"Why Every Super Bowl Ad Made You Laugh - And What That Teaches Us About Business Development in 2026"
By Mckenna Riggles
If you watched the Super Bowl yesterday, you probably laughed more than you cried. That wasn't an accident.
This year, 70% of Super Bowl commercials leaned into humor - a notable shift from the "heartfelt" emotional ads that dominated just a few years ago. Budweiser brought us Clydesdales running alongside comedic chaos. Bud Light had Peyton Manning, Post Malone, and Shane Gillis chasing a beer keg down a hill to Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You." Even weight-loss drug companies were cracking jokes.
Why? Because when people are stressed - economic uncertainty, political tension, daily anxiety - brands know that laughter wins.
And here's the thing: what works for $8 million Super Bowl ads works for business development too.
The Psychology Behind the Shift
Brands didn't just randomly decide to be funny. They spent $8-10 million per 30-second spot - they don't guess, they rely on data and consumer psychology research.
"Advertisers are seeing the Super Bowl as an opportunity to catch a break from all of that," said Sean Muller, CEO of ad measurement firm iSpot. "They really want to get people to not worry for a few hours. I think that's why humor has made such a surge."
When consumers are stressed, they don't want to be sold to with heavy emotion or aggressive pitches. They want escapism, connection, and humanity.
This showed up everywhere: from DraftKings' playful ad with Colin Jost and Michael Che to Fanatics Sportsbook's Kendall Jenner spot leaning into internet jokes about her "bad luck" with athletes she dates. Even sports betting companies - an industry that could easily go dark and serious - chose levity over intensity.
But here's where it gets really interesting: the brands that DIDN'T show up tell us just as much as the ones that did.
Follow the Money: What Industry Shifts Reveal
The Great Automotive Retreat
Car companies used to own the Super Bowl. In 2012, automakers accounted for 40% of all Super Bowl ad time. By 2025, that dropped to just 7%. This year? Only three: GM's Cadillac F1 team, Toyota, and Volkswagen.
Ford, Stellantis (Jeep, Ram, Dodge), Hyundai - all sitting it out.
Why? Industry turmoil. Tariffs, billion-dollar EV strategy pivots that aren't paying off yet, supply chain chaos that started in 2020 and never fully recovered. When your industry is bleeding cash and rethinking its entire future, you don't blow $8M on a 30-second spot - you focus on targeted, year-round campaigns that actually move the needle.
The BD lesson? Know when to pull back. Just because you can make a big splash doesn't mean you should if the fundamentals aren't there to support it.
The AI Gold Rush
Meanwhile, tech and AI companies had the strongest ad category growth this year. We saw 16 tech companies advertise, including the first-ever Super Bowl showdown between OpenAI and Anthropic (the company behind Claude).
Think about that: AI companies are now marketing to consumers like Coca-Cola. This isn't just about developer adoption anymore - AI is going mainstream, fast.
"You're going to see a plethora of AI units across our entire broadcast," said Peter Lazarus, who oversees sports advertising for NBCUniversal. "Each one of them talks a little bit differently about AI and how AI can improve your life and what it can do for you."
The BD lesson? When entire industries shift budget from one category (cars) to another (AI), it signals where growth and opportunity are headed. Smart business developers follow the money - not just in their own industry, but across sectors. The companies investing heavily in new technology right now are betting on where the competitive advantage will be in 18-24 months.
What This Means for Sales & Business Development
Here's the uncomfortable truth: The hard-pitch era is over.
When your prospects are stressed - tight budgets, competitive pressure, supply chain nightmares, economic uncertainty - they don't want aggressive sales tactics. They don't want you telling them why your product is amazing while their world is on fire.
They want someone who gets it. Someone who makes them feel human. Someone who can make them smile, even if just for a minute.
Connection beats transaction. Every time.
A Real Example From My Week
I just spent hours writing handwritten notes for personalized corporate gift boxes we're sending to top customers. Could I have sent a generic email blast? Sure. It would've taken 10 minutes.
But the same reason Budweiser made 127 million people laugh is why I took the time to be personal and thoughtful:
People remember how you make them feel, not what you sold them.
Practical Applications for Your Business Development Strategy
1. Don't Oversell in Tough Times
Position yourself as a partner, not a vendor. When a prospect is overwhelmed, the last thing they need is another aggressive salesperson. Be the person who acknowledges the stress, offers value without strings attached, and stays in touch without constantly asking for the close.
2. Inject Personality Into Your Outreach
Share a laugh. Acknowledge the chaos. Be real.
When I travel to meet potential partners, I don't lead with "here's why we're the best." I lead with genuine interest in their business, their challenges, their goals. We build a relationship first - the deals will follow.
3. Timing Matters
Just like Super Bowl ads choose their moments carefully (humor during uncertain times, emotion during optimistic periods), you need to know when to push and when to just stay connected.
After major presentations, I've learned not to hammer prospects with follow-ups. If they say they need to discuss internally, I give them space while staying top-of-mind in thoughtful ways. Pushing too hard breaks trust.
4. Authenticity Wins
People can tell when you're faking it - just like they can tell when a Super Bowl ad is trying too hard.
I've been building my professional brand through "Real Talk with Riggles" not because I'm trying to become a thought leader overnight, but because I genuinely care about sharing what I'm learning in this industry. That authenticity resonates more than any polished corporate messaging ever could.
The Long Game
Super Bowl ads aren't just about Sunday night. They're about brand recall weeks, months, even years later. Some of the most iconic ads are ones we remember a decade on.
Same with business development: The relationship you build today pays off in Q2, Q3, next year.
Business trips aren't about closing deals on the spot. They're about building trust with partners who could drive significant volume over time. That kind of business doesn't come from a hard pitch - it comes from proving over time that you're someone worth doing business with.
When I follow up with prospects, I'm not calling to say "BUY NOW." I'm calling to check in, see if they have needs coming up, and remind them we're here when they're ready.
The Sports Betting Parallel: Knowing Your Market
There's another interesting lesson in this year's Super Bowl ads: sports betting companies were notably strategic.
DraftKings and Fanatics Sportsbook ran ads, but FanDuel ran theirs pre-game instead of during the broadcast. Why? "We've found that the moments leading up to kickoff are when fans are most engaged," said Mike Raffensperger, FanDuel's president of sports. "A pre-kick approach lets us show up at a moment that feels more intentional and less crowded."
The BD lesson? Don't just show up where everyone else is showing up. Find the moments when your audience is most receptive, even if that's not the "obvious" time.
For me, that means geographic expansion into markets where my competitors aren't saturating yet. I'm not fighting for scraps in oversaturated markets - I'm building relationships in underserved ones.
The Bottom Line
Next time you're tempted to send that aggressive follow-up email or push for a close when your prospect is clearly overwhelmed, remember this:
The brands that just spent $8 million know something we should all pay attention to.
In 2026, the sale goes to whoever makes the connection - not whoever makes the hardest pitch.
The car companies that sat out? They knew spending millions when their fundamentals were shaky wouldn't move the needle.
The AI companies that showed up? They knew this was their moment to claim mindshare while they have momentum.
The brands that made us laugh? They knew stressed people don't want to be sold to - they want to feel human again.
So: What's your strategy?
Are you pushing when you should be building? Selling when you should be connecting? Following the crowd when you should be finding your own moment?
Because if Budweiser can make 127 million people laugh about beer, you can make your prospects smile about whatever you're selling.
And trust me - they'll remember you for it.
