Super Bowl 2025 ads: Key marketing takeaways

Super Bowl Ads, Storytelling, and the Strategic Afterplay

Author

James Brooks
April 18, 2025

The Super Bowl becomes the world’s most expensive content marketing play every year.

This year’s winners? Brands that mixed humor, celebrity, and culture to stop the scroll and more importantly, those with a data game plan to keep the momentum going after the confetti cleared.

👉 Today’s Issue:

  • What top Super Bowl 2025 ads got right about attention

  •  Why post-campaign personalization matters more than ever

  •  How storytelling + data can drive long-term brand leverage

AI News

➔ Featured Story



This year’s Super Bowl ads delivered significant creative swings—from Hellmann’s comedic setups to Google Gemini’s tech-powered storytelling. But while viewership was sky-high, the real challenge (and opportunity) lies in what brands do after the commercial ends.


Key Points:

  • Instant attention is essential for ads to hook viewers in seconds

  • Michelob ULTRA, Squarespace, and Uber Eats stood out with humor+ surprise.

  • Emotional resonance beats data precision in broad-reach campaigns.

  • Disney+ and Haagen-Dazs leveraged narrative and pop culture to drive impact.

  • Post-game strategies using first-party data will determine long-term brand lift.

Why It Matters: Big moments are incredible. But without strategic follow-up, even the best Super Bowl ad is just a costly memory.

The most effective brands are now layering Super Bowl visibility with AI-powered insights, retargeting funnels, and personalized messaging. It’s no longer either/or narrative at scale, followed by surgical re-engagement.

For marketers and operators, the takeaway is clear: don’t just chase attention, design a full-funnel arc that keeps the story alive.

➔ Other Notable AI News

  • Twilio’s Customer Engagement Report: First-Party Data Adoption Hits 48%
    Brands embracing direct data outperform on personalization metrics.
    👉 Twilio Report

  • Adobe Launches AI-Powered Storyboarding in Creative Cloud
    Helps teams build faster brand narratives from scratch
    👉 Adobe Newsroom

  • Shopify Adds Conversion AI Layer to Marketing Toolkit
    Analyses campaign impact + automates follow-ups based on user behavior
    👉 TechCrunch

That's it for today!

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See you soon,

James Brooks—The Leader’s Leverage editorial team

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