Super Bowl LIV Live Ad Testing

As the 49ers and the Chiefs face off on Sunday night at Super Bowl LIV, we’ll be in the System1 Game Room in our New York office, doing what we do every year. Eating pizza and potato chips. Oh, and testing EVERY SINGLE AD that airs nationally in REAL TIME.

Yes, the fastest and most predictive scores for the Super Bowl ads will be live here at System1. Bookmark our leaderboard.

And keep an eye on our play-by-play live blog for rolling analysis, latest scores and more here.

You’ll also find us on LinkedIn and Twitter, and on Monday morning you’ll find a special edition of The1 in your inbox with overnight round-ups and analysis of the winning ad. Whatever it might be!

What will we be looking out for?

THEMES: Humor? Politics? Patriotism? Nostalgia? Diversity? In a culture that often feels divided, Super Bowl ads have been under scrutiny – perhaps more scrutiny than 30-second videos should have to bear. We’ll keep an eye out for brands taking a stand at the Super Bowl – and for those who look to unify.

STUNTS: After Tide’s 5-Star “Crash The Super Bowl” in 2018, there’s pressure to think outside the typical ad box and produce something just as playful and delightful. It’s a tall order, though. We’ll watch out for brands who try and pull off something different.

FLUENT DEVICES: Some brands showcase their brand characters or scenarios at the Super Bowl – others prefer to offer up something wholly new. We think using a Fluent Device in your big ads makes commercial and creative sense, and we’ll be looking out for brands who do. If they’re combining a stunt and a Fluent Device (RIP Mr Peanut!) things could get very interesting…

TEASER TRIUMPHS AND TRAGEDIES: Super Bowl teasers tend to be unresolved by their very nature – so they don’t score as well as the full ads. They’ve also historically not been a great guide to main ad performance. We’ve been testing the teasers as they come out: leading the pack right now is Budweiser’s veterans reunion story. Will the full “Typical American” ad live up to its 5-Star potential? Wait and see – and we’ll also bring you up to date on how well other trailers anticipate the main ad score.

….AND A TWIST OF LEMON: This year we’ll be especially looking out for ads which show the elements of right- or left-brained appeal – from spots with a lot of wordplay and betweenness to ones which are a blur of rhythm and abstraction. If you’re wondering what Lemon is, it’s The IPA’s latest publication written by our very own Chief Innovation Officer, Orlando Wood. You can find out more about Lemon here.

There’s always a whole lot to talk about and we’re looking forward to sharing the results and scores with you. Not the potato chips though. You can’t have any of those.

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