Super Bowl Ads Show Storytelling Decline

Narrative-focused ads may provide better results for brands advertising during the Super Bowl, yet in recent years, that emphasis has declined in favor of a focus on celebrities and humor – according to recent research from iSpot.

• Since 2020, Super Bowl ads with a narrative focus (as measured by verbatim responses from iSpot's Creative Assessment Survey) have seen a sharp decline from 40% to just 15% in 2023.
• In that same stretch, humor and celebrity have exploded as core themes for Super Bowl spots, even as they fall short of the breakthrough impact that narrative-focused spots have delivered.
• The decline in narrative-driven Super Bowl ads highlights the need to reconsider reliance on celebrity endorsements. Data shows narrative-led ads outperform celebrity-focused ones, offering cost-effective and impactful engagement.