Super Bowl XLIX ended with a bang - an unbelievable comeback by the Patriots, and an equally unbelievable call by the Seahawk’s coach in the final seconds of the game, which gave Tom Brady and co. another Super Bowl ring. Now that the game is over, all the things that have been lurking in the shadows– from Deflategate to max contracts for losing QBs – are coming out to play. The advertising world, naturally, is obsessed with one question, and one question only:
Which ads were the biggest winners and losers of Super Bowl Night?
The best and the brightest Super Bowl ads are measured using two major metrics: Ace Metrix’s Score of Super Bowl ad effectiveness, and USA Today’s Ad Meter Survey. The two differ in their measurement strategies, but more often than not, reach similar conclusions. Advertising exposure and viewership measurement of campaign-related videos are also excellent indicators of effective ads and campaigns.
Which first-timer had the most effective campaign?
There were 15 first-time advertisers during Super Bowl XLIX. All 15, as well as the other brands that advertised during the game, launched pre-game campaigns. VisibleMeasures.com measures viewership of original videos released by the brands, as well as the viewership of related videos uploaded by audiences, and has reached a clear winner among the first-time advertisers: Wix.com, the web development platform, topped the list with a viewership of 9.7 million. Skittles came second, with around 2.5 million views less than Wix.
On January 7, Wix launched a cross-platform branding campaign called #ItsThatEasy, and released the first teaser for its 30-second Super Bowl spot. The #ItsThatEasy campaign featured former NFL legends Brett Favre, Emmitt Smith, Terrell Owens, Larry Allen and Franco Harris – all using the Wix platform to launch their post-football careers – however unlikely they may be.
Which was the most watched Super Bowl ad?
Wix was also the ad that people were most exposed to, according to Rentrak. The measurement company, which focused on ad exposure during the game, reported that ad exposure was nearly equal to viewership of the entire game. However, Wix had a 110 index and Victoria’s Secret’s had a 109 index compared to the average rating of the entire game. Each ran at 9:51 p.m. EST before the game’s final drive.
Who won the popularity contest?
For the second year on a row, Budweiser’s cute puppy won the jackpot. Puppy Love was voted best commercial in USA Today’s Ad Meter in Super Bowl 2014, and this year its sequel, Lost Puppy, was the ad that USA Today’s respondents (6,703 voters in all) liked best. According to USA Today, this is 13th time in the past 15 years that Anheuser-Busch has won USA Today’s Ad Meter ranking.
In Lost Puppy, a lovable puppy gets lost, and makes it back home with the help of some good friends - the iconic Budweiser Clydesdales.
Always’ brilliant (though hardly new) Like a Girl commercial came in second, while the third place was taken by Fiat Chrysler, featuring an elderly man losing his blue Viagra-like pill in the wrong moment. Microsoft, Doritos, Dodge, Toyota, Coke, Nissan and McDonald’s big hug-fest closed out this year’s Top 10.
Which was the most likable, emotional ad?
Ace Metrix measures the ads differently than USA Today. Instead of using a panel, Ace Metrix conducts a viewer reaction survey of randomly selected people across the US, representative of the US TV viewing audience, and asks them to review the ads on a scale of 1-950 while keeping in mind the following attributes: Persuasion, relevance, information, attention, change, desire and watchability.
Lost Puppy did well on Ace Metrix, though not as well as it did on the USA Today’s Ad Meter. It got second place, tied with Coke and Snickers. But all were outshined by McDonald’s Pay with Lovin’ commercial. In it, customers enter a McDonald’s, and are asked to make a loving gesture (hug, a kind word, etc.) as payment for their meal. Viewers loved it, and McDonald’s got a 706 Ace Score, powered by likeability and emotion.
Mercedez-Benz came in 5th, followed by Dodge, Doritos’ When Pigs Fly, Always and Doritos second spot – closing the Top 10 list.
Positivity over shock-value
Long gone are the days of Apple’s 1984 commercial, with its groundbreaking concept and shocking (in a good way) execution. The ads that won big in Super Bowl XLIX were all about peace, love and a positive message: a lost puppy finding its way home, hugs instead of dollars at McDonald’s, Coca-Cola urging people to use the Internet for good, Mercedes’ using animated (and talking!) animals to sell their car and so on.
Although the top places of every list were taken up by positivity and emotion, humor also did well with Super Bowl viewers. Snickers’ funny take on the Brady Bunch was tied for second place with Bud’s Lost Puppy and CocaCola on Ace Metrix – although it did not make it into USA Today’s Ad Meter Top 10. Both Doritos’ spots, which were funny, did well on both lists. The Fiat Blue Pill commercial, also more funny than emotional, came in 3rd on the Ad Meter, but was conspicuously missing from Ace Metrix Top 10 list.
What will Super Bowl 50 have in store for us? Whether it’s a suicidal last minute play by a young QB, or a whole new trend of Super Bowl ads – you can be sure it’ll be just as exciting, and surprising, as Super Bowl XLIX.
