What did the next generation of creators think about the Super Bowl 57 ads?
That’s a question many marketers and brands would probably like to know, and one that certainly piqued our interest at USA TODAY Ad Meter.
When considering the near-record 113 million viewers who tuned in for the big game—some, if not most, doing so specifically for the commercials—to get a glimpse at a focused demographic’s thoughts about the grandest stage on the advertising calendar seemed like a fun project.
Focused data isn’t the easiest to obtain these days, however, so we got lucky when the Brandcenter at Virginia Commonwealth University reached out with an idea: Have the program’s grad students watch the Ad Meter lineup, rate the ads, and provide a few thoughts about what worked and what didn’t.
The voice of a new generation, so to speak —and a great one at that.
Which ad took the top prizer? Here’s the 2023 Ad Meter Top 10
The Brandcenter at VCU is a two-year, full-time graduate program where students can concentrate on five areas of marketing-related study: Art Direction, Copywriting, Strategy, Creative Brand Management, and Experience Design.
Grads of the program earn a Master of Science degree in Business, and have gone on to work in top-tier ad agencies, like Wieden + Kennedy, Mischief, and The Martin Agency, plus well brands like Google, Apple, and Nike.
And probably most impressive, alums have been involved in some 20-plus Super Bowl commercials each year, including 2023 spots for Busch Light, DoorDash, Bud Light, Michelob Ultra, Rakuten, Molson Coors, Oikos Yogurt, Tubi, Pepsi Zero, Kia, Booking.com, and more.
Simply put: This was no average Super Bowl Commercial Watch Party.
Here’s how the students rated the Ad Meter ads…
BRAND / SPOT/ AVG. RATING
1. The Farmer’s Dog: “Forever,” 8.14
2. RAM: “Premature Electrification,” 7.76
3. Google: “Fixed on Pixel” 7.63
“The Fixed on Pixel ad stood out to me with its refreshingly straightforward approach to showcasing the product. Amidst the chaos of a room filled with passionate Eagles fans, the ad showed key features of the phone with fun celeb cameos and without the need for everyone’s full attention.” – Nate Villaire, Experience Design student
4. General Motors and Netflix: “EVs On Screen,” 7.33
“My favorite ad was the Will Ferrell spot for General Motors and Netflix. Normalizing EVs in television shows is a thoughtful strategic move.” – Peyton Spangler, Experience Design student
5. NFL: “Run With It,” 7.16
6. Squarespace: “The Singularity,” 7.14
7. Doritos: “Jack’s New Angle,” 6.98
8. Miller Lite and Coors Light: “The High Stakes Beer Ad,” 6.78
9. PopCorners: “Breaking Good,” 6.75
10. Workday: “Rockstar,” 6.49
11. Amazon: “Saving Sawyer,” 6.37
12. Disney: “Disney100 Special Look,” 6.18
13. Pringles: “Best of Us,” 6.00
14. TurboTax: “Dancer,” 5.86
15. Bud Light: “Bud Light Hold | Easy To Drink, Easy To Enjoy” 5.76
16. Uber One: “One Hit for Uber One,” 5.69
17. Planters: “The Roast Of Mr. Peanut,” 5.59
18. Downy: “Call Me Downy McBride,” 5.57
19. Crown Royal: “Crown Royal x Super Bowl LVII | Thank You Canada,” 5.51
20. Amazon Studios: Trailer: “AIR: Courting A Legend,” 5.47
21. Pepsi Zero Sugar: “Great Acting or Great Taste? | Pepsi Super Bowl 2023 Commercial l Steve Martin,” 5.39
22. Rakuten: “Not-So Clueless,” 5.22
23. Michelob ULTRA: “New Members Day,” 5.16
24. Pepsi Zero Sugar: “Great Acting or Great Taste? | Pepsi Super Bowl 2023 Commercial l Ben Stiller,” 4.96
25. Jeep: “Electric Boogie,” 4.96
26. Paramount Plus: “Stallone Face,” 4.94
27. Dunkin’: “Dunkin’ ‘Drive-Thru’ starring Ben,” 4.78
“At our watch party, we wondered if the first sign that we are actually in a recession is that Ben Affleck is now working at Dunkin’ Donuts.” – Lara Navarro, Copywriting student
28. Skechers: “All Walks of Life,” 4.71
29. M&M’S: “M&M’S Super Bowl 2023,” 4.63
30. Busch Light: “The Busch Guide: Cold + Smooth Survival Skills,” 4.53
31. Hellmann’s: “Who’s in the Fridge,” 4.51
32. T-Mobile: “Neighborly,” 4.39
33. Kia: “Binky Dad | The 2023 Kia Telluride X-Pro All-Terrain AWD SUV,” 4.37
34. E*TRADE: “E*TRADE: Wedding,” 4.35
35. Booking.com: “Somewhere, Anywhere,” 4.29
36. Avocados From Mexico: “Make It Better—Avocados From Mexico Big Game Commercial 2023,” 4.25
37. Heineken 0.0 and Marvel: “Heineken 0.0 | Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania – Shrinking and Drinking, Now You Can!” 4.22
38. Dexcom: “Dexcom G7—Feels Like Magic,” 4.20
39. Universal Trailer: “Fast X,” 4.06
40. DoorDash: “We Get Groceries,” 4.039215686
41. He Gets Us: “Be Childlike,” 4.00
42. T-Mobile: “The Re-write,” 3.98
43. He Gets Us: “Love your Enemies,” 3.86
44. Rémy Martin: “Inch By Inch,” 3.80
45. Disney Trailer: “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” 3.71
46. DraftKings: “All Customers Get a Free Bet on DraftKings,” 3.69
47: Michelob ULTRA: “Full Swing Gossip,” 3.06
48. Warner Bros. Trailer: “The Flash,” 2.92
49. WeatherTech: “We All Win,” 2.75
50. Temu: “Shop like a Billionaire,” 2.14
51. U2: “U2 / Achtung Baby Live at The Sphere,” 2.10
Final thoughts as the Watch Party wrapped on Super Bowl 57:
“The ads went beyond the expected and traditional. Bringing tropes and jokes from other categories and trends was a breath of fresh air. A great example of that was Highdive’s Ram spot, “Premature Electrification.” It was a hilarious crossover from the pharmaceutical category that was unexpected, yet insightful and memorable.” – Jo Rozycki, Strategy student
Outside the lineup:
“Tubi’s ‘Rabbit Holes’ was a nice changeup when so many companies felt obligated to pack their Super Bowl commercials with star power. The slow reveal of the streaming service personified as a warren of rabbits dared the viewer to lean in and wonder what the story might be all about. It’s a simple but imaginative identifier for Tubi in a very saturated category.” – Mark McColey, Copywriting student
“Honorable mention to Anytime Fitness for their outside social campaign that had me pressing my ears to the speakers listening for the word “Anytime.” I would definitely say they successfully hacked the game this year. Even during the halftime show, I was waiting at the edge of my seat for Rihanna to sing Umbrella so I could send out a tweet. Kudos.” – Morgan MacLachlan, Art Direction student
Thanks to Ashley Sommardahl, Associate Director of the Brandcenter at VCU, for organizing the Watch Party. And a shoutout of appreciation to all the students who participated in the ratings. We look forward to seeing your work during future Super Bowl commercial breaks… and beyond.
There’s still time to show your favorite ads some love: The 2023 Replay Ratings are live!