Super Bowl Hits and Misses from Executive Creative Director Sara Worthington

In the advertising world, Super Bowl Sunday is about anything but football. It’s about the commercials! We were thrilled to have Grey Executive Creative Director Sara Worthington stop by Screen after the game to present their picks…

SCREEN: What was your favorite spot of the Super Bowl?

SARA: I loved the Coinbase spot. It was super cut-through and genuinely interactive. The use of celebrity (the famous song) felt additive to the concept instead of forced or gimmicky. The low-fi feel was perfect for the karaoke idea, but it also worked on a deeper level visually and conceptually. Low-fi acts as a language of inclusion: it doesn’t feel elite or exclusive. The message was clear and simple: Coinbase is for everyone and the idea literally brought everyone together. “Everybody” isn’t just a lyric, it’s a behavior. When the whole room is singing “everybody,” the message stops being something you’re told and becomes something you’re doing.

It transforms “Crypto is for everybody” from a line of copy into a shared moment. Collective participation creates real belonging. The audience becomes the proof of the idea, which is why the concept, music, execution, and the behavior worked so well. Also it needed to be a :60 for a reason, SO FUN!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ox__f7ZdFyM&list=RDox__f7ZdFyM&start_radio=1

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

SARA: The MAHA Alliance commercial didn’t just miss the mark creatively it felt outdated. The fat-shaming undertones weren’t subtle, and they felt lazy, outdated, and unnecessary. Instead of making a point about health or behavior, it defaulted to shaming as a shortcut which is both culturally tone-deaf and ethically weak.

And beyond that, it was just… boring. It wasn’t bold in a smart way it was blunt in an uninteresting way. There was no fresh insight, no unexpected creative angle, no emotional hook, and no conceptual depth. The execution didn’t elevate the idea, and the idea itself didn’t evolve into anything meaningful. It was one-note, predictable, and flat. It lacked originality, energy, and compelling storytelling.

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

SARA: I say this every year: if you’re going to use a celebrity, it needs to be for a reason. It should elevate the idea, strengthen the concept, and make the work better, otherwise, why bother. This year, there were too many spots where the celebrity was just there, with no real purpose beyond recognition. I’d love to see less celebrity-for-celebrity’s-sake or honestly, no celebrities at all and more ideas that use strong storytelling, smart concepts, and real creativity to grab attention instead. The use of celerity is a shortcut to attention when there is no real idea behind it.

SCREEN: Any final words here, Sara?

SARA: The Art Direction on the Instacart spot was very fun, the longer form was cute and made me laugh, but the one that aired when it was cut down didn’t land the idea as strongly. We have to make sure the short forms work. And objectively the Jesus spot had nice footage in the upfront.

Here is that extended cut of the Instacart spot…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1ysUdRLjaE

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