Ritz Returns to the Super Bowl for a Third Straight Year

By James Calloway

Mondelēz will run a Ritz ad in Super Bowl LXI, making 2027 the third consecutive year the cracker brand appears in the big game. It's a quick escalation for a 90-year-old brand that ran its first Super Bowl spot only in 2025.

The company confirmed the buy but is holding back most campaign details for now. What we do know is the lineup: Ritz Bits and Drizzled Minis will star in the ad, while the classic scalloped-edge cracker sits this one out.

What's driving the third appearance?

Steven Saenen, category president for savory snacking at Mondelēz, told ADWEEK the goal is to keep the momentum the brand built since that 2025 debut. The first spot, in other words, was a launch point — and the two years since have delivered results Mondelēz wants to protect.

“The brand is perceived as more modern, more fun than it was two years ago, [and] market share gains have been pretty strong over the past two years,” Saenen said.

That quote carries most of the story. Perception shift first, share gains second, both tied to a two-year window that maps exactly onto the Super Bowl era for the brand. Mondelēz isn't chasing novelty — it's defending a measurable lift.

Why Ritz Bits and Drizzled Minis lead the spot?

The product choice is the tactical detail that matters. By putting Ritz Bits and Drizzled Minis at the center of the 2027 ad, Mondelēz is using the game's massive reach to push its newer, snack-oriented formats rather than the heritage cracker that built the name.

It's a familiar playbook for legacy food brands: use the flagship's equity to introduce or amplify lines aimed at casual snacking occasions, then let the halo do the work. Ritz remains the brand on the screen; the products doing the selling are the ones built for how people snack now.

How solid is the ground under this bet?

The broader context adds weight to the decision. Mondelēz has remained resilient despite headwinds hitting the salty snacks category, according to the company's own account of its performance. In a category under pressure, keeping a Super Bowl slot — among the most expensive media buys in marketing — signals the company sees Ritz as a growth engine rather than a brand needing rescue spending.

Three consecutive years of game-day exposure also suggests the 2025 spot did its job. Brands rarely return to the Super Bowl twice more unless the first appearance moved the numbers.

What comes next?

Expect the campaign details to surface closer to the game. The strategic picture is already clear: a 90-year-old brand, refreshed in public perception and gaining share, betting big again on football's biggest night — this time with Ritz Bits and Drizzled Minis carrying the play.