Svedka Vodka aired a primarily AI-generated commercial during Super Bowl LX on February 8, 2026, and reaction on social media turned negative within hours. The 30-second spot revived the brand's "Fembot" robot mascot after more than a decade away and paired her with a new male robot character named Bro-bot. The two dance to Rick James's "Super Freak" in a nightclub as a human crowd gathers around them. Near the end, the male robot tries to drink a red cocktail and the liquid pours through its mouth and down a gap near its throat.
Sara Saunders, chief marketing officer at Sazerac, which owns Svedka, said before the game that the ad would blend human creativity and dance moves with modern technology, and that the brand looked forward to fans across the world seeing it come to life.
Viewers on X criticized the visuals as sloppy and uncanny. One widely shared post called it possibly the worst Super Bowl ad of all time and told the brand to fire its marketing team. Other comments compared the output to Grok imagery and said a human with artistic ability would produce something different. Coverage described the robot designs as off-putting and the execution as dated and uneven.
Silverside AI, one of the studios that produced the spot, also worked on the AI-generated Coca-Cola holiday ad that drew similar criticism in November 2024. Fifteen of the 66 commercials aired during the game were either for AI companies or made with AI, according to iSpot. A Meltwater analysis found reception of the AI spots was sharply negative, with nearly 50% of mentions negative and far more critical than broader ad sentiment during the event.
Source: Mandatory - https://www.mandatory.com/culture/1727739-svedka-vodka-super-bowl-ai-ad-reactions