Super Bowl Sunday has a funny way of turning even non football people into industrial critics for just a few hours. This yr, the massive game is Super Bowl LX on February 8, 2026 at Levi’s Stadium, with the Seattle Seahawks facing the Latest England Patriots, and the ad breaks feel a little bit lighter on traditional “here’s the brand new truck doing truck things” spots than we normally get.
That is just not a foul thing.
With fewer full-blown automaker showcases clogging the schedule, you really have room to note the good things. The sentimental stuff. The sneaky automotive cameos that pop up for 3 seconds after which live rent free in your head for the remainder of the night. Should you are the kind who rewinds to substantiate what you simply saw, that is your form of Super Bowl.
Here’s a automotive spotter’s guide to the ads and automotive appearances that must be in your radar during Super Bowl LX. I’ll leave placeholders where you may drop within the YouTube links.
Toyota leans into memories with the RAV4 “Superhero Belt”
Toyota’s big moment this yr is straightforward and that is precisely why it really works. The “Superhero Belt” spot frames the RAV4 as a family anchor across generations, opening with a primary generation 4 door RAV4 and a grandfather buckling in his grandson prefer it is crucial job on the planet. Years later, the roles flip, and it lands with the form of quiet emotional punch that makes you go searching the room to see who’s suddenly fascinated by their chips.
No explosions, no celebrities fighting over keys, no forced punchline. Only a clean reminder that a whole lot of us grew up with crossovers just like the RAV4 within the background of real life. Should you enjoy spotting details, keep watch over the early RAV4 itself. It is largely a time capsule on wheels.
Cadillac uses Super Bowl stage lights to hype its Formula 1 future
Cadillac is just not selling you a particular showroom model here. It’s selling you a press release.
The brand is using Super Bowl weekend energy to construct anticipation around its Formula 1 push, including a Times Square activation that tees up a livery reveal tied to a 30 second industrial. It’s pure theater, and truthfully, that’s the point. F1 is as much about spectacle because it is lap times, and Cadillac clearly wants to point out up prefer it belongs.
Should you love the behind the scenes side of racing, that is one to look at since it signals how serious GM is about making Cadillac feel globally relevant again, not only locally loud.
Ferrari 250 GT steals just a few seconds of glory within the Fanatics Sportsbook ad
Not every great automotive moment comes from an automaker. Sometimes it’s a random cameo that hits harder than all the “official” vehicle lineup.
Fanatics Sportsbook has a spot featuring Kendall Jenner, and the true scene stealer is a beautiful Nineteen Sixties Ferrari 250 GT that flashes across the screen in deep blue. It’s the form of appearance that makes you pause and say, “Wait, was that a 250?” before the industrial has even finished.
Should you are watching with friends, it is a perfect “automotive nerd flex” moment. Call it out early. Accept your applause.
Nissan makes game day snacks the hero with the Rogue “Dip Seat”
Nissan’s Rogue ad takes the family friendly route too, however it does it with chaotic energy because of chef Matty Matheson. The entire concept revolves around transporting a precious cargo to a Super Bowl party, not people, not pets, but dip.
It’s loud, silly, and weirdly relatable if you may have ever tried to balance snacks on the passenger seat and prayed through every roundabout. The Rogue is the backdrop, the gag is the hook, and Matheson turns the amount as much as eleven like he’s attempting to season the entire industrial with sheer intensity.
Also, the disclaimer that the Dip Seat is just not an actual product appears like a challenge. Someone in Nissan accessories should take notes.
Volkswagen cranks up Nineteen Nineties vibes with “Drivers Wanted”
Volkswagen goes long with an prolonged cut spot built around House of Pain’s “Jump Around,” and it is largely a rolling nostalgia montage of claiming yes to plans, seeing friends, and getting out of your routine. VW’s current lineup shows up throughout, but the true message is larger than anyone model.
The sneaky brilliance is what you don’t see. Hardly any screens. No doom scrolling. Just movement and other people and music that immediately drags a whole lot of us back to a time when a GTI poster on the wall counted as a personality trait.
Should you are a longtime VW person, you’ll likely catch yourself smiling without realizing it.
Jurassic Park returns with Xfinity and so do the classic Ford Explorers
Xfinity’s Jurassic Park themed industrial may be one in all the funniest nostalgia swings of the yr, mostly since it understands the task. It riffs on the unique film’s chaos and mainly suggests the entire park might have been saved with higher connectivity.
In fact, you can not return to Jurassic Park without the long-lasting Ford Explorers. The green and yellow tour trucks remain easy movie automotive royalty, and seeing them again is like hearing the primary notes of the theme song. It just works.
If you may have ever considered constructing a tribute Explorer, this ad will probably restart that itch.
Uber Eats opens with a lifted classic Toyota pickup and a really McConaughey vibe
Uber Eats brings Matthew McConaughey and Bradley Cooper together for a food conspiracy themed spot, and before you even get to the banter, the opener gives automotive spotters a present.
McConaughey is behind the wheel of a scruffy lifted vintage Toyota pickup that appears exactly prefer it belongs on a dusty backroad headed to a roadside barbecue joint. It’s perfectly forged. If that truck had dialogue, it could probably be a slow drawl followed by a wink.
It’s a quick appearance, however it is one in all those vehicles that adds character immediately. Sometimes a truck doesn’t need a product pitch. It just must exist on screen and look right.
The right way to watch like a automotive spotter without missing the sport
If you ought to play along without turning the night right into a rewind marathon, here’s the move.
Keep your phone down during commercials. The most effective automotive cameos are blink and also you miss it moments.
Listen for nostalgia cues. When a spot leans on an older song, an older movie, or an older vibe, there is usually an older automotive nearby.
Watch the background, not the actor. The hero automotive is just not all the time the one being talked about.
This yr’s Super Bowl ad lineup might not be overloaded with automaker flexing, however it is completely full of fun automotive Easter eggs if you happen to watch with the appropriate mindset. And truthfully, that makes it feel a little bit more rewarding.
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Darryl Taylor Dowe is a seasoned automotive skilled with a proven track record of leading successful ventures and providing strategic consultation across the automotive industry. With years of hands-on experience in each business operations and market development, Darryl has played a key role in helping automotive brands grow and adapt in a rapidly evolving landscape. His insight and leadership have earned him recognition as a trusted expert, and his contributions to Automotive Addicts reflect his deep knowledge and fervour for the business side of the automotive world.
This Article First Appeared At www.automotiveaddicts.com
