In 2026, playing it safe wasn’t lazy — it was intentional.
The top ads of Super Bowl LX 2026 proved – Emotion + clarity beat novelty + noise.
2026 LX Rankings & “Best of” Lists
CBS News — Best and Worst Super Bowl commercials of 2026 — Experts and professors weigh in on the year’s ads, with Google and Bosch among those spotlighted.
Adweek — Budweiser tops the USA Today Ad Meter again — Budweiser, Lay’s, Pepsi, Dunkin’ and Michelob Ultra are at the top of audience rankings.
Yahoo/Sports roundup — Grading the best, worst, wildest, weirdest ads — A wide look at how ads performed and stood out.
Variety — Top 10 most-liked commercials — A popularity-based list reflecting buzz and social engagement.
Tasting Table — All 21 Super Bowl 2026 Food Commercials, Ranked Worst to Best — Focused specifically on food & beverage-related spots from best to worst.
PR Newswire — Google claims No. 1 spot at Kellogg School review — Google’s “New Home” ad wins top academic ranking.
People.com — Best and worst commercials, with celebrity highlights — A broad entertainment-leaning recap of big spots like Dunkin’, Lay’s, Xfinity, T-Mobile, and more.
Entertainment Weekly — Best and worst celebrity-led ads — Covers hits and misses with star power in the commercials.
Delish — Lay’s emotional Super Bowl ad reaction — Focused look at the emotionally resonant Lay’s commercial.
Trending & Social Media Takes
Business Insider — Anthropic’s AI-themed Super Bowl ad and public reaction — Coverage of an AI company’s bold ad approach.
Times of India — MrBeast gets praise for a Salesforce/Super Bowl interactive ad — International perspective on a unique campaign.
“The 10 Best Super Bowl Ads of 2026” — Adweek creative ranking, listing standout commercials and creative choices.
“Super Bowl commercials 2026: Grading the best, worst, wildest and weirdest ads from the Big Game” — Another comprehensive Yahoo Sports article.
“2026 Super Bowl: 5 Worst Commercials, Ranked” — Slashfilm’s critique of weak or poorly received spots.
“The 15 Best Commercials From the 2026 Super Bowl” — Vogue’s cultural roundup of memorable ads.
The Consensus Top 5 Super Bowl Ads of 2026
1. Budweiser — “American Icons”
Why it’s #1 overall
- #1 on USA Today Ad Meter thanks to voting and ad’s early release
- Top-tier in academic reviews
- Strong emotional + brand linkage scores
This is the closest thing to a universal winner. Not flashy. Not trendy. Just confident, timeless, and unmistakably Budweiser. In a chaotic year, heritage won.
2. Lay’s — “The Last Harvest”
Why it’s here
- Top 3–5 everywhere (critics and audiences)
- Called the best storytelling ad of the game
- Emotional without manipulation
This ad shows up in People, Adweek, Kellogg, Variety, and nearly every “best of” list. It didn’t need celebrities — the story carried it.
3. Google — “New Home”
Why it matters
- #1 at Kellogg School Super Bowl Ad Review
- Highest marks for clarity + usefulness
- Rare tech ad that people actually understood
In a year where most AI ads underperformed, Google stood out by showing utility instead of talking about innovation.
4. Michelob ULTRA
Why it earns a spot
- Consistent “A” grades in academic reviews
- Clean, optimistic, unmistakably on-brand
- No backlash, no confusion
Not the most talked-about, but one of the best executed. This is the definition of a professional Super Bowl ad.
5. National Football League
Why it rounds out the Top 5
- Strong emotional resonance
- Reinforced communal identity of the league
- Well-liked across mainstream and trade press
It didn’t dominate rankings, but it never fell out of the top tier. Dependable, sincere, effective.
Not in the Top 5 (But Worth Explaining)
Dunkin’ → Extremely popular, but middling critic scores
Pringles / T-Mobile → Fun, celebrity-driven, not enduring
AI-first ads (Anthropic, Codex, etc.) → Heavily discussed, weak benefit clarity
United Airlines → Smart, credible, important — but reviewed more as a brand signal than an emotional “best ad”
No shock winner. No chaotic meme ad.
Just brands that knew exactly who they were — and trusted that to be enough.
Of course, the SuperBowl-Ads.com top 5 lists are dependent on the sites viewership, and our most requested list is quite different.
