Super Bowl ads shift to health and body positivity
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A slew of advertisers are bringing a healthier and more female-focused message to this year's big game, with spots highlighting everything from breast cancer awareness to obesity and body positivity.
Why it matters: The trend is a shift from the last few years when the Super Bowl was flooded with ads that typically target young men and their vices, like sports betting and crypto investing.
Zoom in: Novartis will mark its Super Bowl debut with a 60-second, star-studded commercial spotlighting breast cancer awareness.
- Hims & Hers, a health startup, will also run its first Super Bowl ad this year, spotlighting America's obesity crisis.
- Dove is back this year with a 30-second ad that will highlight how body confidence issues prevent girls from playing sports in high school and beyond.
- WeatherTech has a 60-second spot showing four older women flirting with other road passengers and spray painting trucks while enjoying a joyride in a vintage Lincoln convertible.
- Several non-alcoholic drinks will also appear during the Big Game, including Killer Cola and Cherry Obituary from water company Liquid Death and probiotic soda from Poppi.
Reality check: A large number of Super Bowl advertisers — 17 of the 51 — are still fast food, snacks and alcohol brands, including Taco Bell, Doritos and Budweiser.
Zoom out: Super Bowl marketing typically reflects broader economic and cultural trends that impact consumer spending and sentiment. This year, a few key industries are sitting out.
- Fewer politics. No political cause or appeal ads have been teased yet for this year's game. Last year, Robert Kraft's Foundation to Combat Antisemitism and a religious group both ran advocacy spots.
- Less media. The COVID-era digital bubble drove more entertainment and social media firms to advertise. But this year, companies like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Snap haven't announced a return. Disney and Tubi, Fox Corp's ad-supported streaming service, are the only entertainment companies that have teased spots so far. Meta is back but showcasing its smart glasses. The NFL will air its annual spot.
- China checks out. Temu, the Chinese e-commerce giant that spent millions on multiple spots throughout last year's game, is sitting it out this year as Chinese retailers and tech giants brace for new trade rules and the possible implications of the TikTok ban law.
- Gambling shrinks. There is only one sports betting company that has announced plans to run a national ad during the game. DraftKings, FanDuel and BetMGM each had splashy spots last year. This year, only FanDuel has announced bringing back its campaign. Crypto advertisers also have yet to return en masse following a big splash in 2022, before the FTX scandal.
The big picture: With big ratings expected this year, Fox has sold out its Super Bowl ad inventory.
- Nearly a dozen spots have sold for a record $8 million.
Go deeper: 2025 Super Bowl ads you can watch now
Editor's note: This story has been corrected to reflect that there are 51 total commercials in 2025 (not 59) as of Feb. 3 and that FanDuel will be running an ad. The chart was also corrected to show there will be 14 (not 15) consumer packaged goods ads and 11 (not 10) food and beverage ads.
