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.
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. Jeep and Cadillac took two of the top five airings of the game, while entertainment ads made up five of the top 20 airings.
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 consumer search for the brand than the median Super Bowl LV ad. Inspiration4’s partnership with 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.
Which brands generated the most Search Engagement from their ads relative to their peers in the game?