EDO’s president and CEO Kevin Krim returned to CNBC’s Squawk Box early Monday morning to share which Super Bowl advertisements drove the most viewer engagement.
While competition between brands was closer than the game itself, the night’s biggest winners were the AI newcomer ai.com, Lay’s potato chips, and Universal Pictures, which ran an ad for its upcoming Minions film, Minions & Monsters.
Check out the video and key takeaways from Kevin's interview below — and don't forget EDO's complete rankings of the most effective 2026 Super Bowl ads.
- The Rise of AI: Similar to 2022's so-called Crypto Bowl, Super Bowl LX featured several companies focused on AI. Everyone from established names, such as Meta and Amazon, to startups, such as OpenAI and Anthropic, ran ads showcasing their AI-powered offerings. Data shows ai.com’s 30-second ad did it best, generating 9.1x as much engagement as the median Super Bowl LX ad.
- Humor and Nostalgia: The common Super Bowl strategies returned, but with a twist. Rather than aiming their nostalgic ads at Baby Boomers, several brands set their sights on Millennials. The Backstreet Boys, for example, appeared in a T-Mobile ad. Their song “Everybody (Backstreet's Back)” appeared in a separate karaoke-inspired ad for Coinbase. Dunkin’s ad, which drove 5x as much engagement as the average Super Bowl ad, followed a 90s-style sitcom format and starred several actors from the era, including Jason Alexander, Jaleel White, and Jennifer Aniston.
- Heartfelt Emotions: In contrast to funny gags and jokes, some advertisers attempted to tug on the audience’s heartstrings. A minute-long ad from Rocket and Redfin illustrates the human connection that comes from being a good neighbor. Lay’s ran an ad showing a father and his adult daughter completing one last potato harvest together before he retires and hands the farm over to her. The ad generated 1.2x as much engagement as the median Super Bowl LX ad.