Novartis Returns to the Super Bowl in 2026 — This Time With Fallon Behind the Creative

Novartis Returns to the Super Bowl in 2026 — This Time With Fallon Behind the Creative

Novartis is officially returning to the Big Game. After making a high-profile debut during Super Bowl LIX, the pharmaceutical giant is coming back for Super Bowl LX in 2026, partnering with award-winning creative agency Fallon to develop its new Game Day campaign.

The move makes Novartis the first pharma brand reported to secure a 2026 Super Bowl slot, according to MM+M and Ad Age — a sign that the company is doubling down on culturally relevant, high-impact brand moments.

A Follow-Up to Last Year’s Breakout Spot

Novartis made waves in 2025 with its unbranded, emotionally charged :60 spot “Your Attention Please,” which ran during Super Bowl LIX. The ad sought to raise awareness about breast cancer risk and screenings — particularly among women 40 and younger.

The commercial starred:

Wanda Sykes, comedian, actress, and breast cancer survivor
Hailee Steinfeld, actress, singer, and breast cancer awareness advocate

Instead of releasing the full spot early (a common Super Bowl trend), Novartis built anticipation through teasers and let the full message land during the game — a strategy that paid off.

The ad finished 16th on USA Today’s Ad Meter and scored exceptionally well in Kantar’s metrics:

62nd percentile for impact
80th percentile for power
88th percentile for enjoyment

The campaign delivered one of the most talked-about health messages of the night.

As Novartis CMO & CXO Gail Horwood told MM+M at the time:

“We wanted our message to be conveyed by authentic storytellers — people who had a stake in ensuring that screening or knowing your risk was important.”

Fallon Takes Over for 2026

For the upcoming 2026 Super Bowl, Novartis has chosen Publicis’ Fallon to lead creative.

This marks a shift from 2025, where the spot was produced by Omnicom’s Merkley + Partners.

Publicis-owned N2 continues to serve as Novartis’ media agency of record.

While the company has not confirmed details of the new concept, Fallon’s involvement signals a push toward storytelling that blends emotion, cultural relevance, and cinematic craft — hallmarks of their best work.

A Big Investment for a Big Moment

Super Bowl ads in 2026 are reportedly selling for close to $8 million per 30 seconds.

That means a 60-second Novartis spot could cost $15 million+ in media alone — and more than $20 million when talent, production, and agency fees are included.

NBC is broadcasting the 2026 game and also airing the Winter Olympics and the NBA All-Star Game, meaning many advertisers are being encouraged to buy across multiple marquee events — potentially pushing overall buy-in even higher.

Despite that, Novartis has confirmed its commitment to investing in major cultural moments.

Novartis’ Marketing Strategy: Go Bigger, Go Bolder

Earlier this year, Jason Young — Novartis VP, Head of Marketing for U.S. Pharma — spoke at Cannes about how the company is working to become a world-class marketing organization, not just a top pharma marketer.

That includes:

Becoming more creatively ambitious
Showing up in cultural moments (like the Super Bowl)
Building internal creative skills and capabilities
Continuing unbranded or awareness campaigns (especially given recent FDA scrutiny)

Novartis even brought nearly two dozen marketers to Cannes to immerse the team in creativity and global advertising trends.