Super Bowl LVIII Ad Rankings
Every year, we leverage our Test Your Ad platform to determine how well Super Bowl ads emotionally engage consumers. This emotional response data predicts the potential for Big Game ads to drive long-term brand building and short-term sales.
While the Chiefs won the Super Bowl on the field, Michelob won the ad game for long-term brand-building potential, measured by the Star Rating. Meanwhile, Dunkin‘, Hellmann’s and Reese’s led in short-term sales potential, measured by the Spike Rating.
Key Findings
- Super Bowl LVIII ads averaged 2.7-Stars (out of a maximum of 5.9-Stars). This represented a decrease from 2023’s 2.9-Star average but was higher than the 2.3-Star average for all US TV ads.
- Brand characters outscored celebrities. Ads with familiar characters like M&M’s spokescandies and the E-Trade baby averaged 3.1 Stars, while 39 celebrity ads averaged 2.6 Stars.
- Top brand-building ads took diverse approaches to creative effectiveness. The 2024 advertising MVP is soccer superstar Lionel Messi, whose beach football skills gave Michelob’s winning ad a summery vibe which resonated with the audience. Close behind in 2nd place was Reese’s riotous slapstick ad, which showed you don’t have to use celebrities to make an impact. And in 3rd place, Hellmann’s “Mayo Cat” parodied instant stardom while making a serious point about food waste.
- The highest-ranking debut advertiser was chocolate brand Lindt, whose chilled-out ad featured a Perry Como soundtrack and their familiar Master Chocolatier character. Pfizer also scored well for a debutant with a Queen-soundtracked ad celebrating 175 years of medical achievement.
The Top 11 for Long-term Brand Building
The following brands scored well on Star (long-term brand-building potential):
- Michelob ULTRA, “Superior Beach” – 4.8-Stars
- Reese’s, “Yes!” – 4.7-Stars
- Hellmann’s, “Mayo Cat” – 4.5-Stars
- T-Mobile, “That T-Mobile Home Internet Feeling” – 4.5-Stars
- Lindt, “Life is a Ball” – 4.4-Stars
- NFL, “Inspiring Young Athletes Everywhere” – 4.3-Stars
- Budweiser. “Old School Delivery” – 4.2-Stars
- OREO, “It All Starts with a Twist” – 4.1-Stars
- Skechers, “Mr. T in Skechers” – 3.9-Stars
- M&M’s, “The M&M’S Almost Champions Ring of Comfort” – 3.9-Stars
- Pfizer, “Here’s to Science” – 3.8-Stars
The Top 11 for Short-term Sales Potential
The 2024 leaders in terms of Spike (short-term sales potential) were far above the average (1.07 Spike) for all US ads.
Winning Strategies
Top-scoring ads followed five creative effectiveness keys that System1 has documented in testing more than 100,000 ads:
- Tell stories. Strong narratives are a big effectiveness driver, and ads from Hellmann’s, the NFL and Budweiser used their time to tell funny, inspiring or dramatic tales.
- Keep it simple. Many ads tried to cram multiple mini-scenes and rapid edits into their 30 seconds of fame, but winning ads like Michelob, T-Mobile and Skechers focused on one idea executed brilliantly.
- Go for laughs. Humor continues to play a big role in the ads. Reese’s and Skechers brought slapstick energy to their ads, and Pfizer livened up an inspirational story with amusing visuals.
- Use celebrities well. Celebrities are everywhere on game night, but the best ads let their stars do things only they can, from Messi’s fantastic footwork for Michelob to Mr. T acting like himself for Skechers.
- Leverage fluent devices. Familiarity breeds contentment for audiences who like seeing brand-owned characters they recognize. The Budweiser Clydesdales and M&M’s Spokescandies are big game regulars and once again scored for their brands.
Create with Confidence
System1 helps the world’s top advertisers Create with Confidence. Our Test Your Ad platform predicts and improves the commercial impact of advertising. Whether you’re launching a Big Game ad, an OOH campaign or seasonal work, we can help you maximize effectiveness.
