The Super Bowl may be all about football, but let’s be honest—millions tune in just as eagerly for the commercials. With brands spending massive budgets and recruiting A-list celebrities to create unforgettable ads, it’s no wonder many viewers consider the breaks as entertaining as the game itself.
For 24 years, CBS has celebrated this tradition with its Super Bowl Greatest Commercials specials. This season’s edition, The Funniest of All Time, spotlights the most iconic laugh-out-loud ads in Super Bowl history—from the E*TRADE Babies and CareerBuilder’s office monkeys to Budweiser’s famous Lamb Streaker and the viral Mountain Dew PuppyMonkeyBaby.
The special is hosted by CBS Mornings co-host and NFL Today analyst Nate Burleson and NCIS: Los Angeles alum Daniela Ruah, broadcasting from the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, home of Super Bowl LIX. The event is interactive, allowing fans to vote live for the funniest Super Bowl commercial ever.
“These commercials are iconic,” Ruah tells Parade. “Whether they’re big-budget, small-budget, heartfelt, or hilarious, they’re the kind that stay with you forever. Someone mentions one, and you immediately go online to rewatch it.”
While Ruah can’t reveal which two commercials she and Burleson picked as their personal favorites, she did share a few classics she’s loved over the years—like the 2008 Tide Stain commercial and the memorable Terry Tate Office Linebacker ad from 2003. And even though this year’s special focuses on comedy, Ruah admits she has a soft spot for the sentimental ones too: the ads with kids, parents, and animals.
Despite filming at the Superdome, Ruah plans to watch the actual game at home with family and friends.
“That’s my favorite place to be,” she says. “Put out a bunch of snacks, sit on the floor with the puppies and the kids, and just make it cozy. I travel so much for work that when the Super Bowl comes around, I love being home.”
Sports are already a big part of her household. Her kids play soccer and flag football, and she married into a family of Minnesota Vikings fans. Even though the Vikings won’t be in the Super Bowl this year, Ruah says they’ll still watch with excitement.
“It’s the two best teams playing—so you know it’s going to be a great game.”
And yes, Super Bowl Sunday is a snack day in the Ruah-Olsen home—though still with a healthy twist.
“It’s always going to be a version of healthy,” Ruah laughs. “We’re big corn-chip people, and my husband makes incredible salsa from scratch with peppers we grow in our backyard. Quesadillas, guacamole, veggies—everything is sort of set out buffet-style. It’s definitely a ‘snacky day,’ a drive-by situation rather than a big sit-down meal.”
