If you’re going to land a comedian to get decked out as a faux Neil Diamond for a goofy song parody about mayonnaise and best friends involving a slightly anthropomorphic hot dog, you might as well shoot for the best. Which is exactly what Hellmann’s did by landing SNL vet and Lonely Island co-founder Andy Samberg for the company’s latest Super Bowl ad campaign.
More On 2026 Super Bowl Ads
You may recall 2025’s When Harry Met Sally reunion or Kate McKinnon and Pete Davidson’s silly mayo ads in 2024. Those were great and all, but certainly lacked a particular performance panache, which Samberg brings in full as the, erm, great(?) Meal Diamond! Sending up the beloved crooner’s everpresent hit “Sweet Caroline,” the ad also brings in fellow SNL vet Heidi Gardner, though she manages to steer clear of all the mayo squirting, for better or wor…no, just for better in this case, I think.
Check out the minute-long ad below, which will likely be cut down to 30 seconds when airing during the Super Bowl.
Honestly, if I saw Andy Samberg dressed like that while walking through a mall or something, I don’t know if I’d immediately recognize him, though I would definitely be attuned to something being amiss, given how bizarre his entire upper-body hair situation is.
Perhaps all that fluffy hair is part of why the ad gets under my skin in less than savory ways. Particularly regarding the idea of anyone walking around lifting the top bread off of people’s sandwiches. That’s personal bubble infringement to the nth degree.
Also squirting mayonnaise onto people’s food willy nilly is bothersome in ways I can only allude to, as not to actually make myself nauseous. While I can appreciate Meal’s blind aim being impeccable, just the idea of mayo potentially being blasted all over people’s drinks and clothing is enough to make me run out of this hypothetical diner setting I’m thinking about. Seriously, the foley work in the ad is too good.
Just when you think it’s maybe okay to let this Meal Diamond guy keep singing during everyone’s meal, then the confessions start. He lives in our walls! Which, ipso facto, means there’s all kinds of unused mayonnaise in the walls as well. It’s the worst-smelling insulation money can buy.
Super Bowl LX is set to air on NBC (and stream via Peacock subscription) on Sunday, February 9, 2026, with plenty of other ads yet to be revealed. And those who wish to see a more loyal cover band take on Neal Diamond can check out Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson’s feature Song Sung Blue.
