Saturday, February 7, 2026

Tomorrow’s the big day. It’s a big enough day that yesterday I delayed my usual Friday post so I can do my annual review of the Super Bowl ads. But waiting until Sunday night to post doesn’t mean I can’t guess on Saturday what I am going to see in the ads. The trends over 10 years of these reviews may help my guesses. (https://trimbathcreative.net/?s=super+bowl)

The ads, I’ll see. The game I can otherwise easily avoid. Games are great, though I don’t play them. I’m more likely to spend my time doing something besides sitting and yelling. But the ads I find useful because they are a view into what the advertisers expect that we are going to like. What we like is one thing. What the companies provide is something else. The advertisers try to bridge the two and make money doing it. I’ll leave it to every individual to decide whether they help the people, or the companies, or themselves the most.

I try to ignore politics in my writing (my personal life is another thing), but this is The Super Bowl! as if any other country is allowed to be included. (The Olympics are playing at the same time. I don’t watch that much either, except for the curling. Fascinating.) But The Super Bowl! will be red white and blue, with accents from the team colors.

This year I am watching for oligarchy. Previously, there were luxury brands, fantasies displayed as things we all deserve as if we call can afford vacations, flights, diaphonous attire, sculpted bodies, eternal youth, and excess on excess. Then, oligarchy was implicit, though it was more extreme wealth. In 2026 so far, the mainstream ads seem to be catering to people who regularly are being catered too, and having others arrange for the caterers. For the rest of us, the images aren’t aspirational; they are fantastical.

And I can’t blame the companies. The majority of the economy is being driven by a shrinking minority of the citizenry. Why worry or even show respect for the people who maintain the economy’s systems when they account for the minority of the wealth and cash flow? Businesses are in business to make money. B-corps may have greater and broader visions and goals, but they are also a minority. 

I’ll be looking for ads to show champagne instead of mass-produced beer, expensive pre-prepared and home-delivered meals instead of mayonaise, luxury cars instead of commuter sedans, first-class travel instead of road trips.

And I know I’ll be wrong. Budweiser and Doritos still run massive businesses and are appropriate for Sunday football. Disney and Netflix will be more likely than ballet or the opera (though a Disneyland or Disney World vacation is becoming far less family-affordable). There will be telecoms advertising getting a lot for a little (unless you add up the subscription fees). And movies, lots of movies, lots of multi-million dollar fantasical movies.

Each year’s ads are influenced by each year’s news. There were times to rally around the flag, to show how we can care for each other, for distractions – and the distractions may win again. Red v Blue or Blue v Red can be too touchy. Rainbows are amazingly controversial. Pick a color and it makes a statement even though it is just a wavelength of light. Will anyone return to black & white for amnesiatic nostalgia?

I watch the ads for some entertainment, but more for investment insights. The DotCom Bubble had its character. How much of the messaging will be AI? Will any of my investments pay for ads? I expect not, at least not this year; but a couple may be heading that way. What innovations and new trends have I missed in my bubble of a life that doesn’t include sports or sitcoms or fancy anything? I am at least somewhat frugal, which means I don’t shop much or spend much. 

But I bought SBUX even though I don’t drink coffee because I saw how much everyone else was spending on brewed beans. I bought PIXR as a counter investment that I suspected that would become mainstream. I chastise myself for skipping Costco when I was staring right at it’s HQ, and thinking Barnes & Noble would compete against AMZN when book sales were the thing. 

I’m not suddenly going to buy finance companies simply because they’re there between quarters (interesting pun possibility wasted), because, even while they are best positioned to profit from oligarchy, oligarchies are not stable societies. I’ll be looking for trends and companies that are likely to survive apolitically, and to me, oligarchy is effectively an unelected third party, and not the kind of third party so many have waited for.

There’s a minor wind storm happening as I type. It’s about lunch time on Saturday, and the laundry should be done soon (a story of good and odd innovation for another time, and maybe a different blog). Hopefully, the power stays on, the game happens safely, and I get to watch and comment on the output of billions of dollars of marketing firms. 

Staying tuned.

—

Oh, why not? I was going to watch the ads after the game to make sure I catch them all, but I have a non-spectator life to lead, so I’ll watch what’s already up, get chores done, maybe go dancing, then fill in later in the evening. Gotta have a life. Gotta live.

I miss AdQuest’s playlist. How about “All the Official NFL Super Bowl Commercials 2026” compiled by MiningAsteroids, and Minding Asteroids can be a commentary purely based on its name. More on mining asteroids in some subsequent blog post

• SoCal – a beach vacation and a few bottles of rose – because everyone can afford days of beach rentals and more than one bottle of wine
• amazon – cowboy criminals buying scrunchies as they escape from the law – an unintended message from a company possibly owned by an oligarch?
• Manscaped – manscaping – a trend I’ve watched for for years as men embrace vanities – icky hair, innovative
• United Airlines & Starlink – wifi in the sky – as connectivity increases, even for folks who are disconnected from the ground, gotta have it, right? Can’t get by with being quiet and still, right?
• Samsung Galaxy – editing photos on a folding tablet – editing reality? removing unwanted bits
• Spruce – pet-friendly weed killer – gotta keep it pristine and safe, eh?, a celebrity I don’t recognize. No surprise there.
• Hyundai – action movie SUV, Like & Subscribe – more celebrities I don’t know, ways of driving we’re not supposed to do
• Hellman’s! – dining out Meal Diamond, ham & cheese & mayonaise – most entertaining ad so far, still don’t use the product
• San Diego – smiling musical – closer to everyday, yay, Liked Jive Ace’s version better
• Ritz – island party, original crackers – campy and fine, also naturally, implicitly inclusive, welcome
• T-Mobile – La la la, vocal warmups and tongue twisters with a crew – fun, but why buy them?
• Uber Eats – celebrities lounging – but why buy them?
• Uber Eats – Sourdough Sam (from San Fran, evidently) “Football’s one big plan to sell food.” – Yep. Once upon a time it was a game played by friends, not an industry feeding industries.
• Uber Eats – finger puppets – advertising the fact that they can hire celebrities?
• Uber Eats – jogger, food – “food” from an actor who has to watch how much he eats, and I suspect it isn’t much considering his physique.
• ? – undersea “I need to pee.” – I’m supposed to already know their logo? Who are they advertising too?
• Canadian Rockies by luxury rail – Rocky Mountaineer – “It feels like you can reach out and touch the mountains.” Ah, you know, if you get off the train, you can. Still a fan. Take the train to the mountains, then touch them and (cliche-warning) they’ll touch you. So says the author of three books about mountain travel, me.
• Uber Eats – celebrity party, “When football makes you hungry” – Finally, their product. And the actors are debating food at a football party but not watching the football game playing in the background. Oh yeah, and not healthy food, not even health food. Fat, salt, sugar are tasty – for those who can eat that.
• Xfinity and a ‘dinosaur’ – and nothing – and nothing
• Xfinity and Jurassic Park – celebrity playing piano – ignoring movies, move on
• movies
• Xfinity – enabling Jurassic Park – feeling kinda meta
• Ramp – finance meeting in five – why I can guess, but what and how
• Samsung Galaxy – rainbow portrait – at least it is direct, challenging customer to make the comparison, 
• Chevy – truck on mountain, See the USA – recognizable, SUVs et al, and affordable travel, mostly 
• Ramp – – still don’t know what or how
• Raisin Bran – Shatner, er,  Shat – clever name play, basic cereal, reasonable claims, basic health (with suger, but that’s fine.)
• State Farm x 3 – HalfwayThereInsurance.com – office playing is the other guys, right? “You get what you pay for” as a joke? By definition, the company is making more money than it is paying out, so, no. We’re getting less than we paid for. Disclosure: I am a State Farm customer, though mostly because government says I have to have insurance. The app is a benefit? Value is in the people, for me.
• Pringles – celebrity in a short skirt and high heels on the floor of a massive house – cute? but not engaging
• NASCAR/O’Reilly/CW – crashes and emotions and color and fights – spectate and be proud, and it took three corporations to collaborate on the message
• Hilton – some casino, Vegas? – indulgence, and open about it
• Pringles – Sabrina Carpenter – Hey, a celebrity’s name for once!
• elf.presenta – Melisa MacCarthy – weird, good , but weird
• bueno – candy bars in space – fancy CGI, actual product, don’t see a reason to care
• liquid.tv? – janitor? – ?
• some logo – celebrities on a driving range downrange – ?
• Oceania Cruise – indulgent travel – and glad to know people who travel for compassionate reasons, oh yeah, and Oceana as compared to Landena? It’s a cruise ship. It better be near water.
• Grubhub – eat the fees – my realtime edit “Who will pay the taxes?”, and Grubhub may eat the fees, but with money they made from something else.
• Oikos yogurt – streetcar shut down – a SF ad, at least acknowledges a benefit
• Dunkin – celebrity meet – celebrities acting old
• Samsung Galaxy – run – tech to support your resolution, for which you need help
• Floor & Decor – dream kitchen on budget – hey, someone mentioned a budget!
• tree hut – industrial cream application – very white until ecstatic color, but why
• Base44 – office – app builder, but why them?
• Skechers – celebrity, Sofia Vergara, trouble with shoes – ah, shoes are too tough, so make them step in
• Pepsi – polar bear – therapy, but at least about preference, even if it is fictional
• Toyota – go for a drive, returning the favor, people are the destination – agreed, but why Toyota?
• The Real Cost – vaping/taxidermy – actually informative
• Cashmere Body Mist – guess that scent – ok, closer than most
• Dove Body – body image – agreed
• Lay’s – potato in a field – cute
• TurboTax – guy in a trailer – as if living in a trailer is a judgment
• Bosch – Guy Fiery haircut – a Bosch clipper?
• Oakley/Meta – record this – tough guy
• Ritz – beach – no guesses
• Nerds – celebrity party – eh
• Ring – pets are family, automated photo matching for pets – good idea with cringe possibilities
• Ask and receive – the Bud ad…
• Salesforce – YouTube celebrity – hype sells, but what about Salesforce?
• Skittles – Skittles horn – sure ok whatever, I like local candy, which I didn’t expect to realize
• Gopuff – ?, ah, Elijah Wood – but still…?
• Totinos – pizza rolls – seems appropriate for the day
• The Real Cost – good anti-vaping ad
• Michelob – competition can happen anywhere – yeah, but it doesn’t have to
• healthcare fear ad = mute and skip
• Instacart – nostalgia music performance – nostalgia rules? Ah, that’s where the money is. 
• NBS Reggie Dinkins – reality show? – Reggie Dinkins?
• Resorts World – luxury, celebrity, weird – not my life, not many people’s lives
• Bud Light – keg in car – celebrities?
• Spectrum – cables, hard work – 100% US
• healthcare – skip – long, of course
• healthcare – skip and ick
• Honda – cars et al – less drives to the pump, 600 mile range ***
• HBO – don’t care, won’t care, anooying premise even with the sound off
• Squarespace – B&W – heavy breathing disconnects me at the start
• Liquid Death – paper mache heads – icky
• Uber Eats – Eagles, conspiracy to sell food? laugh – 
• Wix – gallery – actual features? gasp/ congratulations, AI
• NFL – Tom Brady – wasn’t he in some scandal?

Three hours of watching (and typing) before the game. 90 ads, and not done yet. Where’s the Bud ad? Maybe after the game. Some notes, first. A bike ride. Go to a dance. Come home. Have dinner. Watch some more ads. And along the way, I’ll hear about the game because I live so close to Seattle, but am evidently not living the Seattle lifestyle.

Early summary notes:

• I was wrong. 
• There was opulence, but less than I expected. Are those customers elsewhere? 
• There was less USA USA USA, but that may be a purposeful distancing.
• There was more assumptions of implicit knowledge: celebrities, logos, etc. Proof that I do not lead a normal life? Fine by me.
• I saw trends, but nothing that I’d invest in. 

Fun dance with lots of dance floor and fewer dancers, and more leads than follows. Check your cultural stereotypes.

No dinner because even the delis were closed early so they could watch the game, ostensibly.

Seahawks win, evidently. 

Finally, home and pizza.

Now, back to the ads to see if any dropped during the game. Hmm. Do advertisers shift ads depending on where the ads are shown (duh) and how the game is going? 

This time, I’m using Adblitz. https://www.youtube.com/@adblitz 

Let’s see how much duplication happened. 9PM begin.

• Old Spice – family love, er, with a deodorant – fine and familiar, no doubts
• Lay’s – potato farmers – family and retirement
• Rocket and Redfin – Mister Rogers Neighborhood update – disaster support
• Squarespace – B&W noir space – not just fear but violence, just use another name, be creative
• Under Armour – disrupting football – about time, but with skimpy outfits?
• Nissan – dip seat (metaphor) – dip seat? brilliant or bizarre or both
• Disney/Pixar – whatever
• Adobe/AI – data and AI and NFL – unconvinced
• Finally, Bud (and animals) – horse and bird – as good as ever, which is praise
• Anthropic Claude – ads on AI, not – on point and eerily creepy
• QVC – NFL apparel – not appealing
• Mario – games – not caring, violent tennis?!
• Bob-O-Pedic – get into bed with a cartoon – mentions budgets, good
• Grammarly – getting AI to write it – a personal grudge I have as I’ve been writing long enough to appreciate the heritage Grammarly but now have to work around prompts to use their AI, “Your Credibility Is In Your Voice. Use It.” at the same time they’re saying let something else write it. Groan.
• Apartments & Home .com – celebrities giving housing advice – finally connected the logo to a company
• Dos Equis – the Man – nice remembrance
• Google Gemini – integrating existing personal content – clearer description than most, and interesting to see if it makes accidental memes
• YouTube TV – meh – meh
• Experian – BFF vs real friends – icky
• Navy Reserve – your tax dollars at work
• Norwewgian Cruise Lines – vikings! – and a good thing few have to try to survive what they successfully did
• Fanatics – Sports betting from luxury – as if
• Jim Beam – lemonade – concise and clear, and makes me wonder about tariffs. Hey, politics has an influence, eh?
• Smirnoff – a drink for every team – whatever
• He Gets Us – “There’s more to life than more.” – agreed

…and that’s enough even though there are more. That make four hours of watching and commenting on ads.

My apologies for a lack of more literate content, but 120 ads should be statistically significant, or an excuse to say “No More!”

SUMMARY

My earlier guesses were as wrong and right as I mentioned. 

As someone at the dance noticed, it felt like the advertisers were avoiding making statements, even artistic ones. They missed the creativity. I saw some of that, but then, I watched over 100 ads. They went for a bike ride, then danced, and ignored the game. Yep. I agree with that choice.

Let me review them again, and see if something stands out.

Ah, some notes I made as the ads streamed by.

• Ads starting without revealing the company.
• AdBlitz! Didn’t show up in a Search, but shows up in an AdBlitz ad after I watch someone else’s playlist. The online world is as weird as ever.
• Evidently, I’m supposed to already know the celebrities and the companies. I am out of it! Good.
• There were fewer cars, fewer movies, less luxury. Still disconnected from real reality.
• I’m getting to use question marks a lot. Wow. I really do live a unique life not as defined by ads as I thought. 
• Is it only the minority of ads that actually includes a benefit to justify the cost?

Yeah. What I mentioned before stays. 

I feel as if, with our world bifurcating along political and societal lines, the ads show another splintering. There is a world that the marketers know is the one to address, the world of people who know the logos, the celebrities, and the memes. The two big themes seem to be fear (healthcare and such) and distractions (don’t think about real issues, just know when to say Yay!). 

I’m not part of that. I feel glad of that, and I feel sad for so many who live that way. They were sold it, and they bought it, and it works for them. My lifestyle is relatively fine, and this weekend has been one of doing things with friends: art show, visiting, trying to house a potentially unhoused person, dancing, and of course, writing.

If there is an investment possibility, I missed it; and that’s fine. (Grammarly would fix that line, but I don’t use it in any post with such a mix of formats.) 

It’s late. I’ve written enough. I’ve learned what I wanted to learn. I’ll thank the last ad I watched for the advice I’ve been following for a long time, which is advice that may serve well to get through the recent turmoil.

There’s more to life than more.”