Insight

The Top Super Bowl LVII Ads According to Opinium’s AdVantage Tool

The Super Bowl captured the attention of more than 100 million viewers across the US this year, continuing its reign as one of the world’s biggest televised events. It’s no surprise, then, that advertisers from across the globe are still pulling out all the stops for the big game.

This year has proven that there’s more than one way to run a successful Super Bowl ad, but which ones were viewers’ top picks? Experts have offered their personal takes on the ads, but using Opinium’s advertising optimization tool AdVantage, we can now reveal which ones scored highest among 3,000 US consumers.

Top Ten Super Bowl Ads 2023

  1. T-Mobile
  2. The Farmer’s Dog
  3. Sam Adams
  4. Busch Light
  5. Dunkin’ Donuts
  6. M&Ms
  7. Jeep
  8. Hellman’s
  9. Booking.com
  10. Doritos

T-Mobile Reminisces on Summer Nights

T-Mobile takes the top spot, drawing on the audience’s nostalgia as John Travolta sings along to his ‘Summer Nights’ Grease classic, swapping the original lyrics for praise of T-Mobile. Through the use of a high-profile celebrity, music, and humor, the ad pulls on some classic advertising levers to make it highly enjoyable and attention-grabbing for viewers. The song’s updated lyrics mean the brand is intrinsically linked with the music, delivering strong on-brand recognition and understanding. This creative take on an American classic ultimately secured T-Mobile the top spot.

The Farmer’s Dog Tugs Heartstrings

Closely following behind is The Farmer’s Dog, coming second overall, and topping the charts for the enjoyment and consideration metrics. The storytelling ad shows the relationship between a young girl and her dog, tugging at America’s heartstrings. In the context of the other Super Bowl ads, the success of The Farmer’s Dog shows that there is more than one way to successfully run a Super Bowl ad. What this ad lacks in A-list celebs and glamorous style, it more than makes up for with relatable and emotionally resonant storytelling.

The Battle of the Beers

Beer and football go hand in hand, and Super Bowl advertisements are no exception. For the past thirty years, Budweiser’s parent company Anheuser-Busch has boasted a monopoly on Super Bowl beer commercials, but this year they opened the playing field for some rival brands to pull ahead. Their Busch Light brand managed to maintain a high overall ranking but was ultimately beaten out by a revolutionary competitor for the top draft pick…

Sam Adams Brews Up a Winner

Sam Adams’ ode to Boston paves a brighter future for Super Bowl beer commercials, coming out on top as the number one beer ad and third in the overall rankings. The ad features ‘Your cousin from Boston’ who takes the viewer on an imaginative, humorous journey through a ‘Brighter Boston.’ The key to its success lies in its strong brand linkage and high score within the relevance and understanding metrics, as well as being one of the funniest ads, tied for first in the humor index with Ben Affleck’s Dunkin’ Donuts ad (interestingly, both ads are Boston-related).

Busch Light Tackles Second

A close second inthe beer category was the incumbent’s brand, Busch Light, which ranked fourth overall for all categories. The brand introduced ‘The Busch Guide – Cold and Smooth Survival Skills,’ which has the potential to be the centerpiece of future campaigns. Sarah McLachlan and her melancholy tune made an abrupt entrance, adding an element of humor and nostalgia to the rough and rugged ad. This commercial also scored high in terms of humor, as well as strong instinctive engagement and brand linkage, giving it a high rating overall.

Jeep – It’s Electric

Jeep’s adventure-filled and upbeat ad scores highly with US consumers and boasts one of the highest attention scores across the board. The optimistic music scores highly and, played alongside a collection of cheerful animals and fast-moving Jeeps, is enough to make anyone smile and win the hearts of consumers. What’s not to love about dancing animals?

Dos and Don’ts: How to Take Home the Title

Overall, classic advertising strategies have risen to the top, with many of this year’s top ads going for humor and the use of big-name celebrities. However, this doesn’t guarantee success, as the brand still needs to be linked to the narrative. The exception to the celeb-led trend this year is The Farmer’s Dog, taking a softer storytelling approach. The brand tells an emotional story that everyone can relate to, making consumers’ hearts melt. This demonstrates that there isn’t just one way to create a successful Super Bowl ad – creative agencies can dare to think beyond the obvious to achieve winner status for their clients.

Find out more about Opinium US’s AdVantage creative optimization tool here.