Ritz turns up the salt: Tropical Super Bowl spot, celebrities and brand reinvention take center stage

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TL;DR

Ritz is returning to the Super Bowl with a 30-second ad set on fictional “Ritz Island,” featuring Bowen Yang, Jon Hamm and Scarlett Johansson embracing salty humour and tropical fun. The campaign aims to evolve Ritz’s brand image beyond predictable cracker fare with culturally tuned messaging, supported by paid and organic social content, retail activations and a limited-edition football-shaped cracker. Ritz sees “saltiness” as a relatable emotional state that can drive cultural relevance and strengthen brand equity.  

Article

Ritz is doubling down on its cultural marketing approach with a second straight Super Bowl commercial that leans into the brand’s signature “salty” personality. The Mondelēz International-owned cracker brand is airing a 30-second spot during the third quarter of Super Bowl 60 that transports viewers to a tropical paradise dubbed “Ritz Island,” where comedy and self-awareness meet salty humour.  

The new creative stars actors Bowen Yang, Jon Hamm and Scarlett Johansson, whose playful onscreen chemistry drives the spot. In the narrative, Yang and Hamm grumble about not being invited to a Ritz beach party — until Johansson arrives in style on a branded jet ski, providing a humorous twist and a moment of salty redemption. This A-list casting builds on Ritz’s inaugural big-game campaign, which similarly used celebrity talent to highlight the brand’s personality.  

Beyond the ad itself, Ritz’s Super Bowl push includes a full multichannel marketing effort featuring organic and paid social content, retail activations and even a limited-edition football-shaped cracker aimed at watch-party occasions. This aligns with Ritz’s broader goal of shifting consumer perceptions from a wholesome, predictable cracker to a culturally attuned snack choice that resonates with younger audiences.  

Olympia Portale, senior director of marketing at Ritz, says the campaign represents a continuation and deepening of a strategy introduced last year. “This is our chance to drive consistency and reinforce that message … to something that’s a little bit more playfully self-aware, a little bit more culturally fluent,” she told Marketing Dive. Ritz is betting that its salty positioning — seen as a modern, relatable emotional state marked by humor and mild frustration — will connect with consumers beyond the game itself.  

With its Super Bowl mission now embedded into annual marketing plans, Ritz hopes that cultural buzz, engagement metrics and broader brand equity gains will signal success alongside traditional business results like sales and household penetration.