What This Ad Tells Us About Influencer Marketing
Every year, the Super Bowl becomes one of the biggest marketing stages in the world, not just for football fans as so many watch just for the commercials! For anyone in the industry, it is very interesting to see what brands are doing, if they are leaning heavily on major celebrity power, going for a something weird or humorous and what ads really are very cool!
Here are some of our Favorite Super Bowl 2026 ads: HERE
This year, one of the most talked-about spots besides the MrBeast ad, which we covered HERE, was for The Mandalorian & Grogu, an upcoming Star Wars movie set to hit theaters in May 2026.
Disney and Lucasfilm dropped a 30-second Super Bowl commercial during the superbowl but unlike most blockbuster film spots, this one didn’t give audiences new footage or a proper teaser trailer. Instead, it leaned into a nostalgic homage to classic budweiser Super Bowl ads complete with tauntauns replacing Clydesdale horses and a calm, cinematic tone that leaned more on vibe than plot plus Sam Elliot himself narrating it!
The ad itself sparked a decent bit of criticism, with many just not understanding the ad, which likely cost upwards of $8 million dollars.
Here’s the ad itself:
What the Ad Was Trying to Do from Disney themselves
Lucasfilm’s marketing team in a rare move took to X to defend the choice, explaining that the goal was to make an “instantly iconic, cinematic, and quintessentially Star Wars” spot that celebrated the bond between Din Djarin (the Mandalorian) and Grogu. Instead of focusing on action or narrative, they aimed for mood, warmth, and a nod to big-game ad history which probably isn’t the best idea for the beloved Star Wars IP.
Disney’s executive VP of creative marketing stressed that Grogu is more than a character he’s a cultural phenomenon and that the spot was meant to remind audiences of the joy and emotional connection Star Wars characters can bring.
On paper, that sounds like a good idea, a short, artistic piece that evokes nostalgia and emotional connection is exactly what you might expect from a beloved franchise, but in practice, it didn’t land the way Lucasfilm hoped.
Fan Reactions: Confusion, Disappointment, and Criticism
Almost immediately after the ad aired, social media lit up, and not in a celebratory way. The most common reactions were confusion and disappointment. Many viewers had expected a traditional trailer or something that gave them a clearer look at the actual movie. Instead, they got a commercial that felt more like a parody of other Super Bowl ads than a sneak peek at the next chapter in one of the biggest franchises of the decade.
On platforms like X fans called the ad “underwhelming,” “not a trailer,” and even compared it to commercials for cars or beer not a Star Wars film. Some suggested the tone and execution made it hard to understand what the ad was even selling, with one fan writing that the marketing “felt weird” and was creating the “opposite of hype.”
Other fans expressed that the ad did nothing to build excitement for the upcoming movie especially given that the last theatrical Star Wars film was released in 2019. With a major release on the horizon, expectations were high for something that would feel epic, revealing, and unmistakably tied to the film itself. The lack of scene footage or narrative hints left many feeling short-changed.
This reaction wasn’t just about disappointment. Some fans took it as a sign that Lucasfilm and Disney might be struggling to market the film effectively a risky perception for a franchise that thrives on anticipation and that recently has seen a major shift in leadership. For longtime fans, it raised questions about whether the creative direction and marketing approach truly understood what the audience wanted.
What This Means for Marketing and Brand Language
The reaction to this ad highlights something important about audience expectations and marketing strategy:
- Clarity matters: especially for large franchises. People want to know what the message is about, not just see aesthetic scenes.
- Context is king : if your audience hasn’t been primed with a consistent campaign, even creative spots can feel confusing.
- Be intentional with Ad Spend: Paid ads in general aren’t cheap, and certainly not the Superbowl spot which was like $8-10 million for 30 seconds. For brands, this is a useful case study: an ad that tries to be clever but forgets to anchor itself in a clear message risks not just missing excitement and it risks turning attention into confusion. This all equals a lot of wasted money!
Lessons for Marketers and Creators
A few things we can learn even at a much smaller scale:
1. Define the purpose first.
Are you introducing a product? Teasing something big? Building emotional connection? Be sure that purpose is clear in the creative whether it’s a digital ad, social media post, tv ad or anything else.
2. Meet the audience where they are.
Highly niche references or homages only work if your audience recognizes and appreciates them, otherwise you just waste money and seem out of touch.
3. Use humor carefully.
Humor is hard to nail right and come across with the right tone. Just because you get it, doesn’t mean others will!
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Contact Volan Media today to discuss your next project and get a custom quote that fits your vision and budget.
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