Every year, brands pour millions into Super Bowl ads to capture attention, drive consumer spending and spark conversation. While beer and chips still dominate, this year’s lineup reflected a subtle cultural shift—one that embraces wellness, smarter choices and demands we take female athletes seriously.
Here are five standout ads from Super Bowl LIX that pushed the wellness movement forward in several categories:
Liquid Death
Ready to “murder your thirst”? Liquid Death, the canned water and beverage company valued at $1.4 billion, has turned drinking water into a rebellious, eco-conscious act. With killer packaging that could make an innocent bystander do a double take, Liquid Death has tapped into Gen Z and millennials’ sustainability preferences with infinitely recyclable cans filled with water from American mountain ranges.
In its 30-second Super Bowl spot, Liquid Death showcased how its canned water is the perfect way to stay hydrated—playfully highlighting that it’s “Safe for Work” as a pilot, surgeon, judge, and police officer cracked open cans.
The brand’s lineup includes still and sparkling water, soda-flavored sparkling water with one-tenth the sugar of traditional sodas, low-sugar iced tea with agave and Death Dust—a line of hydration powder sticks.
Nike
Activewear and sports equipment leader Nike debuted a powerful new message during Super Bowl LIX: “So Win.” The ad celebrates women athletes while spotlighting the challenges they face, from being told how to act to dealing with constant criticism. The message? Tune out the noise and win anyway.
The 60-second spot features standout athletes, including Jordan Chiles, Caitlin Clark, Sha’Carri Richardson, A’ja Wilson and Sophia Wilson.
“At Nike, we make sure the athlete is at the center of everything we do, from product creation to storytelling,” Nike chief marketing officer Nicole Graham said. “We are at our best when we are representing the voice of the athlete, and their voice becomes our voice. This brand anthem, featuring elite Nike athletes, is a perfect example of how we can inspire everyone to win, whatever that means for them.”
Poppi
Poppi took a gentle aim at the soda and energy drink industry in a 1:00 Super Bowl ad, showing young consumers wrangling with the decision to drink a soda but are on the fence due to the sugar content.
They are then quickly encouraged to “get a Poppi,” a line of colorfully packaged gut-friendly prebiotic beverages that are low in sugar and come in eight flavors, including Classic Cola, Doc Pop and Lemon Lime.
Hims & Hers
Health and wellness telehealth platform Hims & Hers aired one of the more controversial ads during Super Bowl LIX—its first-ever “big game” spot—reminding viewers that 74% of Americans are overweight.
Standing out amid a lineup of ads for chips, beer, and candy, Hims & Hers tackled the obesity public health crisis and the ongoing challenges in accessing weight loss treatments, including medications, in its one-minute ad.
“There are medications that work, but they’re priced for profits, not patients. This system wasn’t built to help us. It was built to keep us sick and stuck. But not anymore.”
The ad then showcased Hims & Hers’ offerings, including affordable, U.S.-formulated weight loss medications and personalized treatment plans.
NFL Flag 50
In another nod to female athletes, NFL Flag 50 ran a two-minute ad promoting the push to make girls’ flag football a varsity sport in all 50 states. The ad opens at a high school in 1985, where varsity football players in letterman jackets strut down the hallway, bullying whoever is in their path.
“Girls don’t play football,” one of them, Chad, says to a female classmate wearing a jersey and holding a football.
“They do where I’m from,” she fires back before launching the ball at him. She is then seen trying out for the girls’ varsity football team, ultimately facing off against the guys—and winning.
The ad then closes with a statement to leave the past behind and move forward with making the sport available for girls nationwide.
