Rob Meyerson on Super Bowl LX: When tech trends miss the human truth—and why SF quietly won the night
Every February, millions of Americans tune in to the Super Bowl—not just for the game, but for the commercials that have become cultural moments of their own. In the latest Canvas8 report, “What Super Bowl LX commercials revealed about the US,” ten industry experts decoded what this year’s ads reveal about advertisers’ brand strategies, the cultural context influencing the advertising decisions, and the state of modern marketing.
Among these experts was Rob Meyerson, founder of Heirloom, who brought a brand strategist’s lens to the conversation, offering perspective on how commercial creativity and cultural currents collided on advertising’s biggest night.
What we noticed: AI was everywhere. Mostly in a bad way.
This year’s commercials leaned hard into AI, from the products being advertised to the tools used to create ads. In his comments for Canvas8, Rob made it clear that the presence of AI alone doesn’t guarantee relevance. When brands focus on technical capability alone, they risk committing an age-old advertising sin: focusing on features rather than benefits.
Several examples from the night:
Svedka used generative AI to create an ad that managed to showcase nearly everything people dislike about the technology: robots replacing people, oversexualized women, and a soulless, synthetic aesthetic. Instead of feeling playful or progressive, it fed into growing fatigue around the AI “look.”
Xfinity leaned into digital tools (potentially AI-assisted VFX) to "de-age" actors. The aim was clearly a sense of warm familiarity, but the result was more uncanny than nostalgic.
Ring told a story about using neighborhood doorbell cameras to help find a lost dog. It landed as heartwarming… for about a second. Then the surveillance implications kicked in.
Genspark had Matthew Broderick encouraging workers to take the day off and let AI handle their jobs—build the slide deck, finish the spreadsheet. The tone-deafness was hard to miss, especially at a time when white-collar workers are already anxious about AI-driven job displacement.
The most memorable spots weren’t the ones showing off tools. They were the ones where people could see themselves in. Two AI brands that managed to pull this off were Gemini (Google) and Claude (Anthropic). Google’s ad showed how generative AI could be used to ease the emotional tension surrounding a move to a new home. Anthropic ran ads highlighting their decision to keep Claude ad-free—a shot across the bow at ChatGPT, which OpenAI recently announced will include ads in the near future. By comically dramatizing how intrusive chatbot ads might feel, the campaign spoke to the benefits of an ad-free experience.
The feature/benefit distinction matters. At Heirloom, we see this all the time, especially with projects involving brand positioning and messaging. Technology and capabilities should help support the story, not take the lead. During the Super Bowl, brands that centered human stakes (emotion, identity, progress) cut through the noise.
The surprise “brand” that won: San Francisco
Beyond the ads themselves, Rob highlighted a meta-winner from the evening: the San Francisco Bay Area. The Bay’s approach to hosting the game was a masterclass in place branding.
While much of the country was in winter’s deep freeze, the live telecast served up California sunshine and highs in the upper-50s. The hometown energy was undeniable—Green Day kicked things off, and the broadcast lingered on SF icons like the Golden Gate Bridge, Lombard Street, and the Port of San Francisco. On social media, celebrities and influencers posted rave reviews. Many feel the narrative around San Francisco is beginning to shift—from “doom loop” to “boom loop.”
What can brands learn from San Francisco’s success at the Super Bowl? Lead with your strengths (think world-famous landmarks), collaborate with relevant partners (like Green Day), and lean into storylines that position you favorably against the competition (e.g., California sunshine).
The bottom line: While humor and flashy effects grab attention during Super Bowl ad breaks, the winning brands nail the fundamentals—authenticity, relevance, and distinctiveness.Beyond the ads themselves, Rob highlighted a meta-winner from the evening: the San Francisco Bay Area. The Bay’s approach to hosting the game was a masterclass in place branding.
