Blog

Spike Up Your Life! Our Spike Score Explained

Emotion doesn’t just predict long-term growth – it can also be the key to short-term sales impact. A primer on our Spike score, which predicts short-term activation effects.

Ad Ratings Roundup – March’s Best And Worst New Ads

The ten most interesting new ads on Ad Ratings in March, featuring Hershey’s, CapitalOne, Apple, and more.

Robot Revolution: How Good Are AI Ads?

Lexus made waves last year with an ad written by AI. Is it better than what humans can do? See the results,

System1 At South By Southwest: Can Advertising Heal A Divided World?

The left and right brain don’t do different things – they do things differently. And the consequences for advertising and culture might be enormous. Our SXSW presentation reveals all.

System1 At Impact 2019: Who Killed Effectiveness?

Murder At Marketing Manor! Marketing Effectiveness is the victim – but who’s to blame. Meet the suspects in this write-up of our Impact 2019 workshop (nominated for an award).

The Power Of A Brand’s Distinctive Assets To Ensure Market Growth

A short video presentation by Glaucia Marques and Alice Arnould from the NewMR APAC day – which Asian beer brand has the strongest distinctive assets?

Divided Brain, Divided World

Think you know about the left brain/right brain divide? You might be wrong. Neuroscientist Iain McGilchrist’s book lays out how the hemispheres really work – and the implications are huge.

Heartwarmer Or Tear-Jerker? The Storyteller’s Dilemma

Our ranking of this year’s Chinese New Year ads showed the thin line between effective emotions and a too-sad ad.

Evolution And Emotion: The Roots Of Behaviour

How we evolved helps determine how we decide. Anna Lakomy looks at the evolutionary roots of emotion.

The Best And Worst January Ads

Our System1 Ad Ratings service tests over a thousand ads a month – here are the most interesting hits and misses from January’s new campaigns.

Super Bowl LIII: 5-Star Microsoft Is The Game Night Winner

Congratulations to Microsoft, whose “We All Win” topped our LIVE testing at the Super Bowl. And to the other 5-Star winners we spotlight in this round-up…

Super Bowl LIII: Take A Walk On The Weird Side

Not every Super Bowl ad gamble pays off – here are five weird ads from this year’s event and how they fared in our tests…

Super Bowl Flashback: Our Last Five Winners

The ads that top our Super Bowl rankings are a snapshot of trends in advertising this decade.

Ads For Ads?! Testing The Super Bowl Teasers

Is there a point to Super Bowl teasers, or is it just the ad industry talking to itself? Our scores shed some light…

A Brief History Of Polarisation

December’s Best And Worst New Ads

Will You Brand Love Me Tomorrow?

Why We Sent Clients Roast Crickets For Christmas

This year we sent some UK clients roasted insects in the post – a nod to a growing food trend. But will the mainstream UK public ever accept it?

The Best And Worst November Ads

2018: The Year In Review

2018 was a hell of a year for marketing. Our most popular posts tell the story.

Is This The Greatest Christmas Ad Of All Time?

29 years after launch, Hershey’s Christmas ad remains an emotional monster. How does it perform today, and what makes it so good?

The 2018 Xmas Ads: What Didn’t Work

It wasn’t a vintage crop of Christmas ads in 2018 – we explore the reasons why.

The 2018 Xmas Ads: What Worked

As the dust (or snow) settles on the Christmas ad showdown, we look at the themes and trends which worked in 2018.

Red Dread Redemption: Bodyform Busts Taboos

TBC

Finding Purpose: Where Is Your Brand Taking A Stand?

Sustainablity On The Agenda, From Asia To… Iceland

10 Insights From Ad Ratings

Our System1 Ad Ratings database contains over 27,000 ads (and rising) – it’s an insight and marketing tool of unprecedented depth. Here are 10 new reports which show you its range.

Purpose Marketing – Meet The Brand That’s Quacked It

Style Beats Science In The Fight For Haircare Stars

What The Fox? How One Brand’s Gross-Out Ads Misfired

Tech Rules The World – But You Wouldn’t Know It From The Ads

Critics Hate Diet Coke’s Latest Ads… Are They Right?

Electric Goes Audi – Spark Or Fizzle?

Chevrolet’s 4-Star Success Shows The Limits Of Authenticity

The Strange Death Of The American Beer Ad

Banking: The Best Ads From Britain’s Big Five

MassMutual: 5 Stars Go A Long Way

Hired Devices: Should Brands Bet On A Famous Face?

TMRE 2018 In Its Own Words

We spent this week out in the desert at TMRE. Here are 33 notes, quotes and challenges from the blockbuster insights event.

Saved The Baby: Binet And Field On Effectiveness In Context