As the Super Bowl continues to dominate as America’s biggest cultural and advertising event, healthcare brands are increasingly stepping into the spotlight with bold, emotionally charged, and sometimes controversial messages. If 2025 marked healthcare’s arrival on the Super Bowl stage, 2026 confirmed it wasn’t a fluke. With nearly twice as many healthcare-focused spots as last year, Super Bowl LX turned medicine, equity, and body autonomy into prime-time conversation.
Below is Maricich Health’s breakdown of the most provocative and conversation-starting healthcare commercials from Super Bowl LX:
MAHA Center: “Real Food” Featuring Mike Tyson
This emotionally raw and polarizing ad opens with boxing legend Mike Tyson speaking candidly about his late sister’s death due to obesity, and his own struggles with self-hate tied to weight gain. The MAHA Center (Make America Healthy Again) attempted to deliver a wake-up call about food, obesity, and processed consumption in America.
But the execution hit a nerve. While promoting healthier food choices is a valid goal, the ad framed obesity as a moral failing, drawing sharp criticism for body-shaming and for ignoring the systemic forces that shape health.
As underscored in recent health equity research, obesity isn’t simply a matter of willpower or diet, it’s shaped by deeper systemic factors: socioeconomic conditions, stress, cultural stigma, genetics, access to care, and much more. One example: consider a person working 12-hour shifts for minimum wage, commuting two hours by bus, living in a small space with no kitchen, and lacking health insurance. In that reality, processed food isn’t a choice, it’s a factor of their environment. The MAHA spot could have resonated more deeply had it acknowledged these human complexities. Healthcare messaging works best when it meets people where they are and reflects the full context of their lives. That’s how real behavior change starts.
Eli Lilly: “My Focus” (Aired during NFL Playoffs, not the Super Bowl)
Though not technically a Super Bowl ad but airing during the NFL Playoffs, Lilly’s “My Focus” spot deserves a mention for its powerful resonance during playoff season. A single actor speaks directly to the viewer, pushing back against unsolicited opinions about their body, and reclaiming personal agency: “My health is my focus. And my body is nobody’s business but mine.” The ad marked a cultural shift, framing obesity as a condition rather than a character flaw. It doesn’t promote a drug; it asks for understanding. Critics who labeled it “pro-obesity” missed the point.
The spot deliberately provokes viewers: “Come on. Let’s hear it. You think I need your advice?… And while you’re in the comment section, I’ll be focusing on what really matters.” The reaction was immediate and ugly, alongside one incredulous voice asking why Lilly left the comments on. But that reaction was the artwork. The ad wasn’t inviting cruelty by accident; it was exposing it. By capturing society’s reflexive judgment in real time, the campaign held up a mirror to our collective lack of empathy and made that discomfort the message itself.
The spot indirectly complements Lilly’s pharmaceutical efforts in the GLP-1 space, such as their Zepbound product, with its spot airing during Super Bowl LX, and upcoming oral orforglipron formulation, expected sometime this year.
Novo Nordisk: “A New Way” Featuring Kenan Thompson, DJ Khaled, and More
With its star-studded cast and clever tone, Novo Nordisk announced that its blockbuster GLP-1 treatment Wegovy now comes in a pill. Featuring cameos from Kenan Thompson, DJ Khaled, Ana Gasteyer, Danielle Brooks, John C. Reilly, and Danny Trejo, the ad takes a comedic but heartfelt approach to obesity treatment.
By asking the question, “If there were a pill that helped people stop judging how others lose weight, would you take it?” the ad takes direct aim at weight stigma. It cleverly communicates the utility of medical intervention while challenging cultural shaming.
Given the FDA’s recent greenlight of the oral form of Wegovy and the complex market dynamics around GLP-1s, Novo Nordisk’s creative was both timely and culturally tuned-in.
Hims & Hers: “Rich People Live Longer”
In its second consecutive year on the Super Bowl stage, Hims & Hers Health returned with a provocative statement: “Rich People Live Longer.” The ad explores the stark divide between those who can afford personalized, preventive care and those who cannot. It offers a vision of democratized access through diagnostic testing, microdosed weight loss treatments, hormone therapies, and even early cancer screening via blood tests.
While visually captivating and culturally urgent, the tone sparked heated debate. Some praised it as a brave indictment of healthcare inequality, while others saw it as class warfare, vilifying those with means rather than bridging the gap.
Adding to the intrigue: Just two days before the Super Bowl, Hims & Hers dropped its plan to launch a compounded version of the new Wegovy pill after the FDA signaled regulatory crackdowns and Novo Nordisk threatened legal action. The pivot added a deeper background to the messaging viewers ultimately saw on game day.
Ro: “Healthier on Ro” Featuring Serena Williams
Ro, another digital health disruptor, made its Super Bowl debut with tennis legend Serena Williams, who declares, “I’m on Ro. 34 pounds down on GLP-1.”
This spot focuses less on appearance and more on health markers, positioning GLP-1 treatment as part of a broader health and lifestyle transformation. Ro’s partnership with Novo Nordisk on the Wegovy pill lends the ad legitimacy, especially in contrast to more speculative telehealth efforts.
With sleek visuals and the star power of Williams, the ad delivered both credibility and inspiration.
Boehringer Ingelheim: “Mission: Detect the SOS” Featuring Octavia Spencer & Sofía Vergara
In one of the most surprising and delightfully entertaining spots of the night, Boehringer Ingelheim tapped Octavia Spencer and Sofía Vergara for a whimsical, spy-themed ad that raised awareness around kidney health.
The “SOS” in the campaign name refers to a urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (uACR) test, which can detect kidney damage early. With a light-hearted tone and strong casting, the ad stood out from the pharmaceutical pack by being both informative and memorable, and by celebrating diversity.
Notably, this marked Sofía Vergara’s third appearance in a Super Bowl ad this year. She also starred in commercials for two other major brands, making her one of the night’s most visible and versatile celebrities. Vergara’s cross-campaign visibility wasn’t accidental. In a year when Bad Bunny delivered the halftime show entirely in Spanish, brands clearly recognized the growing cultural power of Hispanic audiences. Representation wasn’t a side note; it was strategy.
Novartis & NFL: “Relax, It’s a Blood Test”
This humorous ad from Novartis, in collaboration with the NFL, tackled prostate cancer screening stigma. Rather than relying on somber statistics or scare tactics, the spot used comedy to assure men that early screening can be as simple as a PSA blood test.
With NFL players delivering the punchlines, the ad managed to engage a traditionally hard-to-reach demographic with charm and clarity.
TG Therapeutics: “NextInMS” Featuring Christina Applegate
Actress Christina Applegate brought candor and courage to the screen in this emotionally moving ad about living with multiple sclerosis. With the line, “If you have MS like me, you know it sucks,” the ad sets an unflinching tone.
TG Therapeutics invited viewers to join the MS community at NextInMS.com, making the spot not only awareness-driven, but action-oriented, and we recognize this campaign as both necessary and heartfelt.
Eli Lilly: “Never Over” (Winter Olympics Ad)
Though not a Super Bowl ad, Lilly’s “Never Over” spot, which aired during the Winter Olympics, deserves special mention. Serving as a brand anthem for Lilly and metaphorically aligning with the efforts and work ethic of Team USA, the ad celebrates scientific rigor, perseverance, and the relentless cycle of observation, experimentation, and refinement.
Set to a rhythmic narration of the scientific method, it captured the spirit of discovery in medicine and sport alike. It was one of the most visually compelling spots of the year and affirmed Lilly’s position as a scientific and cultural leader.
Final Thoughts
Healthcare is no longer a side topic in America’s biggest media moments. With themes ranging from chronic disease management and health equity to body autonomy and scientific innovation, Super Bowl LX marked a pivotal evolution in how health messages are delivered and received.
As leaders in healthcare strategy and branding, Maricich Health celebrates these bold steps forward and encourages continued exploration into how we can elevate public discourse through courageous, empathetic, and informed creative work.