Holland America's Super Bowl Commercial Was Almost All AI — And It Shows

The countdown to Super Bowl LIX has begun, and just like every year, the commercials are expected to draw as much attention as the game itself. Around 117 million people are expected to tune in on Sunday, so it's hardly a surprise that a thirty-second commercial during the event will cost between $7 million and $8 million, while companies will have to shell out around $4 million for pre-game and post-game ads.

The most effective ads are those that tell a story — case in point, Google's heart-wrenching 2024 Super Bowl Pixel ad that captured the internet's heart at the time. Holland America's 2025 Super Bowl ad also tells a story, but with the help of artificial intelligence, which is certainly an interesting creative decision that's bound to spark discussions about the role of AI in advertising.

The cruise line developed the 30-second ad in-house with production agency Deux Vingt. It will run locally in around 10 regional markets, including Tampa, Denver, Phoenix, and San Diego.

Loaded with AI-generated images and videos, Holland America's 2025 Super Bowl commercial promotes the brand's partnership with the History Channel, which was officially announced earlier this week. "On Holland America line, history isn't just told, it's experienced," the narrator says at the beginning, as the ad quickly transitions from a shot of a modern cruise ship to a view of the Roman Colosseum, urging viewers to "become a part of the moments that made history." While the sweeping wide shots are unassuming at first, its in the details of the characters and close-up shots where the AI usage image tools are clearly used.

"Introducing exclusive History Channel itineraries and shore excursions that transport you to ancient ruins, legendary landmarks, and cities that shaped civilizations," the narrator continues, as scenes of iconic historical sites — from Stonehenge to the Egyptian Pyramids — appear on the screen. The commercial concludes with another shot of a cruise ship, as the narrator delivers a call to action along with the brand's tagline: "Holland America, savor the journey." 

Sora, Midjourney, Stable Diffusion, Runway and several other AI tools were used to create the advertisement. Kacy Cole, Chief Marketing Officer of Holland America, explained to Ad Age that the AI-generated visuals were touched up with CGI software. To anyone familiar with artificially-generated content, it should immediately be obvious how the commercial was created. The footage has that polished yet slightly surreal quality we have come to associate with AI "slop" — even when well-executed, AI content invokes an uncanny feeling and a sense of something not being quite right. 

Cole said that Holland America's marketing team was "really thoughtful" with how they used AI, but it remains to be seen if advertising industry professionals share that sentiment. Research suggests that consumers are not too enthused about AI-generated ads either. In a 2024 poll carried out by YouGov, about half of respondents said they were "not very comfortable" or "not comfortable at all" with AI use in ads.