Super Bowl 2026 AI Ads: 3 Failure Points

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Super Bowl 2026 AI Ads: 3 Failure Points

  • This year’s Super Bowl saw a flood of AI-generated ads, but the response was lukewarm.
  • Brands like Artlist and Svedka actually saw negative effects.
  • Even ads that *didn’t* use AI were suspected of “AI slop.”

$10 Million for 30 Seconds, Made with AI

This year, a 30-second Super Bowl ad cost $8-10 million. In the past, high production costs meant premium quality. But this year, the flood of generative AI ads gave off a cheap vibe[The Verge].

AI video models have improved, but they’re still lacking. The problem is that multiple brands jumped in at the same time, once the tech reached a “just barely usable” level.

The Failures of Artlist and Svedka

Artlist boasted that they “made a Super Bowl ad in 5 days.” The result was a list of clips showing animals doing strange things[The Verge]. There was no story.

Svedka ran an ad with an AI robot character. The scene of the robot drinking vodka and malfunctioning looked like an AI video error[The Hollywood Reporter]. The parent company’s CMO called it “human-friendly,” but it wasn’t convincing.

An Era Where Even Non-AI Ads Are Suspect

Xfinity’s Jurassic Park ad used ILM for de-aging. But there was an outpouring of reactions calling it “AI slop”[The Verge]. The same was true for the Dunkin’ ad. The conversation focused not on the coffee, but on “Is this AI?”

This is a side effect of the AI ad deluge. Seeing awkward videos makes people reflexively suspect AI.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: Which brands ran AI ads at this year’s Super Bowl?

A: Artlist and Svedka are the main examples. Artlist made theirs in 5 days, and Svedka used an AI robot character. Dunkin’ and Xfinity used traditional VFX but were suspected of using AI. Pepsi targeted Coca-Cola’s AI ads.

Q: Did AI ads reduce costs?

A: Sazerac CMO, the parent company of Svedka, admitted that AI didn’t significantly reduce costs. They said they chose AI for thematic reasons. Artlist shortened the production time to 5 days, but the quality was generally considered low.

Q: Why are even non-AI ads being suspected?

A: The backlash against generative AI has grown, so people immediately suspect AI when they see awkward visual effects. ILM and Lola VFX handled Xfinity’s de-aging, but there were “AI slop” reactions on social media. The AI ad flood itself created side effects.

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