Ad Rankings
EDO scored every ad airing within Super Bowl LV and ranked them based on the Search Engagement each generated. Search Engagement is EDO’s proprietary measure of the increase in online search activity for a brand or product in the minutes immediately following a TV ad airing. EDO also measured the Search Engagement for every celebrity that appeared in a non-entertainment ad.
At A Glance
Winners:
In a year where uncertainty and disruption led many regular Super Bowl advertisers to sit out the game, Super Bowl LV was short on the auto and entertainment heavy-hitters that tend to produce some of the most engaging ads. However, many of those that still aired saw their investment pay off. Automakers Jeep and Cadillac took two of the top five airings of the game, while ads for movies, streaming services, and series made up five of the top 20 airings.
Another group of winners were first half advertisers overall. EDO has found viewers tend to be more engaged during a close game, so as TB pulled away, ad engagement dropped over the second half – especially in the 4th quarter. Only five of the top 20 most-engaging ad airings of the game fell in the second half.
Trends:
Like years prior, many of this year’s ads used humor to promote their brands. However, a number of brands chose also to address more serious current issues, from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic (Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s, Target) to a call for unity amid intense political division (Jeep), reminders to support local businesses (DoorDash, UberEats) and a focus on sustainability (Chipotle).
Another carry over from last year: tons of celebrity appearances. This was especially true for the estimated $35M worth of ad space dedicated to celebrity-laden Paramount+ promos, showcasing ViacomCBS’ new streaming service that joins the ever-growing “plus wars” this March.
Unexpected Standouts:
Glucose monitoring system Dexcom won the game, leveraging its partnership with Nick Jonas (who has Type 1 diabetes) to drive 11x more search for the brand than the median Super Bowl LV ad.
The partnership between Inspiration4 and Shift4Shop to promote the first civilian space flight was another standout, piquing viewers’ interest and coming in second. Dexcom and Inspiration4 were two of over 20 brands that made their Super Bowl debut this year as the absence of a number of regular advertisers made room for newcomers. This new crop was especially heavy on tech and e-commerce brands, including Dr. Squatch and Vroom, who also placed in the top 20.