Human stories outperform AI in Big Game ads

As artificial intelligence featured heavily in Big Game advertising this year, research from System1 shows that audiences responded more strongly to campaigns grounded in human emotion and storytelling.

According to System1, consumers’ highest-rated ads favoured warmth, familiarity and feeling over technology-led messaging. The top-performing commercials included the NFL’s You Are Special and Champion, Budweiser’s American Icons, Universal Orlando Resort’s Lil’ Bro and Michelob ULTRA’s The Ultra Instructor.

How System1 measures creative effectiveness

System1’s Test Your Ad Competitive Edge platform analyses emotional responses to advertising, drawing on a database of more than 100,000 ads. The platform assigns creative a score from 1.0 to 5.9 Stars, reflecting long-term brand-building potential driven by positive emotions such as happiness and surprise.

Big Game advertising this year averaged 2.7 Stars, down from a 3.0-Star average in 2025 and compared with a 2.4-Star average across all U.S. advertising. Ads that referenced artificial intelligence accounted for 18 percent of the total and averaged 2.1 Stars.

Top-performing Big Game ads

Despite the overall decline, several returning advertisers delivered strong results, contributing to a record number of 5-Star ads. The highest-rated commercials were:

NFL (72andSunny), You Are Special — 5.9 Stars

NFL (72andSunny), Champion — 5.7 Stars

Budweiser (BBDO New York), American Icon — 5.6 Stars

Universal Orlando Resort (Lucky Generals), Lil’ Bro — 5.3 Stars

Michelob ULTRA (Wieden+Kennedy New York), The Ultra Instructor — 5.1 Stars

Further high scorers included Ring’s Search Party from Ring, Pepsi’s The Choice, Red Bull’s Dog Date, Lay’s The Lay’s Challenge and Hellmann’s Meal Diamond.

Creative patterns behind high scores

System1’s analysis points to several themes among the strongest-performing ads. Campaigns rooted in human stories consistently outperformed those centred on technology alone. Ring was the only AI-related ad to appear in the top 10, using technology to support a relatable narrative around finding lost pets.

Celebrity appearances were widespread, with 59 percent of ads featuring star talent, yet seven of the top 10 commercials relied on no celebrities at all. While recognisable faces can drive attention, System1’s data suggests they are not a substitute for long-term brand building.

Pop culture and brand consistency

Cultural references and long-running brand assets also played a role in effectiveness. The NFL referenced a familiar Mr Rogers song, while Pepsi revisited the Pepsi Challenge through a contemporary lens. Budweiser continued to rely on its Clydesdales, and Red Bull returned to its hand-drawn animation style.

Michelob ULTRA once again aligned sport and social occasions, reinforcing its established positioning, while Hellmann’s leaned into humour and surrealism to maintain brand familiarity.

Branding remains a weak point

System1’s findings also highlight opportunities for improvement. Brand recognition across this year’s Big Game ads averaged 78 percent, meaning more than one in five viewers could not correctly identify the advertiser. This represents the lowest result recorded across seven years of System1 testing.

In addition, 76 percent of ads used fewer than seven brand codes, the level System1 associates with stronger recognition. While some consumer packaged goods brands placed logos and packaging prominently, many advertisers introduced distinctive brand cues too late or not at all.

Jon Evans, Chief Customer Officer, System1: "The most compelling subplot of the night was how AI companies would sell a use case for the tech. Most of these ads lacked storytelling, a character to root for and clarity on who the ad was for. CPG is still the reigning champion. These advertisers return again and again and are well versed in tried-and-true effectiveness principles like narratives featuring real people, humour and distinctive brand cues."

www.system1group.com

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