SUPER BOWL AD REVIEW 2024
Tradition and Nostalgia Pull At Heartstrings; Ambiguity Falls Flat
Heading into the big weekend and for the fourth year in a row, we looked at this season’s early-released Super Bowl ads.
This weekend, the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers go head-to-head in Super Bowl LVIII. In anticipation of the Big Game and for the fourth year in a row, we put 20 of the most highly anticipated Super Bowl ads head-to-head to see how they measure up in the eyes of viewers.
Among the 20 ads tested, Super Bowl ad MVPs Budweiser and Doritos are joined by Paramount+ and Popeyes as the brands with the highest-rated commercials. Meanwhile, DoorDash, Dunkin’, and Starry miss the mark, ranking last in the lineup.
ON TARGET
(TOP 4)
OFF THE MARK
(BOTTOM 3)
Q: Overall, how would you rate this commercial? (One of the best or Good)
This year, capitalizing on viewers’ nostalgia and creating a clear story line are markers of a great ad. Budweiser carries on its tradition of Clydesdale horses and Paramount+ features celebrities and characters that defined viewers’ childhoods. Meanwhile, Doritos and Popeyes take the lighthearted route, presenting comedic storylines that engage and entertain viewers.
Rank 1: Budweiser | Clydesdales
Budweiser’s Clydesdales Deliver the Brew and Steal the Show
Budweiser’s Clydesdale horses have been a hallmark of the brand’s Super Bowl advertising since 1991, and fans still can’t get enough. This year, the team treks through snow to deliver Budweiser to thirsty bar patrons – and make another furry friend at their destination.
The Budweiser ad resonates across all generations, most strongly with Millennials, who praise the ad for its nostalgia and the scenes including both the Clydesdales and the dog.
Q: Overall, how would you rate this commercial?
Q: Please choose the words you feel apply to the commercial. Please select all that apply. (Top 3)
Rank 2: Doritos | Dinamita
Dina and Mita Deliver for Doritos
Despite Jenna Ortega’s rapid rise to stardom in the last year, her appearance is eclipsed by abuelas Dina and Mita, who won’t let anyone get between them and their Doritos Dinamita. Viewers root for the surprisingly spry pensioners, with ad ratings peaking when they successfully secure their coveted last bag of chips.
Doritos nails it with Gen Z all the way through to Gen X, while Baby Boomers indicate slightly weaker affinity for the ad. This begs the question – does the ad miss the mark with this cohort, or are they jealous of the abuelas’ agility?
Q: Overall, how would you rate this commercial?
Q: Please choose the words you feel apply to the commercial. Please select all that apply. (Top 3)
Rank 3 (Tie): Paramount+
Patrick Stewart Scores a Touchdown for Paramount+
Paramount+ pulled out all the stops to put together a star-studded cast featuring Patrick Stewart, Drew Barrymore, Creed, and a slew of main characters from their movie and show portfolio. Despite failing to throw Arnold to the top, Sir Patrick successfully positions Paramount+ as a leader among this year’s ads.
Affinity for this commercial decreases with age, with Gen Z and Millennials driving strong affinity ratings and steadily increasing their dial test ratings as time went on, attesting to the fun, entertaining, and interesting nature of the ad.
Q: Overall, how would you rate this commercial?
Q: Please choose the words you feel apply to the commercial. Please select all that apply. (Top 3)
Rank 3 (Tie): Popeyes Chicken Wings
Popeyes Chicken Wings: A Taste Worth Waiting For
Ken Jeong awakens from cryogenic sleep to find the future to be an exciting, and sometimes scary, place. With DJ Snake’s and Lil Jon’s iconic hit playing in the background, Jeong “turns down” for electric scooters, robot vacuums, Doodles, fanny packs, self-driving cars, and of course, Popeyes Chicken Wings.
While the chaos and hilarity of the ad and Ken Jeong’s antics don’t phase Gen Z, Millennials, and Gen X, Baby Boomers aren’t impressed, indicating significantly lower affinity ratings compared to their younger counterparts.
.
Q: Overall, how would you rate this commercial?
Q: Please choose the words you feel apply to the commercial. Please select all that apply. (Top 3)
Rank 18: DOOR DASH
DoorDash Delivers a Lack-Luster Ad
DoorDash’s sweepstakes give viewers the chance to win all the products featured across all Super Bowl ads – but the offer doesn’t impress them. Only about half of respondents rate the commercial positively, positioning it in the bottom-3 among this year’s tested ads.
Gen Z and Millennials are most receptive to the ad, while older generations are less receptive. In general, viewers are unclear on what the offer is about and/or doubt that the brand will follow through with its promise.
Q: Overall, how would you rate this commercial?
Q: Please choose the words you feel apply to the commercial. Please select all that apply. (Top 3)
Rank 19: Dunkin’
Despite Running on Dunkin’, BLo’s Music Career Doesn’t Take Off
Ben Affleck returns to his Massachusetts roots, sporting a thick Boston accent and unwavering determination to kickstart his music career. With the help of TikTok star Charli D’Amelio and a Dunkin’ coffee in his hand, Ben practices his singing and dance moves – but ultimately falls short, just like this ad.
This year’s Dunkin ad lacks a central idea and doesn’t connect the content with the brand soon enough, leaving viewers confused and unengaged.
Q: Overall, how would you rate this commercial?
Q: Please choose the words you feel apply to the commercial. Please select all that apply. (Top 3)
Rank 20: Starry
Starry’s Debut to the Soda Scene Falls Flat
Ice Spice kicks back with her new beaux Starry, unphased by her ex Lemon-Lime Soda’s attempts to win her back. While Starry may be “mad good”, the same can’t be said about this ad, which ranks last among the 20 tested commercials this year.
Gen Z is most likely to say that this commercial is “one of the best”, while older respondents agree with this less and less. In general, viewers are not a fan of Ice Spice’s feature and don’t find the commercial to be funny. Additionally, general awareness of Starry is low, leaving viewers confused about the advertised product.
Q: Overall, how would you rate this commercial?
Q: Please choose the words you feel apply to the commercial. Please select all that apply. (Top 3)
The Taylor Swift Effect
So many ads, so many celebrities – but are people watching the Super Bowl for Taylor Swift?
Over one-third of surveyed respondents are more likely to watch the Super Bowl because of Taylor Swift’s appearance at the game to support her boyfriend, Chiefs player Travis Kelce, and over half say her appearance will make the game more enjoyable for them. Taylor’s appearance has the greatest impact on Millennials.
The buzz around Taylor and Travis’ relationship has caused some to claim that the Chiefs’ entrance to the Super Bowl is part of a Democratic conspiracy to help President Biden. Only about half of survey respondents have heard these claims, and only 15% believe them.
METHODOLOGY
In the days leading up to Sunday’s Super Bowl LVIII between the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs, Mercury Analytics conducted a survey including dial-tests of twenty commercials of popular brands that aired in preparation of the event. These brands included: BetMGM, Budweiser, Dawn, Oreo, Draft Kings, Lindt, Hellmann’s, Silk, Skechers, Michelob Ultra, Doritos, and Uber Eats.
Mercury’s study tested the performance of these commercials among a national sample of n=1002 of US adults aged 18+ who indicated that they were ‘very’ or ‘somewhat’ likely to watch the Super Bowl this weekend. Additional quotas were set to ensure the sample was representative of age, and ethnicity demographic breakdowns in the US.
Respondents were first asked a series of demographic questions followed by questions to help understand respondents’ TV consumption patterns and likelihood to watch the Super Bowl. Next, respondents were each shown four out of twenty commercials and asked to rate their feelings about them on a moment-to-moment basis. Each video was randomly assigned, and each set of commercials was shown in random order to eliminate any biases resulting from viewing order. Respondents were then asked a set of questions to further evaluate the content they saw, and some final questions on their attitudes towards Taylor Swift’s appearance in the Super Bowl and AI’s use in football broadcasts.
As participants watched each commercial, they moved a slider just below the video to the right the more strongly they thought the commercial they were watching was ‘excellent’, or to the left the more strongly they thought the commercial was ‘terrible’. They also had the option to push a button that would identify a ‘SPECIAL MOMENT’.
Between watching each commercial, respondents were asked post-exposure questions to assess their opinions of the commercial and brand.
For more information on Mercury’s dial-testing, click here, and for more technical information about the study, please contact Jordan Kraft or at 202-386-6322 x 322.
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