Pokémon
The Pokémon 30th anniversary ad is more about vibes than it is any one thing. Though the “What’s Your Favorite” promo is technically a Pokémon Go tie-in, it’s really about getting to the heart of the series’ fandom and how every Pokémon is someone’s favorite. Pop star Lady Gaga’s favorite is, appropriately, Jigglypuff. Comedian Trevor Noah is a Psyduck stan. And soccer player Lamine Yamal’s rocking with…Zygarde? Go off king, I guess. Legends: Z-A did give the dragon/ground-type monster a lot more aura. The multilingual ad is a sweet nod to how the series is universal, but also very specific, with everyone being drawn to different monsters for unique reasons. Pokémon is popping off with its anniversary Super Bowl ads, so we’re highlighting more than one on this list, but the 30th anniversary was one of the few standouts in a year of Super Bowl ads dominated by gambling bullshit and AI slop.
