Super Bowl 2025: AI, Taylor Swift and an $8m touchdown for brands

Picture this: An AI-powered assistant cracking jokes mid-commercial, a pop superstar selling snacks with a wink, and an army of celebrities shilling everything from beers to beauty brands. The Super Bowl has always been America’s biggest advertising spectacle, but this year, the stakes—and the price tags—are higher than ever.

With 30-second spots predicted to be averaging $8 million this year, advertisers are pulling out all the stops to justify the spend. But in a world of shrinking TV audiences, streaming wars, and AI-powered marketing, does the Big Game still deliver?

From OpenAI’s highly anticipated Super Bowl debut to brands betting big on Taylor Swift’s cultural pull, here’s what’s shaping the 2025 Super Bowl ad game.

Despite brands tightening marketing budgets and traditional TV audiences continuing to shrink, the Super Bowl remains the last true mass-market event on television. With more than 115 million viewers tuning in last year, no other single broadcast delivers the same reach.

“It’s the closest thing we have to a guaranteed cultural moment,” said Charles Taylor, a professor of marketing at Villanova University, to Forbes. “In a fragmented media landscape, it’s the one event where brands know their ad will be seen by millions—live, in real-time.”

The demand for that captive audience keeps prices soaring. A decade ago, a Super Bowl ad cost around $4 million; now, it's nearly doubled. Despite the sky-high costs, CBS sold out all its Super Bowl ad slots in record time, with brands scrambling for space as early as November.

One of the most anticipated ads of the night comes from OpenAI, marking its first-ever Super Bowl commercial. While details remain under wraps, insiders suggest it will showcase AI’s everyday impact—possibly featuring ChatGPT or a futuristic integration that hints at AI’s next frontier.

“AI is in the public consciousness like never before,” said Brad Adgate, a veteran media analyst to Forbes. “This ad is as much about branding as it is about easing consumer fears around AI.”

Tech companies have long used the Super Bowl as a launchpad—Apple’s “1984” Macintosh ad is legendary—and OpenAI seems set to make its own statement. The timing is no coincidence, with AI becoming both a cultural fascination and a regulatory hot topic.

This year, beauty and wellness brands are making a bigger play, fueled by a rise in female NFL viewership—a trend largely credited to Taylor Swift’s presence at Kansas City Chiefs games.

NYX Makeup, E.L.F. Cosmetics, and Dove have all bought ad slots, with campaigns expected to feature empowerment messaging, celebrity partnerships, and interactive elements. It’s a sharp contrast from the beer-and-truck-heavy Super Bowl ad slate of the past.

“This isn’t just about Taylor Swift,” says Kory Marchisotto, E.L.F.'s Chief Marketing Officer. “Women are a growing force in football viewership, and we’re investing in that shift.”

Beyond flashy celebrity endorsements, brands are doubling down on interactivity and AI-powered creativity. Expect more:

• QR code-driven campaigns that track real-time engagement
• AI-generated ad components, like deepfake celebrity cameos or dynamically changing visuals
• Personalised call-to-actions based on viewers' preferences and locations

These tactics aren’t just gimmicks—they help brands justify the $7 million price tag by capturing measurable audience data rather than just hoping for brand recall.

As always, movie studios are using the Super Bowl to launch their biggest blockbusters. Paramount, Warner Bros., and Disney have all secured multiple slots, teasing upcoming summer tentpoles like superhero sequels and franchise reboots.

“Studios need to make big statements early,” says Frank Maguire, VP at Sharethrough. “Streaming has changed movie marketing, but the Super Bowl remains the ultimate hype machine.”

For brands with deep pockets, the Super Bowl remains an unmatched cultural moment—but the stakes are higher than ever. With AI entering the ad game, audience behavior shifting, and the demand for data-driven engagement increasing, advertisers are evolving their strategies.

Whether OpenAI’s first Super Bowl ad will be a historic success or a forgettable experiment remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: In 2025, the Super Bowl ad game is more competitive—and more expensive—than ever.