Super Bowl LVIII commercials did not rate tremendously high with ad professionals who identify as being Black, Indigenous or people of color, according to a new survey.

Building Leaders and Creators, an internship program for Black, Indigenous and people of color creative talent in the industry, found that the majority of 33 BLAC alumni surveyed could not see themselves in ads shown during the Super Bowl. Based on a rating of one to five (one indicates they strongly disagreed with the statement that they “could see themselves in at least some of the ads” and five indicates that they strongly agreed with that statement), 39.4% responded with a two, 33.3% responded with a three, 9.1% responded with a one, 9.1% responded with a four and 9.1% responded with a five.

Also read: Super Bowl ads continue to lag in diversity

In response to the statement, “At least some of this year’s Super Bowl ads accurately [represented] my voice or that of my community,” 33.3% of respondents answered with a three, 27.3% with a two, 18.2% with a four, 15.2% with a one and 6.1% with a five. (Due to rounding, the tally does not equal 100%.)

There were some standout ads, however, that respondents said authentically reflected the cultures they were representing.

The NFL got praise for its three spots including its halftime commercial, “Born to Play,” which follows a Ghanaian boy, Kwesi, who loves football. The spot from agency 72andSunny featured a cast and production crew largely from West Africa, where it was shot.

“As someone who is West African and lived in Accra, Ghana for several years, I loved the NFL Super Bowl's ‘Born to Play,’” said Carol Lee Diallo, a BLAC alum who is now an art direction student at Book180 portfolio school.  “Everything from the family dialogue, the music choice, the colors, the busy marketplace and the school uniform resonated with me and activated memories from my childhood. Seeing Kwesi play with his heroes brought me so much joy because it reminded me how limitless our imagination is as children—we aren't afraid to dream big.”

Also read: Inside the NFL’s Super Bowl ad in Ghana

Several people named the Doritos’ spot as a standout, which featured a high-speed chase by Hispanic actor Jenna Ortega’s grandmothers, “Dina and Mita,” who are after the bag of Doritos Dinamitas that Hispanic actor Danny Ramirez picked up first in the grocery store.

“Ads such as Doritos seemed genuinely authentic of its portrayal in a fun, whimsical manner that was on brand in the best of ways,” said Jacob Warman, a BLAC alum and Emerson College student.

Several people nodded to Verizon’s 60-second commercial with Beyoncé, who is seen trying to break the internet while also announcing the release of a new album. 

“The brains behind the ad subtly told us we’ve been watching by cleverly attaching their brand to the world-renowned artist, Beyonce and what her beehive refers to as #BeyoncesInternet,”  said Luwam Gezai, a BLAC alum and former Adidas SEED program designer, of the spot from Ogilvy. “In the midst of her late Renaissance World Tour, we saw the term ‘Beyonces Internet’ and ‘Beyonce broke the internet’ buzzing around all platforms; commemorating her position as Queen Bey. Further Verizon's ability to identify this moment and use it as a marketing tool showcases their grip on culture and their audience.”

Respondents also responded positively to the CeraVe ad with Michael Cera, who pretends to invent the skincare product, with several respondents commending it for being clever and comical.

“CeraVe’s commercial with Michael Cera did a great job at not taking itself so seriously,” said Lovest Watson, another BLAC alum who is now an associate copywriter at David&Goliath. “It reminds people that wanting to take care of your body and feel good about yourself doesn't have to be some serious, dry and anxiety-inducing activity, but instead it can be silly, fun and relaxed.”

Dove’s Super Bowl ad from agency Ogilvy also got some praise for its message of encouragement to keep girls in sports.

Most respondents watched the game with friends (42.4%) and family (33.3%).

‘I did not resonate with any of the ads’

Still, respondents overall said they did not feel seen in the majority of Big Game ads.

“As a Black woman I have become used [to] not seeing myself in media. I did not resonate with any of the ads truthfully,” said Foluke Salami, a BLAC alumn and current UCLA student.

Justina Smith, account supervisor at ATTN: and another BLAC alum, criticized the ads as “stereotypical messaging, very product-driven, not diverse enough, missed cultural and personal relevance, lack of innovation.”

As an earlier analysis conducted by Ad Age found this year’s Super Bowl commercials did not bring authentic, diverse storytelling to advertising’s biggest night. And that could be a result of who was behind them. Of the 49 directors confirmed by Ad Age that did Super Bowl commercials this year (some directed more than one ad), only three were women and eight were people of color.

In response to the statement “some of [this] year’s Super Bowl ads positively [shifted] my perception of the brand,” 33.3% of respondents gave a three rating, 33.3% rated that statement a four, 12.1% rated it a five, while 12.1% also answered with a one rating, and 9.1% responded with a two. (Due to rounding, the numbers do not add up to 100%.)

To the statement, “at least some of this year’s Super Bowl ads [reinforced] my confidence in effective advertising,” 33.3% answered with a three rating, 30.3% answered with a four, 18.2% answered with a five, 15.2% answered with a two and 3% answered with a one.

How viewers watched

In terms of how respondents watched the Super Bowl, most did so via streaming: 48.5% streamed the Big Game, 30.3% watched on the CBS broadcast and 15.2% didn’t watch at all, while a small majority saw clips on social media. The game was broadcast on CBS and streamed on Paramount+, with simulcasts on Nickelodeon and Univision for Spanish-language speakers. 

The majority of respondents accessed Meta’s Instagram (54.5%) while watching the game, compared to 39.4% who checked X (formerly known as Twitter), 27.3% TikTok, 9.1% Snap, 6.1% Facebook and 3% LinkedIn. (Some used more than one service, so the percentages add up to more than 100%).

Per the survey, 30.3% did not go on any social media platforms while watching the Super Bowl. 

Dunkin’, Google, Dove, Etsy, State Farm (as well as State Farm agency character “Jake” on TikTok), BMW, Verizon, Poppi, Starry, Budweiser, UberEats, E.l.f Beauty and CeraVe are among the Super Bowl brands that respondents said they followed on social. Several people also noted that they follow Beyoncé, who posted her Verizon ad.

Some respondents said they would have liked to see more diversity in the types of products being advertised in the Big Game.

“As a biracial woman, I did notice some representation in the Super Bowl commercials, which was great to see,” said Alexis Pick, a BLAC alum who is now an art director at Sunflower Group. “There were diverse faces and strong women, which resonated with me. However, when it came to the products and themes, I didn't quite feel like I saw myself. Most of the ads were about cars, snack foods I don't really eat, beer and makeup—things that don't really encompass who I am. Personally, I value things like mental health awareness, crafting, art and culture, and I'm really into anime and fantasy. It would have been nice to see a broader range of interests and perspectives showcased during such a widely watched event.”

Some commented on the lack of representation of differently abled people and those with health conditions. Google was the only advertiser to showcase such diversity. Its 60-second ad for its Pixel 8 phone was partly filmed with a camera obscured by petroleum jelly, a choice blind director Adam Morse made to transport people into the point of view of a blind character, Ad Age earlier reported.

“The ads could [have] done a better job of diversifying ads beyond race/ethnicity and gender expression and age groups. In the near future I hope to see more ads that include people with different health conditions because those people are also apart of our everyday reality,” Gezai said.