Every year, brands spend huge sums to land a Super Bowl spot. They chase reach, buzz, and cultural moments. This year, the message is loud in a way it should not be: Hispanic audiences are still being left out. I believe that is a mistake that weakens the work and the brands behind it.
“Based on Ad Age’s larger Super Bowl diversity report, there is a glaring lack of Hispanic representation in Big Game spots this year.”
That single line sums up a pattern I have watched for years. The game bills itself as America’s party. Yet the ads don’t reflect America as it is. If the biggest stage cannot make room for Hispanic stories, the industry is playing it safe—and playing it wrong.
What The Report Signals
The report points to a clear gap. Hispanic talent is missing on screen and behind the camera. Brands are comfortable borrowing the culture—music, flavor, slang—without putting Hispanic people at the center of the story. I see that as more than a casting choice. It is a creative blind spot.
Representation is not charity; it is craft. Ads land harder when they feel true. They get shared when they feel seen. If you talk to Hispanic audiences and creators, they will tell you the same thing: stop talking about us and start talking with us.
Why This Gap Matters
Hispanic families shape what gets bought, cooked, watched, and worn in homes across the country. Skipping them is not only unfair. It is bad strategy. Super Bowl ads set the tone for the year. They tell the rest of the industry what “big” looks like.
When the game’s biggest moments ignore a major audience, they shrink the culture instead of growing it. They also send a message to young Hispanic creatives that their faces and ideas are a nice-to-have, not a must-have. That message harms talent pipelines, team morale, and long-term brand health.
The Usual Excuses Fall Flat
We hear the same pushback every February. The story did not call for it. The celebrity list was set. The deadline was tight. I get it. Production is messy. But the Super Bowl is planned months ahead. Choices are choices.
Some argue that ads should aim for the “broadest” audience. That logic is dated. Specificity builds universality. A sharp, honest moment in one community often moves many communities. Think about the best ads you remember. They ring true to a life, a voice, a place. That is how they spread.
What Needs To Change
It is not hard to start. It does take will. Here is a simple path I expect brands and agencies to follow before the next Big Game:
- Put Hispanic creatives in decision-making roles early, not as late consultants.
- Cast Hispanic leads in mainstream stories without turning them into a cliché.
- Fund Hispanic-owned production partners and measure it like any KPI.
- Test cuts with Hispanic audiences and act on the notes, not just file them.
- Commit to year-round inclusion, so the Super Bowl is the rule, not the exception.
These are not favors. They are standards. When brands commit to them, the work gets sharper and the buy works harder.
A Final Word
I do not want another year where the ads trend, yet a key part of the country feels invisible. We can do better, and we know how. The fix is not lofty. It is practical: hire wider, write braver, and show your audience you see them.
If you work at a brand, push for Hispanic leadership on your next campaign. If you run an agency, post your staffing and supplier numbers and improve them. If you watch the game, ask brands—publicly—why their casting and crews look the way they do.
The Super Bowl sells itself as a mirror of the nation. It is time the ads lived up to that claim. Let’s make next year the one where Hispanic viewers do not have to search for themselves. They should just see themselves—clearly, proudly, and in the center of the frame.
