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The Trident Solutions 2026 Super Bowl Commercial
It’s a wrap on Super Bowl 60… and man, what a snoozefest!
That makes two straight years of underwhelming games, back-to-back wins for the “I only watch for the commercials” crowd.
As a Minnesota Vikings fan, watching our former quarterback, Sam Darnold (who led us to a 14–3 season last year) help lead his new team to victory was a bitter pill to swallow. But honestly, it felt very on-brand for Viking fandom.
Every year I try convincing the Trident brass to pony up the budget for a 60-second Super Bowl spot.
After all, what better stage is there to spread the word about America’s largest manufacturer of identification and marking products?
Unfortunately, the average cost for a one-minute ad this year? $20 million.
After some careful budgeting and number crunching with my boss., Clayton Chancy, we came up $1,999,980 short. Damn!
So instead, we’ll debut our “Super Bowl ad” here and start saving now for Super Bowl 61.
Our goal with this piece was simple: inject a little optimism and thank the hardworking people across countless industries who show up every day and keep this country moving forward.
Because in a world full of talk, here’s to the people who do!
Perhaps I’m entering my grumpy phase, but have Super Bowl ads in recent years gotten to be more annoying than entertaining?
These ad agencies must be filled with gen z-ers who insist on stuffing these fever dream commercials with celebrity cameos and cultural references to old tv shows and media. It’s exhausting!
But I digress…
While the game may not have delivered much excitement, a few commercials definitely did.
Here are five that stood out without being too meta, overly using AI for its visuals, and focused on people.
Novartis
A good commercial requires a good song, and the bouncing Enya melody grabs your attention immediately. Its also ideal that the ad turns heads for an important cause: prostate cancer awareness.
As a former tight end myself, I appreciated the cheeky humor (pun absolutely intended). But jokes aside, fellas, don’t be stubborn. Prioritize your health!
Levi’s
As mentioned above, I consider a great song the backbone of a great commercial, and you can never go wrong with James Brown!
This (also cheeky) high-energy spot celebrated an iconic American brand born in San Francisco, the very city hosting the Super Bowl.
It was simple, memorable, and had me listening to James Brown all day Monday.
Michelob Ultra
Now I realize that I just ranted a few paragraphs above about overly self-referential commercials packed with nostalgia…
But this one gets a pass.
Seeing Kurt Russell in this Rocky homage instantly brought me back to his role as Herb Brooks, the legendary (Minnesota native!) coach who led Team USA to the Miracle on Ice in 1980.
Lay’s
Growing up on a farm in southwest Minnesota, I’ve always had a soft spot for ads that recognize the people who work the land.
If other farmers are anything like my father, they’re putting in 365 days a year.
I’m also a proud Lay’s loyalist, and I appreciate any company that celebrates American agriculture and manufacturing.
Speaking of American-made… did you know Trident offers thousands of BABA-compliant products? Supporting domestic industry isn’t just a message, it’s a commitment.
Budweiser
My final nod goes to the King of Beers.
Great visuals. Timeless storytelling. And “Free Bird” by Lynyrd Skynyrd? Say no more, take my money now!
Here’s to another year of showing up, working hard, and moving things forward.
Let’s do great things together.
Movie Monday is a weekly newsletter featuring video content from Trident Solutions. Always informative, sometimes funny – never boring. We hope you enjoyed it!
Stay tuned for the next edition.
Have a great week everyone,
Spencer Knott
Creative Director | Trident Solutions sknott@tridentproducts.com