Which brands really won Super Bowl 2023?

At Ad Age it’s become a well-worn cliché to say the Super Bowl is our Super Bowl. As with the Big Game, ad world Monday morning quarterbacking begins almost immediately after the final whistle and continues in the days and weeks that follow, as brands and marketers seek broader consensus on what worked and why.

Although there were a handful of ads that received almost universal acclaim, consensus about what makes for a winning Super Bowl ad, judging by USA Today’s Ad Meter, iSpot’s consumer survey of the most liked commercials and Ad Age’s own comprehensive reviews, is hard to come by—especially in an economic climate where measurement may ultimately determine the true winner of the Big Game. Less scientifically, we polled the Ad Age Amp community to see which brands came out on top.

One thing everyone seemed to agree on was that the Big Game’s best ad wasn’t actually an ad at all.

“Rihanna’s halftime performance overshadowed the Super Bowl for many viewers with tweet after tweet referring to the event as the ‘Rihanna concert.’ Her intentional but subtle inclusion of a Fenty compact was the only brand placement needed to get people talking about her cosmetics brand, which had also been running football-themed ads leading up to the event,” said Lani Tuitasi, director of cultural innovation at Cashmere Agency. “Overall, Rihanna successfully turned a completely brand-agnostic music performance into a massive buzz generator for her brand, showcasing the value of unlocking cultural moments for audience engagement.”

Rihanna’s epic halftime-show/pregnancy-announcement aside, there were some clear winners in the traditional ad category. Two frontrunners emerged, with a slew of stellar ads following behind. Even so, the No. 2 ad, Tubi’s “Interface Interaction” didn’t even qualify as an official Super Bowl in-game ad, since technically it was a Fox house ad.

Although the top two ads were runaway winners, consensus was harder to find among the rest of the 30-odd ads that aired in and around the Big Game. After the top five, eight spots tied for sixth place.

Here are the top vote getters, along with Ad Age’s capsule reviews of each.

“The Farmer's Dog did a great job of emotionally engaging you in the story and the brand. Even if you don't have a dog, you'll want one after seeing the ad.” —Carolyn Walker, CEO and managing partner, Response

“Many years ago, a seasoned advertising professor told me, ‘Use dogs and babies, but use them well.’ The Farmer Dog’s captured the life-long bond between dog and owner so authentically and poignantly, it had me hugging my pup and thinking these folks probably know how to make pretty damn good dog food, too.” —John Godsey, chief creative officer, North America, VMLY&R

“The Farmer’s Dog made me emotional. I lost my dog last year and it was speaking to me because it’s true. It got me.” —Keith Stoeckeler, founder and head of strategy and operations, Heartlent Group
 

“Only one spot got me to take action and it featured no celebrities at all. Not only did The Farmer’s Dog have me immediately get up to pet my dog—who wasn’t watching any of the commercials—but I placed my first order soon after.” —Allan Gungormez, executive VP of strategy, Mocean

“The Farmer’s Dog’s spot managed to tell the tale of an aging pet in such a unique and beautiful way that I found myself sobbing into my nachos.” —Jen Herbert, strategy director, Amp Agency
 

“Despite the steep cost, DTC brands like The Farmer's Dog emerged on the scene. With more brands creating their ads in-house and utilizing spend on production value—rather than a star-studded cast—this risk of breaking the threshold into the big leagues will surely open up the doors for more brands to follow.” —Sam Zises, CEO, [L]earned Media

“The brand told a simple, yet deeply human story of friendship, love and dedication that wasn’t glittering or weird, soaked in special effects or weighed down with some high-concept notion no one would ever get. It was a heartfelt depiction of real life that hearkened back to what advertising has always been about: Telling a great story that people can relate to.” —Brandon Levin, group creative director, North America, Just Global

“What stood out in The Farmer’s Dog spot is a universal human insight: that dogs have evolved beyond man’s best friends but as an important part of American family life, especially after the pandemic, when adoption and the companionship of pets were at a record high. It’s a reminder that ads can continue to tell great stories that are authentic, emotional and reinforce effective product positioning.” —Rachelle Hansen, VP of client leadership, Croud

“What would a run of Super Bowl commercials be without emotional puppies? Without the Budweiser dog, I wasn’t sure I would get my puppy fix, so thank you to The Farmer’s Dog for bringing tears to my eyes.” —Lisa Lewis, senior creative director, AKA NYC

“The Farmer's Dog hit home hard with an older pup lying next to me. I loved the emotional trigger; I got the message.” —Jorge Prado, co-founder, Admazing Co.
 

“For a story that’s already been told quite a bit, this was done in a fresh, cinematic way that pulled you in, rose above the clutter and left you with something to hold onto. I’m not crying, it’s the hot sauce.”—Jordana Freyberg, executive producer, Biscuit Filmworks

Ad Age review: “Nothing flashy here—just good old-fashioned storytelling about the love we have for our dogs, delivered in subtle, heartstring-pulling style by director Goh Iromoto.” 

“In just 15 seconds, Tubi had 50 million football fans frantically looking for their remotes. I assumed I had sat on mine—so did everyone else in the room. And it grabbed everyone’s attention more than any ad of the night.” —John Godsey, chief creative officer, North America, VMLY&R

“Although Super Bowl ads are more entertaining than the typical advertising on television, people may still use that time to check their phones, re-up on refreshments/snacks, etc. Tubi's 15-second stunt during the fourth quarter made sure no one ignored their ad.” —Linda Chau, chief financial officer, EightPM

“The Tubi ad that got everybody yelling ‘Who’s got the remote?’ certainly stood out—love it or hate it. I don’t know that it’s going to make me switch to Tubi, but at least it was something different.” —Kathy Martinolich, senior copywriter, Cornett

“The ad got people to experience Tubi, and talk about it after, accomplishing the mission of a lasting impression. They got us: We thought the dog sat on the remote again.” —Jeff Fagel, chief marketing officer, Madhive

“Noteworthy ads that added nuanced emotion to the mix included the clever prank that was that Tubi ‘malfunctioning TV’ promo.” —Jen Herbert, strategy director, Amp Agency

“I’m sure it pissed a ton of people off and then gave them a good laugh, but most importantly, it got people familiar with the Tubi brand and its interface. It was one of the spots that couldn’t be ignored and really set the tone of the offbeat personality for the company.” —Romeo Cervas, VP and creative director, RPA

“Tubi is always a topic on Black Twitter, but after the Super Bowl, #tubigotme has taken off on socials and looks to be emerging as a TikTok trend. FAST channels: We see you! And now the competition is hot with Tubi coming on top and getting the culture talking.” —A.Jay Johnson, senior strategist, Cashmere Agency 

“Tubi sent my entire Super Bowl party into a 15-second panic trying to figure out who was sitting on the remote. It was a remarkable, made-you-look moment, and while I don’t know what makes Tubi different from other streaming platforms, the name was certainly seared into my brain.” —Lisa Lewis, senior creative director, AKA NYC

“In the traditional land, Tubi's spot won the night for me. I was actively looking for the remote, assuming the dog or I was accidentally hitting it. Mission accomplished for them.” —Jorge Prado, co-founder, Admazing Co.

“Genius. I wish I’d worked on this one simply so I could have sat back and watched the chaos unfold, giggling to myself. Instead, I immediately yelled at my husband because he gets blamed for all things TV-related.” —Jordana Freyberg, executive producer, Biscuit Filmworks

Ad Age take: “Viewers generally praised the brand on social media—even those who felt punked by it were laughing, for the most part.” (Note:  Ad Age didn’t review the Tubi ad because the spot fell under the network promo/house ad category. Read more about how Tubi tricked viewers into reaching for their remotes.)

“Uber One oozed postmodern self-reflexivity from the get-go: an ad about the making of the ad, except it’s not the real ad. It’s textbook meta advertising, and the end tagline is the killer bit of reflexivity, almost as if lifted directly from the client's list of objectives in the original brief: ‘Get that stuck in your head!’” —Eaon Pritchard, chief strategy officer, Bray & Co

“There was something about the unpredictability of bringing back musicians we wouldn’t ever think of being in a room with Diddy that simply brought a smile.” —Allan Gungormez, executive VP of strategy, Mocean

“This one was just good vibes with a great sense of humor, and nice use of music nostalgia, though I still had to Google the difference between Uber Eats and Uber One.” —Lisa Lewis, senior creative director, AKA NYC

“Andreas Nilsson’s Uber spot was one of the best executions—bias alert here—in terms of style, camera, comedic timing and random celebrity performances. The moment when Diddy’s bodyguard breaks into Norwegian is perfect, followed closely by his head getting cropped off in a later shot.” —Jordana Freyberg, executive producer, Biscuit Filmworks

“Uber was best in using celebrity in a fitting and organic way, which I always prefer over celebrity-for-celebrity sake. And nostalgia will always win.” —Keith Stoeckeler, founder and head of strategy and operations, Heartlent Group

Ad Age review: “Uber’s Big Game spot is both incredibly annoying and diabolically effective.” 

"Having Miller Lite and Coors Lite in a bar fighting ridiculously over whose commercial it is, then during the last five seconds, saying ‘Neither,’ is classic—things you can do when all three brands are owned by the same parent company." —Steven Fullerton, senior strategist, Ready Set Rocket

“Molson Coors took full advantage of their first chance in more than 30 years to compete with Anheuser-Busch with a Super Bowl ad. Was it a Coors, Miller or a Blue Moon ad? It doesn't really matter when all three of the brands are being talked about after the ad.” —Jordan Coff, account manager lead, EightPM

“The campaign was full of built-up anticipation and a giant, orange twist. The combination of a flawless misdirect and a beautiful art card made this ad entertaining.” —Marie Rockett, senior VP and group creative director, Allen & Gerritsen

“Blue Moon nailed it with the surprise at the end.” —Tyler Sweeney, senior manager, digital strategy, RPA

Ad Age review: “Frankly, it’s perfect. And if you add in the gamification elements from the teaser phase (a fun partnership with DraftKings), this is one of the more impressive campaigns of this Super Bowl season.” 

“From the cheesy supers to the tongue-in-cheek testimonials, it addressed a real category barrier—range anxiety—and set up the Ram Rev as a compelling alternative: problem/solution advertising done in a fresh, fun, satirical way. Moreover, I think Dodge was brave for poking a little fun at the white, middle-aged, macho male audience that so squarely makes up the vehicle’s target.”—Mason Franklin, executive VP and managing partner, strategy, UM

“Ram Rev was pretty hilarious. Very well done.” —Keith Stoeckeler, founder and head of strategy and operations, Heartlent Group

“This could have easily been skewed to men or gone down a trail of grotesque humor, but it seemed to toe the line really well and get across its message.” —Kace Phillips, partner, RPA

“A few brands came out as winners by doing something a little different: Ram took a humorous approach on a fear most have.” —Tyler Sweeney, senior manager, digital strategy, RPA

Ad Age review: “The joke has limited charm to begin with. But across a full minute, it’s interminable and cringey. Plus, the comedy feels out of place on the family-friendly Super Bowl telecast (even if some kids may be in bed by the fourth quarter) and actually obscures the message around what looks like a cool product.”  

“Heroing the iconic shape of the product? Check. Playing a charming Jack Harlow off of a string of industry veterans? Check. IYKYK moments? Check. And they’ve been building to it: Starting the process on TikTok resulted in a culturally savvy and riffable spot.” —Jen Dorman, creative director, Critical Mass

“Collabing with well-known artists that resonate with three different generations and having them participate in a contest in Decentraland’s virtual venue, Triangle Studios, is the perfect recipe for pop-culture success! Doritos continues to create ads that stick to their brand values, allowing them to keep their fans engaged and retained.” —John Higgins, CEO, OS Studios

“A laugh-out-loud script with a clever twist at the end, and a celebrity having a good time. I’m in.” —Lisa Lewis, senior creative director, AKA NYC

Ad Age review: “This spot has all the ingredients for a perfect Super Bowl commercial. It’s got big-name celebrities, an absurdly funny premise that actually relates to the product, just the right amount of scenes, and a laugh-out-loud surprise payoff. For our money, this 60-second spot will rank high on all those Super Bowl ad-ranking charts, and for good reason.” 

“Ben Affleck proves he’s got a good sense of humor by working the drive-thru at Dunkin’ and J.Lo jumps in the fun by pulling up to the pick-up window. It makes me love their coffee even more.” —Marie Rockett, senior VP, group creative director, Allen & Gerritsen

“Where most celebrities find themselves overacting in complicated sketches—see Netflix/GM with Will Farrell, Pepsi with Steve Martin and Ben Stiller, and Melissa McCarthy with Booking.com—the Dunkin’ spot stood out for its celebs seeming to authentically enjoy the products they were hawking.” —Lisa Lewis, senior creative director, AKA NYC

“I’ve never been a big-celebrities-in-Big-Game-spots person because they’ll usually be less crafted, resting on the laurels of whatever famous person is taking up the screen. When it really works is when celebs are used where and how they belong and not just jammed into a set like expensive, sexy lamps. That’s why I loved Ben Affleck for Dunkin’: It was so perfectly him and came off so natural and funny.” —Lauren Rodrigue, executive creative director, The Via Agency

Ad Age review: “It’s great to see a brand actually do something fun with a celeb, rather than just throwing them a half-baked script and praying for a miracle. The footage of the surprised customers is, of course, gold. The thick Boston accents, including Affleck’s own, lend a nice authenticity. And the arrival of his wife, Jennifer Lopez, at the end is the perfect kicker.” 

“Partnering with Netflix, who summarily get to promote their most popular shows, GM takes a smart, sensible and organic way to get their EVs into the limelight—a win-win for both brands.” —Stewart Chow, director of digital marketing, George P. Johnson

“GM and Netflix leveraged Ferrell’s casual comedic abilities to near perfection.”—Allan Gungormez, executive VP of strategy, Mocean

“GM and Netflix plus Will Ferrell was an unexpected cultural combination that was memorable. Using Netflix to amplify the EV value was a great way to make their proposition more mainstream, and paired with Will Ferrell’s comical involvement, the ad was also excellent entertainment.” —Chandni Kothari, associate director, Biddable at Croud

Ad Age review: “It’s not entirely clear why you’d want to advertise this deal in the first place. (Isn’t product placement supposed to be advertising by osmosis, not something you flag to the world?) But as a brand-building exercise for both companies, it’s upbeat and effective. And we’ll take Will Ferrell in anything. These are 60 seconds we’d happily watch again.” 

“The reprise of Walter White and Jesse Pinkman was just brilliant. The formula that makes all seven flavors of PopCorners so craveable seems to be worthy of this smart parody. Made me wanna get some!” —Carolyn Walker, CEO and managing partner, Response

“PopCorners’ parody leans heavily on intertextuality—the shaping of a text’s meaning by another text, a go-to tactic for the postmodern creatives: ‘Yay, we don’t have to write anything!’ But it will get noticed and there was plenty of pack-shot action.” —Eaon Pritchard, chief strategy officer, Bray & Co

“The unlikely connection between the crime drama and a healthier snack is not just smart, it's genius! Frito-Lay has found a way to tap into the nostalgia of a cult-favorite pop-culture hit and make it their own, creating an ad that is both clever and entertaining.” —Adrian Curiel, art director, Amp Agency

“Kia Binky Dad was relatable, and showed the vehicle’s benefits. Very solid spot given the audience.” —Keith Stoeckeler, founder and head of strategy and operations, Heartlent Group

“As a father of young children, I felt this ad was perfectly written for its target audience and was not afraid to be bold about who they want driving Kias. Every dad feels like a hero when he's on a mission for his family—something moms do every day! And the insight was also brilliant for the payoff when he inevitably retrieved the wrong color binky.”—Kace Phillips, partner, RPA

“Kia went meta this year, creating the first-ever Super Bowl commercial with alternate endings found on TikTok. Kia leveraged trends in real time, both through the viral #BinkyDad storyline, and by extending the campaign experience further, involving influencers to weigh in on their own alternate endings to generate engagement.” —Sam Zises, CEO, [L]earned Media

Ad Age review: “The ensuing breathless drama is a bit cheesy for our taste, and the ‘twist’ ending isn’t a surprise either. Kia is trying something new with ‘alternate endings’ to the ad on TikTok, but the spot itself travels too much of a well-worn road.” 

“In the ‘strange’ category, Squarespace offered Adam Driver, contemplating the closed loop of creation that is a website that makes websites. Cheers to Squarespace for going simple, memorable and willing to get as weird as necessary—which was pretty weird, as evidenced by the behind the scenes follow-up the team made.” —Jen Dorman, creative director, Critical Mass

“Instead of solely showcasing the product and its features, this ad relied on a compelling storyline that kept viewers engaged—a reflection of current trends in influencer marketing, where simply demonstrating a product is becoming less and less effective. This method not only captures the audience's attention but also results in higher engagement.” —Chris Jacks, director of growth, HireInfluence

“Adam Driver for Squarespace worked: weirdo-dude-meets-weirdo—but genius—insight. It’s that simple.” —Lauren Rodrigue, executive creative director, The Via Agency

Ad Age review: “If you like Adam Driver, this is a delight. Epic and silly at once, it’s fine Super Bowl material—miles better than the weird live Snickers stunt Driver did for the 2017 game.” 

“This ad clearly tapped into the obvious insight that nobody likes to do their taxes—why do them when TurboTax now has experts that can do them for you—probably new information to most of the audience, as they think of TurboTax as the DIY tax software?” —Carolyn Walker, CEO and managing partner, Response

“TurboTax's spots stuck out, not necessarily for the commercials themselves, but for the simplicity of the idea. It hits on a pain point every American can relate to this time of year, which is you'd rather be doing anything else with your time besides your taxes.” —Amanda Ford, executive creative director, Ready Set Rocket

“Simple brilliance, great song, right for the moment, no bells and whistles. And that line, ‘Don’t do your taxes’: such a perfect smack at the end of something that was pure, joyful entertainment.” —Lauren Rodrigue, executive creative director, The Via Agency 

Ad Age review: “It’s a quirky and welcome respite from ads trying too hard, and it’s fitting because it builds on the tax preparer’s theme of ‘Don’t do your taxes,’ which urges consumers to let TurboTax do the work while you enjoy whatever you find fun in life.” 

“In a cheeky turnabout on corporate speak, Workday's homage to many real classic rock stars does an entertaining job promoting Workday users as top performers and gives the ubiquitous phrase some revitalized meaning.” — Stewart Chow, director of digital marketing, George P. Johnson

“No more ‘rockstar’ talk. Thank you, Workday. We all appreciate it!” —Keith Stoeckeler, founder and head of strategy and operations, Heartlent Group

“The rockstar-as-metaphor-for-basic-competence meme has broken out into the mainstream from its origins in tech-bro speak and has been floating about in the ether as an ad-waiting-to-happen for about 15 years. Finally, someone has grabbed at it.” —Eaon Pritchard, chief strategy officer, Bray & Co 

Ad Age review: “We’ll give points for the absurd juxtaposition of Ozzy Osbourne, Paul Stanley, Joan Jett, Billy Idol and Gary Clark Jr. with office drones—'Oswald’ in a tie as a desk jockey is worth the price of admission alone. But it’s a pretty expensive cast and a pretty expensive gamble at 60 seconds, especially given that Workday recently had extensive layoffs.”  

Honorable Mention

NFL, “Run With It” (72andSunny)

Crown Royal, “Thank You Canada” (Anomaly)

Pepsi, “Great Acting or Great Taste? Ben Stiller” (Vayner Media)

Bud Light, “Hold” (Anomaly)

Google, “Fixed on Pixel” (in-house)

Busch Light, “The Busch Guide: Shelter” (The Martin Agency)

Avocados From Mexico, “Better” (Lerma/)

Downy, “Call Me Downy McBride” (Saatchi & Saatchi New York)

FanDuel, “Kick of Destiny” (Wieden+Kennedy)

Hellman’s, “Make Taste. Not Waste.” (Wunderman Thompson)

Michelob Ultra, “New Members Day” (Wieden+Kennedy)

Apple Music, “Run This Town” [not reviewed]

Dove, “Change Is Beautiful” (Ogilvy London) [not reviewed]