Dani Jackson-Smith and Jenny Lumpkin, Co-CEOs of The Cre8tors, Share Their Super Bowl Hits and Misses

In the ad world, Super Bowl Sunday is all about the commercials! We were honored to have the Co-CEOs of The Cre8tors, Dani Jackson-Smith and Jenny Lumpkin, stop by Screen to share their take on the advertising artistry on display during the big game…

SCREEN: What was your favorite spot of the night?

DANI AND JENNY: At The Cre8tors, we tend to watch the Super Bowl through a culture and craft lens. We are always looking for work that feels human, intentional, and connected to real culture, not just big for the sake of being big.

The Sabrina Carpenter Pringles spot stood out because it was playful, visually bold and fully committed. On a night where a lot of ads leaned on familiarity, it felt confident doing something a little weird and unexpected, which we always appreciate…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEYkM3boSos

SCREEN: What was your least favorite spot of the night or a spot you felt could have been more successful?

DANI AND JENNY: Any spot where you remember the celebs or the stunts and don’t remember the brand missed the mark.

SCREEN: What would you like to see more or less of in terms of advertising in next year’s Super Bowl?

DANI AND JENNY: More storytelling instead of trying to do everything at once. Keep the funny going, but balance out celebrity with bold, original ideas. The work that stands out tends to feel intentional, where craft and idea are working together. We would also love to see more work that feels culturally specific and comes from real voices behind the camera, not just on screen.

SCREEN: Anything else you’d like to say about this year’s Super Bowl ads?

DANI AND JENNY: Overall, we had a fun time watching. The Dunkin’ spot showed how powerful nostalgia can be when it creates recognition and conversation, even when the execution feels celebrity heavy. The NFL Coaches spot made us smile, and the Olympics spot with the Denzel Washington voiceover had Dani at hello. The ads that worked best overall created a genuine emotional response or showed a clear creative point of view. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gr96AsZGFQc

Thanks so much for chiming in, Dani and Jenny! Check back here at SCREEN for more insight and interviews from creatives between the coasts. You can also click right here to subscribe to our weekly email newsletter.