Behind the Numbers: an EMARKETER Podcast Super Bowl LX: The Most Popular Ads, Why Celebs Are Everywhere, and Marketing Like a College Kid’s Night Out | In the Game
Feb 12, 2026
Ross Benes, a senior digital advertising analyst who digs into ad data, and Paul Verna, VP of Content with deep marketing experience, break down Super Bowl LX. They discuss why the game felt flat despite huge reach. They unpack AI’s takeover of ads, the rise of celebrity-packed spots, programmatic ads versus shared broadcasts, and how brands treat Super Bowl campaigns as pregame-to-afterparty storytelling.
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Episode notes
Journeyman QB Became A Hero Narrative
- Sam Darnold's Super Bowl win reframed the journeyman QB narrative into a hero story.
- His multi-team path made his victory a standout storyline beyond the score.
Avoid Programmatic Personalization For Huge Events
- Programmatic, personalized ad experiences ruin the common Super Bowl viewing moment.
- Preserve shared creative exposure for big cultural events instead of hyper-targeting.
Shared Moments Are Increasingly Scarce
- The Super Bowl remains one of the few moments that brings fragmented audiences together.
- Scarcity of shared cultural events increases the value of collective attention.