The Revelation of Super Bowl 2025: Which Industries are Investing in Advertising?

The Super Bowl, often dubbed the “American Super Bowl,” serves as a cultural barometer reflecting economic shifts and industry trends through its high-stakes advertisements.

The 59th edition showcased pivotal developments across sectors, from AI’s marketing competition to tectonic shifts in automotive industry’s advertising.

The AI Gold Rush Hits Prime Time

OpenAI’s inaugural Super Bowl ad marked a symbolic relaying of the torch in tech history.

The 60-second spot chronicled humanity’s technological milestones – from mastering fire to space exploration – culminating in AI’s emergence as our latest evolutionary leap.

By avoiding technical terms like AGI (artificial general intelligence), CMO Kate Rouch deliberately framed AI as accessible innovation rather than sci-fi speculation. This $14M gamble targeted mainstream America: 40% of Super Bowl viewers reportedly had limited AI knowledge pre-game.

The ad battlefield then intensified with Google doubling down on Gemini tools and Meta showcasing AI-powered Ray-Ban glasses – their first Super Bowl return since 2022’s metaverse push. Even domain registrar GoDaddy leveraged the spotlight after an 8-year pause, promoting its AI website builder Airo. This collective $332M industry ad spend (doubling 2023’s figure) signals AI’s transition from lab curiosity to household utility.

Automotive Industry’s Downturn in Super Bowl

Where once Detroit’s giants dominated 35% of Super Bowl ads, 2025 saw only Stellantis’ Jeeps rumbling through the commercial breaks. The retreat reveals deeper sectoral tremors:

EV Winter

Despite $50B+ industry investments, EVs cling to 7% U.S. market share. Policy shifts under President Trump reversed charging infrastructure funding and tax credits, chilling consumer adoption. Russell Wager (Kia U.S. VP) lamented, “Without new models, Super Bowl exposure loses punch” – a sentiment echoed by Toyota’s product-cycle mismatch.

Brand Erosion

Stellantis’ 15% 2024 sales crash forced desperate measures. Jeep and Ram ads sought to recapture glory days, but their splash contrasted rivals’ silence. BMW, Volkswagen, and Ford – staples of past “Super Bowl Auto Weeks” – sat out entirely. Analyst Daniel Konstantinovic summarized: “When survival’s at stake, $7M slots become unthinkable – even for halo marketing”.

Tubi’s Trojan Horse Play

Fox’s bold streaming gambit turned the Super Bowl into a platform war proxy. By airing the game exclusively on ad-supported Tubi (not Fox Sports App), executives executed a calculated brand transplant. The strategy worked:

• Demographic Heist: Tubi captured 34% of viewers aged between 18-34 and over-indexed with Black/Latino audiences – coveted cohorts for advertisers.
• Content Coup: Pre-match shows focus on celebrity cameos and viral moments rather than tactical analysis, widening appeal beyond hardcore fans.

CEO Anjali Sud’s vision crystallized here: “This wasn’t about football – it was about making Tubi the town square for pop culture.” With 97M monthly users already surpassing Peacock and Paramount+, Fox bets Tubi can become its Netflix counterweight.

Women’s Sports: From Sidelines to Spotlight

Nike’s 90-second “So Win” anthem – featuring basketball phenoms Caitlin Clark and A’ja Wilson – capped a watershed year for female athletes:

• NCAA Revolution: 2024’s women’s finals outdrew men’s for the first time (18.9M viewers), fueled by Clark’s record-smashing 3,951-point college career.
• Ticket Economics: WNBA courtside seats hit $5,000 for Clark’s debut – unthinkable five years prior.
• Global Reach: 2023 Women’s World Cup drew 198M viewers, proving cross-sport appeal.

Nike CMO’s declaration – “We’re betting on athletes, not algorithms” – masked shrewd business calculus. Limited-edition “So Win” tees sold out within hours, blending social statement with merch margins.

Economic Zeitgeist in 30-Second Bites of Super Bowl

Advertising’s evolution mirrors macroeconomic shifts:

This progression from hype cycles to tangible utility underscores a maturing digital economy – one where Super Bowl ads now serve as boardroom power plays rather than mere visibility grabs.