the boldest creative decisions for this Super Bowl season.
The NFL and Apple Music have committed to Spanish-language storytelling without translation, centering Puerto Rico and global audiences in a way that spotlights cultural authenticity.
In a week of strong Super Bowl teasers, this one stands out because it doesn't ask permission to be what it is.
Don't miss our last weekly roundup featuring standout work from Pringles, New Balance, Skittles, McDonald's, and Nissan.
Brands preparing for major cultural moments need partners who understand how timing, authenticity, and audience behavior drive attention.
Take a look at the top creative agencies that help brands turn big stages into lasting impact.
