Budweiser delivered the most impactful Super Bowl ad of 2026, according to YouGov’s Super Bowl ad impact report 2026 report, released today and based on post-game shifts in Ad Awareness, Buzz, and Consideration.
YouGov’s Advertiser Impact Score (AIS), which weights changes in purchase consideration twice as heavily as awareness and buzz, ranked Budweiser’s “American Icons” spot as the top-performing Super Bowl campaign overall. Lay’s and Bud Light followed, underscoring the continued strength of legacy brands that translated cultural moments into measurable brand lift.
The rankings compare changes recorded in the week following the game (February 9–15) with the week prior (February 2–8), using nationally representative daily BrandIndex data.
Top 10 Super Bowl Ads of 2026 (Overall AIS Ranking)
- Budweiser
- Lay’s
- Bud Light
- Cadillac
- Instacart
- Hellmann’s Mayonnaise
- Pepsi Zero Sugar (Report contains bonus qualitative BrandIndex Voices analysis about Pepsi)
- Bosch
- Dove
- YouTube TV
Across the Top 10 advertisers analyzed, the strongest performances were driven not only by post-game buzz but by meaningful increases in purchase consideration, the bottom-funnel metric most closely tied to consumer action.
“The Super Bowl remains one of the most powerful platforms for brand storytelling, but impact must translate into intent,” said Nicole Pike, Global Head of YouGov Sport. “This year’s leading advertisers were those that moved beyond awareness and delivered measurable shifts in consideration. That is what ultimately separates cultural moments from commercial success.”
Gender differences in ad impact
Analysis also reveals a clear divergence in which advertisers resonated most strongly with men and women.
Among men, the top-performing brands by AIS were Lay’s, Budweiser, e.l.f. Cosmetics, DraftKings, and Bosch.
Among women, the leading brands were Budweiser, Dove, Bud Light, Raisin Bran, and Ritz.
Budweiser stands out as one of the few advertisers to rank among the top performers across both genders, highlighting broad-based appeal of the ad.
Super Bowl interest rebounds as viewing normalizes
Separate YouGov survey data shows that interest in the Super Bowl increased heading into 2026 following a dip in 2025. At the same time, self-reported viewership declined slightly, with 57% of U.S. adults reporting watching the game in 2026, down from 60% in 2024.
Bad Bunny’s halftime performance ranked as viewers’ favorite of the past five years, outperforming recent headliners including Rihanna, Usher, and Kendrick Lamar. Preferences skewed younger and varied by political affiliation. Among viewers aged 18–44, 29% selected Bad Bunny as their favorite performance compared with 26% of viewers aged 45 and over. 37% of Democrats favored the performance, compared with 15% of Republicans. Hispanic viewers were also more likely than White viewers to select Bad Bunny as their favorite.
Celebrity recognition also played a significant role in ad recall. Lady Gaga was the most recognized celebrity appearing in Super Bowl ads this year. Jennifer Aniston, Tom Brady, and Ben Affleck followed, all featured in Dunkin’s campaign, earning the brand the top spot in YouGov’s post-Super Bowl ad awareness rankings. Matthew McConaughey rounded out the top five most recognized celebrities. Other data indicates that Gen Z viewers remain more skeptical than older audiences about the use of influencers in Super Bowl advertising.
Findings on viewing, halftime performance preferences, and celebrity recall are based on YouGov surveys conducted February 9–10, 2026, among nationally representative samples of U.S. adults.
You can download the Super Bowl 2026 advertising effectiveness report here.
Methodology
Advertiser rankings are based on YouGov BrandIndex data collected January 16–February 15, 2026. AIS compares changes between February 2–8 and February 9–15 among U.S. adults aged 18+. The score is calculated as: Change in Ad Awareness + Change in Buzz + (Change in Consideration × 2)
Only advertisers tracked continuously during the analysis period were included.
Separate Super Bowl interest, viewership, halftime performance, celebrity recall, and influencer findings are drawn from nationally representative YouGov surveys conducted between February 9 and February 14, 2026.
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YouGov /Research Reality
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