Game-Changing Creativity: Super Bowl ads that stole the spotlight

PERSPECTIVES | MINDS + ASSEMBLY | 2.07.25

Game-Changing Creativity: Super Bowl ads that stole the spotlight

It’s that time of year again, Super Bowl Sunday is upon us and brands around the world are scrambling to outdo both their competitors and their former selves. Sure, a couple of teams will play a football game, but the real champions will be the commercials. Super Bowl Sunday is one of the few times during the year when millions of people say to the advertising world: “ok, you’ve got my attention.”

For those few fleeting hours, ads no longer need to fight to gain an audience—they only need to stand out to the one they have. This dynamic has led to some amazing commercials, so we decided to ask our creative team which Super Bowl ads have stood out to them over the years, and in their answers, we saw themes of humor, nostalgia, randomness, shock value, simplicity, and beauty…all of which align nicely with our agency belief that great work should be simple, powerful, and beautiful.

As we gear up for another year of amazing creative during the biggest football game of the year, take a look at some of our favorites from the past.

Alex Moreno, Design - Budweiser, "Whassup" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikkg4NobV_w

“So simple, yet so relatable. It captured the way best friends talk to each other, making it instantly iconic and culturally relevant.”

Sam Perez, Writing - Pepsi, “Pepsuber” https://adage.com/videos/pepsi-pepsuber/474

“This is hands down the best Super Bowl ad in my opinion! Why? Maybe it’s because my Dad and I shared a love for the SNL skit MacGruber. Maybe it’s because MacGruber changing his name to PepSuber is so dumb it’s genius!”

Shaun Williams, Design - Apple, “1984” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtvjbmoDx-I

“This spot is a classic for every art director and designer who has been to portfolio school. They thoughtfully borrowed from some of the visual tropes of the 80s but somehow the story is timeless. I love that the main takeaway is simple, clear, and…at the very end.”

George Morse, Design - Go Daddy, “Perfect Match” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DC8jDb7ijb8

“As a nerdy kid who spent much of his early life making websites, this one really gave me hope. I love the gross, awkward simplicity—they don’t make them like this anymore.”

Rachel Harmon, Writing - Always, “Like a Girl” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joRjb5WOmbM

“There’s no flashy headline spelling out the strategy. Instead, this spot leads the audience to a moment of discovery on their own—which is such a powerful technique. And the flip of the ad is genuinely surprising, which is so hard to accomplish. But the best part? It hits you so hard in the gut that you don’t even realize that at the end of the day, they’re selling you pads.”

Tom Anderau, Design - Coinbase, “Ad Meter” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIUD_NE1BDo&t=2s

“This is my favorite Super Bowl ad because of its simplicity and minimal design. It breaks through the noise of the competition and plays on nostalgia in a witty, unexpected way.”

Mike Radigan, Writing - Budweiser, “Bud Bowl I” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9k9Bao075c&t=32s

“It was January 1989. The San Francisco 49ers were battling it out with the Cincinnati Bengals on the field, but the real action for me was in Bud Bowl I. The tiny helmets and punny banter instantly drew me in and made me pay attention every time the ad came on.”

Owen Forrester, Writing - State Farm, “Like a Good Neighbaaa” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_WKT3iZCWU

“‘Like a good neighbaaa’ featuring bodybuilder, governor, and acting titan, Arnold Schwarzenegger, is my Super Bowl ad of choice. Its epic scenes were so on brand for his character, and, let’s face it, Arnold saying ‘like a good neighbaa’ is just hilarious. Those words live rent free in my mind to this day—an entire year later! This ad is simple, powerful, and makes me laugh.”

Nell Dobbs, Design - He Gets Us, “Jesus” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4NP3XCOj9Q

“The message of this advertisement is simple yet complicated. ‘He Gets Us’ reminds us that religious values and politics are not mutually exclusive. This TV spot created a lot of chatter and criticism online. But despite our political leanings or spiritual beliefs, we can agree that true love and kindness are unconditional.”

Jonathon Lee, Writing - McDonald’s, “Swing” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MGI-EJQtgo

“I forget when this Super Bowl commercial first aired, but I still remember it to this day. What brand was this? Was it for a baby product? I think the sign of a great Super Bowl commercial is an element of mystery, which this one has in spades; the reveal toward the end is well-earned!”

We hope you’ve got all your Super Bowl snacks ready and within arm’s reach of your go-to spot on the couch because we’re expecting to see a lot more classic creative work this year.

Happy Super Bowl Sunday from the Minds + Assembly team.

In case you missed it

The Magician’s Hand: Why Minds + Assembly Chose a Tarot Card for MM+M’s 2025 Agency 100

"A tarot journey for healthcare brands. The future’s a mystery, but our approach is certain: make it simple, powerful + beautiful."

For the 2025 MM+M Agency 100 creative showcase, Minds + Assembly didn’t just roll the dice, we pulled a card. Specifically, The Magician, a timeless tarot archetype that embodies everything we stand for: transformation, vision, and mastery across disciplines. In a landscape defined by tight timelines, complex science, and rapidly shifting media, we don’t leave things to fate. We act with intention, energy, and purpose to commercialize the most beautiful brands in healthcare.

At M+A, we’ve never played by the industry’s standard playbook, which is one of the reasons we landed #30 on this year’s Agency 100 list. Our foundation is built on designing an agency of the future. An agency that functions as a happy workshop where supremely talented people thrive and succeed in an environment of love and trust.

In the tarot, The Magician stands at a table with the four suits: cups (emotion), swords (intellect), wands (creativity), and pentacles (practicality). The card is a reminder that resourcefulness and versatility are not just advantages; they are essentials in our work. That’s exactly why The Magician spoke to us.

The tarot card also reflects who we are becoming, or a transformation, if you will. With recent moves like our acquisitions of BOLDSCIENCE, HashtagHealth®, and Awaken, we are bolstering our tools to better support the commercialization of our clients’ brands. And just like The Magician, we know that true transformation doesn’t happen by chance. It’s conjured through mastery, intuition, and relentless intent.

So, is it really magic? Or is it 10 years of diverse minds committed to uncompromising standards and to assembling bold new solutions? Well, we’ll let you be the judge of that. But this year we knew when we drew our card, we didn’t want to leave it to chance. The M+agician is simply the clearest reflection of who we are and what we’re becoming.

We don’t guess. We guide. All by design.

MINDS + ASSEMBLY | PERSPECTIVES | 06.25.25

Agency 100 2025: Minds + Assembly

Minds + Assembly jumped to the #30 spot this year in MM+M’s Agency 100—a ranking of the top healthcare marketing agencies in North America.

Until late last year, Minds + Assembly had contented itself with being a full-service creative shop. Thanks to some bold maneuvers, the agency has been reborn as a fully fledged commercialization platform.

Backed by private equity firm Amulet Capital Partners, M+A acquired social media agency HashtagHealth® as well as analytically minded digital health firm Awaken Interactive. Just days later it scooped up med-comms shop BOLDSCIENCE. Staff count catapulted from 182 to 437.

To hear execs tell it, the acquisitions have helped transform the agency into something bigger than the sum of its parts.

“What we really were striving for was coming up with a specialized group of agencies that rounded out our communications and commercialization throughout a product’s life cycle,” says Randi Baerson, managing partner, chief client officer.

And as the business has evolved so, too, has leadership. Following the acquisitions, cofounders Joelle Friedland, Ben Ingersoll and Stephen Minasvand announced their decision to step aside and allow Mark Lydiatt, formerly CEO of BOLDSCIENCE, to assume the helm as M+A’s CEO.

New hires Jonathan Woodring, as chief data officer, and Chuck Hemann, as chief integration officer, will be spearheading and overseeing the integration of the agency’s burgeoning data capabilities, including real-world evidence and claims data, as well as a patient analytics platform.

The moves were also an instant on-ramp to more sales. Revenue soared to $125.2 million, from $61.8 million in 2023. All told, 74% of that growth was due to acquisitions.

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Read the full article here in MM+M, and check out our immersive profile for a behind-the-scenes look at everything M+A.

MM+M | AWARDS | 06.10.25

MINDS + ASSEMBLY Expands Leading Healthcare Communications Platform by Joining Forces with BOLDSCIENCE

With BOLDSCIENCE, One of the Fastest-Growing Firms in the Healthcare Sector, Minds + Assembly Further Expands Its Reach Across the Entire Product and Brand Development Lifecycle

Industry Veteran and BOLDSCIENCE CEO Mark Lydiatt to Lead the Combined Platform

NEW YORK, November 5, 2024 – Minds + Assembly today announced that it has joined forces with BOLDSCIENCE, a dynamic, full-service medical communications agency, to further enhance its fully integrated, world-class strategic healthcare communications and commercialization platform serving pharma, biotech, medical device, and digital health clients.

Since its founding in 2015, Minds + Assembly has been consistently recognized as one of the fastest-growing companies in the healthcare communications industry. In May 2023, Minds + Assembly received a significant investment from Amulet Capital Partners, a middle-market private equity investment firm focused exclusively on the healthcare sector, adding tremendous energy and resources to realize and execute its strategic growth plans. The addition of BOLDSCIENCE comes on the heels of a number of strategic acquisitions, such as HashtagHealth®, the world’s only healthcare focused social media company, and Awaken Interactive, a leading digital media, execution, and analytics company, as well as strategic hires to bolster the firm’s media and omnichannel strategies.

The Minds + Assembly platform provides unparalleled brand launch agency of record services, media and omnichannel strategy, advanced analytics, digital execution, and now world-class scientific communications. BOLDSCIENCE elevates Minds + Assembly into the top 20 healthcare communications companies, with supreme talent, a combined headcount of approximately 500 professionals, and a diverse list of more than 70 premier life sciences clients and 140 products and brands.

As part of Minds + Assembly, BOLDSCIENCE will continue to operate under its current name and branding. BOLDSCIENCE Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mark Lydiatt, who brings a 20-year track record building some of the industry’s leading healthcare communications agencies, has been appointed by the existing Minds + Assembly Board, including the Minds + Assembly Founders, to serve as CEO of the Minds + Assembly platform.

“As Co-founders, we continue to be focused on driving healthy growth for Minds + Assembly while strengthening our services and maintaining uncompromising standards,” said Joelle Friedland, Co-founder at Minds + Assembly. “In collaboration with our Board of Directors, we determined that we needed one person to lead the platform—and Mark’s significant experience and shared commitment to his people and clients made him the right person for that role.”

At launch in 2020, BOLDSCIENCE set out with a mission to disrupt medical communications with memorable healthcare programs that inspire change and improve lives. The four Co-founders, Mark Lydiatt, Mark Hardy, Alison Lovibond, and Yasmin Grant, were passionate about creating a people-first culture and inspiring workplace to deliver full-service, “scientifically creative” medical communications with a twist. Under their leadership and powered by a 200-person-strong, elite team of doctorate-level scientists, creative and digital specialists, communication strategists, and account professionals, they have solidified their position among the fastest organically growing medical communications agencies. BOLDSCIENCE combines high science, creative prestige, and strategic thinking to deliver diverse services across medical affairs, publications, peer-to-peer programs, clinical trial support, regulatory advisory committee support, and patient advocacy. Their impressive client roster spans Top 20 Pharma, mid-sized biopharma, and innovative biotechs, across broad therapeutic specialties.

Creating an Integrated, Nimble Platform Focused on People and Quality

This transaction positions Minds + Assembly as a full-service pharma communications and commercialization platform with a design-first orientation and a deep scientific foundation to support the world’s leading pharma and biotech companies throughout the entire drug development and commercialization process.

“Minds + Assembly and BOLDSCIENCE have far exceeded the growth of our peers by delivering work that is exceptional, while fostering an innovative spirit and maintaining an unwavering commitment to a truly unique people-focused culture,” said Mark Lydiatt. “Together, we will continue our mission to be the agency most desired by clients and staff. We will elevate our strengths and continue to differentiate our platform, achieving a new standard for pharma communications and commercialization. I am thrilled for the opportunity to serve as CEO as we enter this exciting next chapter.”

“This is an exciting milestone for Minds + Assembly, our clients, and our team as we significantly expand our capabilities across complementary disciplines,” said Stephen Minasvand, Co-founder at Minds + Assembly. “Everything we do is by design—we create simple, powerful, and beautiful work that connects with patients and prescribers. Mark and the BOLDSCIENCE team share our values, as well as the desire to think disruptively to support the companies and products that are changing the healthcare landscape. Most important for our clients, with a truly integrated, holistic offering, we will create the most effective solutions from the laboratory all the way through loss of exclusivity. There is truly no other company like this.”

“Effective communication is vital to ensuring that breakthrough therapies ultimately reach patients in need,” said Avi Uttamchandani, Partner at Amulet Capital Partners. “By combining strength with strength and bringing together two of the fastest-growing platforms supporting many of the largest global pharmaceutical and biotech brands in the world, this combination immediately creates a leading, integrated healthcare communications platform with services spanning the entire drug lifecycle. With BOLDSCIENCE now part of the Minds + Assembly platform, we will accelerate growth by expanding our suite of new and innovative services, such as advanced analytics, real-world data solutions, and expanded AI services, while maintaining its commitment to quality and team culture.”

PERSPECTIVES | MINDS + ASSEMBLY | 2.07.25