AI didn't just sponsor Super Bowl LX - it became the main attraction. Svedka broke ground with what it calls the first primarily AI-generated national Super Bowl commercial, while Anthropic used its multimillion-dollar slot to take a public shot at OpenAI. The 2026 Big Game marked a turning point where AI evolved from marketing buzzword to both creative tool and product star, igniting fierce debates about creativity, competition, and the future of advertising itself.
Svedka just made Super Bowl history - and not everyone's celebrating. The vodka brand rolled out what it's calling the first primarily AI-generated national Super Bowl commercial, a 30-second spot featuring its robot mascot Fembot and newcomer Brobot dancing at a human party. According to parent company Sazerac, it took roughly four months to reconstruct the Fembot character and train AI systems to mimic facial expressions and body movements, The Wall Street Journal reported.
But here's the catch - Svedka partnered with Silverside AI, the same team behind those controversial AI-generated Coca-Cola commercials that sparked backlash late last year. While humans still developed the storyline, the heavy AI involvement is fueling heated debates about whether algorithms will replace creative professionals. It's a bold gamble during an event known for star-studded, high-production advertising.
Meanwhile, Anthropic wasn't interested in playing nice. The AI startup's commercial didn't just promote its Claude chatbot - it threw direct shade at rival OpenAI. With the tagline "Ads are coming to AI. But not to Claude," the spot poked fun at OpenAI's recent announcement that ChatGPT would start showing targeted advertisements. The commercial satirized the concept of AI assistants suddenly hawking products like "Step Boost Maxx" insoles mid-conversation.
