Ad testing platform System1 has revealed the public’s favourite early Super Bowl ads, with Michelob ULTRA, Hellmann’s and T-Mobile taking the top spots.
Super Bowl ads are tested against four c’s: characters, celebrities, cultural references and comedy.
System1 tests consumers’ emotional responses throughout Super Bowl ads, assigning each creative a score of between 1.0 and 5.9 stars. Ads that make people feel intense, positive emotions such as happiness and surprise score higher on the scale.
Only 1% of ads secure a 5-star score, a feat which Disney achieved in 2023, Huggies and McDonald’s in 2021, and Doritos and Jeep in 2020.
This year’s average for Super Bowl ads currently sits at 3.3 stars, with seven exceeding 4 stars.
According to System1, most ads aim for laughs in three ways: employing famous spokespeople, using brand-owned characters, or using clever cultural references.
Eight of the top 10 Super Bowl ads feature celebrities while two ads – Budweiser and M&M’s – include recurring characters and scenarios, termed “fluent devices” by System1.
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Michelob ULTRA has taken the top spot with “Superior Beach”, achieving 4.8 stars, with Hellmann’s and T-Mobile in joint second with 4.5 stars and Lindt in third with 4.4 stars.
Budweiser’s “Old School Delivery” and Oreo’s “It All Starts with a Twist” ad also achieved above 4 stars for their Super Bowl ads, while M&M’s, Oikos, Uber Eats, and BMW all sat within the upper half of the 3 star range.
System1 chief customer officer Jon Evans said: “Like in previous years, many advertisers are going big with humour and using recurring characters, celebrities, cultural references and even a combination of all three vehicles to bring the laughs”.
“Hellmann’s ‘talking’ cat is unexpected yet fun. Oreo put a comedic twist on pivotal moments in history while embedding their brand into the central storyline and T-Mobile bring back their singing spokespeople with a new celebrity guest.”
“The entertainment stakes are high so it’s great to see marketers dialling into what works for long-term brand building.”
