The Super Bowl remains the ultimate arena for high-stakes marketing, and for Super Bowl LX, the produce and grocery sectors are moving beyond simple brand awareness to embrace high-production storytelling and interactive technology. Recent campaign reveals from Instacart and Avocados From Mexico demonstrate a strategic shift toward blending celebrity-driven entertainment with functional digital tools designed to enhance the consumer experience.
Instacart: Precision Meets Performance
Instacart is returning to the Super Bowl with a 30-second spot titled “Bananas,” directed by acclaimed filmmaker Spike Jonze. The commercial features an unexpected pairing of actor Ben Stiller and musician Benson Boone, who engage in a theatrical, retro-inspired musical showdown on a 60-foot LED stage.
While the ad leans into a whimsical, “disco-pop” aesthetic, its core purpose is to introduce a technical innovation: the Preference Picker. This new addition to Instacart's “Grocery Quality Controls” allows customers to specify their exact ripeness preference for bananas — the platform's top-selling item with over 1.8 billion delivered to date. By focusing on bananas, which also receive the highest volume of custom “shopper notes,” Instacart is using the game's massive reach to show that its technology can handle the high level of detail required for fresh produce.
“We're thrilled to be back in the lineup for this year's big game. Last year's results exceeded our expectations and propelled our business forward, so this year we wanted to show, in the boldest way possible, that Instacart is the grocery technology leader that truly cares about getting your groceries right,” says Laura Jones, chief marketing officer for Instacart. “We intentionally cast an unexpected duo who each bring something distinct: sharp comedic timing and emotional, musical lift — creating a spot with both precision and playfulness. Ben and Benson delivered the perfect mix of humor and heart, while Spike's incredible direction brought this rich world to life. The ad is bold and funny but grounded in something very real: Instacart's commitment to helping people get groceries just how they like.”
“Spike Jonze is one of our great directors, so working with him was a dream,” Stiller says. “Benson is insanely talented, both as a dancer, singer, athlete and now actor. The whole thing was so much fun.”
“Working on a Super Bowl commercial for Instacart blew my mind,” Boone says. “However, adding Ben Stiller to the equation — diabolical.”
Avocados From Mexico: The “Guac Guru” and AI Engagement
While Instacart focuses on the delivery process, Avocados From Mexico is centering its campaign on the party experience itself through the return of the “Guac Guru,” played by comedian Rob Riggle. AFM's strategy for 2026 is rooted in interactive engagement and gamified rewards.
- The Guacamoney Sweepstakes: AFM is offering one fan the chance to win $60,000, honoring the Super Bowl's 60th anniversary, alongside free avocados for a year. The prize is tied to three specific in-game “bold predictions” by Riggle: a team scoring exactly 20 points (representing the 20+ vitamins in avocados), a player performing an “eating gesture” celebration and announcers using the word “guacamole” during the broadcast.
- The Prediction Pit: To capture “second-screen” viewers, the brand launched an immersive AI experience where fans can interact with Riggle's AI avatar to predict plays and receive real-time recipe inspiration.
AFM is also leaning into consumer behavior trends with its “Golden Double Dip Chip” campaign. Backed by survey data showing that 80% of Americans admit to double-dipping because guacamole is “too good to resist,” the brand created a wearable, 14K gold “snackcessory.” This limited-edition item, which comes in its own protective display case, is designed to celebrate the “magic” of game-day snacking by playfully breaking traditional social rules.
“We wanted to bring the health, flavor and fun of avocados to football fans in a way that's as exciting as the game itself,” says Alvaro Luque, president and CEO of Avocados From Mexico. “Especially since avocados are one of the top-selling foods leading up to the big game, we're tying guac into those intense in-game moments to create a truly unique experience. Guacamoney adds a heightened sense of excitement to the live game, letting fans look forward to more than just football. I trust in Rob Riggle — I'll be cheering on his predictions all game long!”
“I've watched a lot of football — like, a lot — and one thing that needs no prediction: Guac is as much a part of game day as the game itself,” Riggle says. “And as the Guac Guru, I made sure to make my three in-game predictions as tasty as Avocados From Mexico themselves. I mean, helping someone walk away with $60,000 and free avocados for a whole year? Let's guac-and-roll, baby!”
Both companies are using the 2026 Super Bowl to bridge the gap between digital convenience and physical consumption. Whether through Instacart's drive for shopping precision or AFM's focus on the fun of the watch party, the produce industry is proving that even the most basic grocery staples can be marketed with the same level of spectacle and technological sophistication as the world's biggest tech brands.
