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RITZ Salty Island: Key Findings
Campaign Snapshot
RITZ Crackers is making a big return to the Super Bowl with a playful (and salty) new ad.
At the heart of the campaign is "RITZ Island," a 30‑second commercial developed with The Martin Agency.
It will air in the third quarter of the Big Game, inviting viewers into a sun‑soaked beach celebration.
The spot features Jon Hamm, Bowen Yang, and Scarlett Johansson, whose chemistry helps tell consumers what the brand calls its “deliciously salty and buttery flavor.”
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According to Steven Saenen, category president of savory snacking at Mondelēz International, the Big Game “is the moment where culture, entertainment, and sports collide on the biggest stage.”
He added that RITZ is evolving into "a modern, culture‑shaping brand built for today’s shared moments,” using comedy to show how even the “saltiest” can come together over crackers.
Hamm expressed his excitement over the campaign, describing the creative as a blast.
“Who wouldn’t want to escape to RITZ Island for a day?” he shared.
Yang, marking his first Big Game spot, said Ritz crackers are “a star in their own right” and called the experience joyful.
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Johansson, who arrives in the ad on a jet ski to rally the salty duo, called the work “bold, playful, and a little unexpected.”
The campaign comes as part of RITZ's effort to modernize the brand and connect with diverse audiences.
With a nearly century‑old history and presence in millions of homes worldwide, the brand combines tradition with fresh ideas and big celebrities for the Super Bowl stage.
The Saltiest Beach Party Ever
The commercial opens with Hamm and Yang perched above a beach party on RITZ Island, trading salty barbs as they watch crowd goers snack on RITZ Crackers.
After a few quips, Johansson arrives on a jet ski and urges them to head down and join the fun.
The scene shifts quickly to the three riding into the seaside party together, crackers in hand.
It's this type of gleeful brand storytelling that ties the product directly to fun, shared moments that are sure to resonate with the Super Bowl audience.
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Aside from the TV ad, RITZ is executing a full 360° multichannel campaign to maximize brand awareness throughout football season.
This includes a strengthened in‑store presence with limited‑edition football‑shaped crackers.
RITZ’s Salty Comeback is a Lesson in Standout Marketing
RITZ’s return to the Big Game offers a case study in how to refresh an iconic brand for the modern-day audience. Here, we learn that:
- You can pick one product truth and write every joke around it, the way RITZ built a story on saltiness and lets the rest follow.
- Cast celebrities who can play themselves, then give them simple behavior to act out instead of forcing scripted brand lines.
- Keep the product on-screen and on-shelf, so the ad and the retail execution reinforce each other immediately.
Things are about to get salty 2.8.26 👀🏈 pic.twitter.com/2v5z6XZqp2
— RITZ Crackers (@Ritzcrackers) November 19, 2025
RITZ is known for its lightly salted round crackers that have become a staple in snack culture all over the world.
It was first introduced by Nabisco in 1934 and now owned by Mondelez International, which posted $10.5 billion in revenue for Q4 2025.
Our Take: The Simpler the Better?
RITZ made a Big Game ad to remind people that its crackers also belong on the table during football watch parties.
And that’s about it. The beach setting, the jet ski, and the celebrities are there to keep you watching for 30 seconds, not to tell some grandiose story about the brand.
Hamm and Yang play people who are left out because they don’t have the snack. Johansson shows up and brings them the food.
And while all that is happening, the product is visible the entire time, so the joke lands without needing an explanation.
To me, the lesson here is that if your product already has a clear use case, don’t complicate it.
Show the moment. Show the product. And make people laugh while you're at it.
In other news, Pringles made its Super Bowl entry with pop star Sabrina Carpenter in another hilarious spot.
Super Bowl moments don’t happen by accident. Discover U.S. Top Creative Agencies helping brands cut through noise with clarity and confidence.
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