Budweiser.
Novartis with its “Your Attention, Please” ad on breast health and encouraging cancer screening was the top rating commercial in the 21st Kellogg School Super Bowl Advertising Review.
The Novartis ad was the first time a pharmaceutical company has come in first in the two decades of the strategic advertising review.
In the popular vote, USA Today’s Ad Meter poll liked the latest in an old favourite, Budweiser’s “First Delivery” with a Clydesdale horse.
In second spot was Lay’s and a little girl growing a seedling into a perfect potato suited to make a perfect potato chip.
Michelob Ultra’s, starring Willem Dafoe, Catherine O’Hara, Sabrina Ionescu, Randy Moss, and Ryan Crouser, was third.
XR Extreme Reach, a technology company that delivered more than 80% of Super Bowl ads, said humour was present in 85% of Super Bowl ads, up from 71% in 2023.
Celebrity appearances dropped to 54%, down from 77%. The analysis noted a 7% reduction in traditional calls-to-action, with advertisers potentially betting that powerful experiences will drive brand loyalty and engagement beyond game day.
Other brands that earned top marks in the Kellogg School at Northwestern University ratings included Michelob Ultra’s 'The ULTRA Hustle’ and Google Pixel’s ‘Dream Job.’
“Novartis took a risk to really break through the clutter with its unexpected focus on breast cancer screening,” said Tim Calkins, clinical professor of marketing and co-lead of the school's Ad Review.
“The ad started out with a playful tone to then deliver a serious message,” added Derek Rucker, the Sandy & Morton Goldman professor of entrepreneurial studies in marketing and co-lead of the school’s Ad Review.
Nike returned to the Super Bowl after nearly 30 years with a 90-second spot “So Win” featuring WNBA stars Caitlin Clark, A’ja Wilson and Sabrina Ionescu and Olympic gold medalists Jordan Chiles and Sha’Carri Richardson.
“Nike and Dove both championed women’s sports and female empowerment, consistent with the equality-focused messaging these brands have had in the past,” said Calkins.
Many ads featured celebrities, such as Ben Affleck, Casey Affleck and Jeremy Strong (Dunkin’), Orlando Bloom and Drew Barrymore (MSC Cruises), Chris Hemsworth and Chris Pratt (Meta/Ray-Ban), and Matthew McConaughey appearing in ads for both Salesforce and Uber Eats.
The Kellogg School Super Bowl Advertising Review uses an academic framework known as ADPLAN to evaluate the strategic effectiveness of Super Bowl spots. The acronym helps viewers grade ads based on Attention, Distinction, Positioning, Linkage, Amplification and Net Equity.
Have something to say on this? Share your views in the comments section below. Or if you have a news story or tip-off, drop us a line at adnews@yaffa.com.au
Sign up to the AdNews newsletter, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for breaking stories and campaigns throughout the day.