Toyota Goes for Heartfelt Vibes with Super Bowl LX Ads

Automakers are not the driving force for Super Bowl ads that they once were. During this year’s game, auto brands accounted for just under 5% of total ad minutes, down from 7% last year and a huge decrease from the 40% in 2012's Super Bowl, according to iSpot. But the category isn’t totally disappearing — for Super Bowl LX, three automakers aired spots, including two from Toyota. Here’s a look at how they performed with viewers, based on Creative Assessment data.

Both of Toyota’s ads tug at the heartstrings, evoking “heartfelt” as one of the top viewer emotions/reactions. This is notable, since overall Super Bowl LX ads did not score high for "heartfelt."

In “Where the Dream Began,” athletes including Bubba Wallace, Puka Nacua and Oksana Masters meet their younger selves — or, as the ad puts it, “the you who never gave up.” Toyota eschews promoting any specific model (although its branding is seen throughout), and instead focuses on an endearing message that it’s all about perseverance. The spot received a likeability score 7.4% higher than the 60-day auto industry norm. When asked about the ad’s “single best thing,” 23% of surveyed viewers cited the message while 20% felt the characters were tops. 

“Superhero Belt,” Toyota’s second spot, skips the celebrities and leans into a story of family and connection. The commercial traces a bond across generations, starting with a grandfather buckling a young boy’s “superhero belt” in a Toyota RAV4. Years later, the boy, now an adult in his own 2026 RAV4, returns the gesture with a playful reminder using the same words. The spot had a likeability score 6.8% higher than the 60-day auto norm, with 21% of viewers saying the message was the ad’s “single best thing.” One female viewer remarked, “I thought it was incredibly wholesome and made me tear up a little bit. We need more commercials like this in the world.”

Volkswagen kicks the energy up a notch in “The Great Invitation: Drivers Wanted.” As House of Pain’s “Jump Around” starts to play, the announcer  remarks, “Life — if we’re not living it, what are we doing here?” The ad then proceeds to show people heading outside for various adventures in their Volkswagens. Viewers enjoyed the soundtrack, with 29% citing the music as the “single best thing" about the ad. 

Cadillac’s ad is on the artsy side. As the sun sets in the desert, a disassembled Formula 1 Cadillac rebuilds itself into a sleek racing machine. As John F. Kennedy’s iconic moon-landing speech plays in the background, the car roars to life and races off. The spot ends with the on-screen text “The Mission Begins,” a nod to Cadillac’s first season in F1. It scored 3% higher for likeability than the recent automotive norm, with a full third of viewers citing the visual scenes as the “single best thing” about the spot.