Super Bowl 2026 Pharma TV Ads: Pharma Takes the Field with Health Awareness, Weight Loss and More

Traditionally, pharmaceutical companies have been rare advertisers at the Super Bowl compared with beer, snacks and tech brands.

But for the past several years, drugmakers and health-focused companies have been warming up to the game and investing in the Super Bowl’s massive audience to raise awareness, shape public perception and build brand recognition.

So far, six pharma companies are slated to take the TV ad stage at Super Bowl LX on Sunday, February 8, 2026, including Novartis, two from Novo Nordisk, Boehringer Ingelheim, telehealth company Him & Hers and Sun Pharma.

From debuting weight loss blockbuster Wegovy in pill form to disease screening and health awareness, the ads feature high-profile celebrities spanning sports and entertainment, such as Serena Williams, NFL stars and Hollywood actors Octavia Spencer and Sofia Vergara.

Super Bowl ads overall, across all categories, not just pharma, are expensive but can reach a massive audience: the 2025 game drew an average of ~127.7 million viewers, offering unparalleled reach for brand awareness.

Despite the high cost for a prime, once-a-year time spot, Super Bowl ads can be highly effective for pharma when done well: industry data shows that Super Bowl spots can be up to 20 times more impactful than regular TV ads in shifting brand perceptions, driven by unusually high audience attention.

A recent Ad Age-Harris Poll found that about 24% of consumers, including roughly 20% of Gen Z, think pharmaceutical and healthcare brands should advertise during the Super Bowl, signaling a modest openness to pharma presence in this high-profile ad environment.

While pharma ads still remain relatively elusive, those that focus on emotional storytelling or public-health messaging, rather than hard product promotion, have been shown to generate above-average likeability and engagement, in some cases outperforming the median Super Bowl ad.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under health secretary RFK Jr. and the FDA announced plans to tighten rules on televised direct-to-consumer (DTC) drug ads last fall, but industry behavior hasn’t markedly changed so far, including around the Super Bowl broadcast.

Industry insiders note that tighter rules around pharma DTC advertising are unlikely to significantly affect large pharmaceutical companies, which are already highly attuned to regulatory expectations and compliant with FDA messaging guidelines. Instead, the agency’s scrutiny is expected to fall more heavily on smaller companies, where there is greater concern about exaggerated or misleading claims.

Nevertheless, this year’s crop of pharmaceutical Super Bowl commercials shows that the industry’s biggest brands are increasingly betting big on America’s largest TV audience.

Novartis: Prostate Cancer Awareness

Novartis returns to the Super Bowl for its second straight year, following a 2025 outing, with a public health-oriented spot titled “Relax Your Tight End.” The ad promotes a blood test for prostate cancer to communicate the importance of screening.

The ad features a group of legendary NFL tight ends in their uniforms, relaxing in various moments, from lounging in hammocks to painting and hanging out with horses. It shows Colby Parkinson floating on an inflatable in the middle of a pool, Greg Olsen in a slow yoga flow and Tony Gonzalez holding a bird in nature. Coach Bruce Arians stands in a horse stall while Rob Gronkowski pets a horse, explaining that these tight ends are relaxed about prostate cancer screenings thanks to “a simple finger-free blood test.” He also explains that one in eight men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer. Gronkowski urges viewers to find out if a PSA blood test is right for them by visiting Novartis’ campaign website relaxitsabloodtest.com.

Boehringer Ingelheim: Mission Health Awareness

Boehringer Ingelheim will take the stage with an ad featuring celebrities Octavia Spencer and Sofia Vergara to raise awareness about the importance of health screening, and spotlighting the company’s uACR urine test to detect kidney conditions that can affect heart health.

The commercial, called “Mission: Detect the SOS,” opens with Octavia Spencer and Sofía Vergara riding through the city on a motorcycle, looking out for SOS signals. This includes warnings from people’s bodies, such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure or heart attack. They take their findings to the lab, turning the alerts into action. For example, with a simple urine test, health risks can be detected early. At the end, the duo jumps into a helicopter as Sofía yells, “I just got my permit!”

The ad is part of Boehringer’s “Detect the SOS” campaign, which features a website with more information on its uACR urine test.

Ro: GLP-1 Weight-Loss Messaging With Serena Williams

DTC health brand Ro is making its Super Bowl debut with a campaign centered on GLP-1 weight-loss drugs, starring tennis legend Serena Williams. The ad tries to destigmatize conversations about weight management and positions Ro as a modern healthcare partner.

In the ad, Williams shares her personal weight loss journey, which has included GLP-1 medications she got through Ro. Standing on a soft blue stage, Williams describes her experience, saying how she’s “down 34 pounds on GLP-1s. Healthier on Ro, supported by Ro.” The ad also talks about the brand’s app that helps manage progress with the help of a team of doctors. Ro also highlights that its FDA-approved weight loss options are available in pill form. As Serena dances and flexes, she says, “I’m moving better on Ro, I’m feeling better on Ro … This is me on Ro!”

Hims & Hers: GLP-1 Advertising Push

Both Novo Nordisk (maker of semaglutide products Wegovy and Ozempic) and Hims & Hers are part of what some analysts are calling a “GLP-1 Super Bowl.” The clustering of ads around them reflects how this drug class has captured mainstream attention for weight and metabolic health.

Hims & Hers is returning to the Super Bowl with a commercial titled “Rich People Live Longer,” which is a provocative take that frames America’s wealth gap as a health gap, arguing that the wealthy benefit from better, more proactive care while everyday people struggle for affordable access.

Narrated by rapper Common, the ad contrasts elite health privileges with its own telehealth-based services, such as diagnostic testing and treatments made more accessible, emphasizing the company’s mission to democratize healthcare rather than just sell products.

“The wealth gap is a health gap,” Common proclaims.

“The rich have healthcare that comes to them, custom treatments and preventative care before they need it. They get the best of everything, why don’t you?” he asks.

“Now you can.” The ad outlines Hims & Hers offerings, from diagnostic testing to weight-loss and menopause and testosterone hormone treatments to early cancer detection through a simple blood test.

“The same science, the same access, no connections required. Now that’s rich,” Common says.

Novo Nordisk Introduces Wegovy Pill

Novo is debuting its “A New Way to Wegovy” ad this Sunday at the Super Bowl, its first-ever Big Game commercial and the first for its newly launched once-daily Wegovy weight loss pill. The 90-second celebrity-loaded spot opens with Kenan Thompson announcing that Wegovy now comes in pill form, then cuts to playful vignettes with DJ Khaled, Danielle Brooks and others imagining pills for funny “helpful” things, from becoming a pro wrestler to saving more kittens, to normalize the idea of using a pill like Wegovy, alongside diet and exercise, for losing weight.

Sun Pharma: Skin Cancer Awareness Drive

Unlike fellow pharma colleagues, Sun Pharma isn’t promoting a specific product or airing a TV ad during the Super Bowl. Instead, the company is launching a print campaign in the official Super Bowl LX souvenir program, which will be available both digitally and as a hard copy, with approximately 1 million print copies sold online and on Sunday at the stadium in Santa Clara, California. The campaign spotlights skin cancer education and support for patients and caregivers, as part of a broader public health messaging strategy.