This year’s 2026 Super Bowl was ground zero for a thrilling new revolution in advertising. These few brands took full advantage of artificial intelligence to create entertaining and memorable commercials. One of the high-profile highlights was Svedka. The brand leveraged AI technology to create an advertisement starring the iconic robot character, Fembot. With its out-of-this-world creativity, the ad, called “Shake Your Bots Off,” amazed audiences. Most importantly, it ignited a larger discussion on how we can best leverage AI within the marketing industry.
Svedka’s parent company, Sazerac, doubled and tripled down on this expensive folly. It took roughly four months to reconstruct Fembot. Behind the scene, we trained the AI long enough to learn how to best imitate facial expressions and body movements. This intentional and detailed process culminated in the brand’s ability to grace the screen with a smooth and engaging 30-second spot that appealed to audiences.
As I noted back in 2015, Svedka pulled off some remarkable stunts on Super Bowl day. At the same time, their competitors at Meta were unveiling their Oakley-branded AI smart glasses, designed for the extreme sports crowd. Meanwhile, Amazon’s Alexa+ made its official debut for all U.S. users on Wednesday, showcasing the company’s ongoing commitment to enhancing user experience through AI technology.
Svedka’s AI-Driven Ad
Svedka’s advertisement was the most important step in integrating AI into the beverage industry. The entertainment brand’s creative team used the latest technology to literally bring Fembot to life, utilizing state-of-the-art animation along with AI-generated facial and body movements. This creative approach gained a lot of national media attention and inspired heated discussion among the viewing public.
The 30-second ad featured Fembot with her new partner in crime, Brobot. Together, they set out to intrigue consumers and creatively push what the brand had to offer. The ad’s catchy title, “Shake Your Bots Off,” played on popular culture while emphasizing the playful nature of the characters.
Sazerac’s significant investment in this project is a reflection of Sazerac’s long-term commitment to stay out in front with creative, innovative marketing strategies. The positive reception of Svedka’s ad indicates a growing trend among brands to utilize AI not only for product development but for creating impactful promotional content.
Other Notable AI Ads
If you think that’s the most interesting use of AI from this year’s Super Bowl advertisers, think again! Meta displayed its Oakley-branded AI glasses, designed for athletes and adventurers looking to experience the latest in wearable tech. Last year’s Super Bowl ad had already introduced Meta’s wearable AI tech, highlighting its potential applications in various environments.
Anthropic recently released a stunning advertisement to introduce its Claude chatbot. More importantly, they immediately used the moment to begin beating up on the competition. Their tagline, “Ads are coming to AI. But not to Claude,” implied a stance against aggressive marketing tactics common among tech firms. This audacious act generated immense excitement for the company and caught the eye of leading industry executives.
Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, recently hopped on social media to rebut complaints regarding his company’s marketing practices. He strongly condemned one batch of ads as “obviously misleading.” This exchange revealed something much deeper at the core of what’s happening in the quickly developing, yet still messy, world of AI technology and marketing.
Celebrity Endorsements and New Ventures
The Super Bowl served as another unique opportunity for brands such as Rippling and Ramp to introduce themselves to audiences through comedy advertising for the first time. Rippling aimed to make a strong impression with its first-ever Super Bowl ad, while Ramp enlisted actor Brian Baumgartner for their commercial, which successfully drew viewers’ interest.
Boston-based company Ring went a different route. They probably won a billion hearts with an AI feature that smartly finds estranged dogs and returns them to their owners – a big hit with the pet-loving masses. Controlling the hype, this focus on community impact was a great example of how AI can be put to practical use beyond simple commercial interests.
As celebrities like Chris Pratt, Chris Hemsworth, and Kris Jenner flaunted Ray-Ban Meta glasses in their ads, the intersection of fame and technology became evident. These endorsements produced a feeling of comfort in using up and coming products while targeting a wide demographic.