Best Performing Super Bowl Ads

The Daily Beast's Most Effective Super Bowl Ads

As marketers prepare to spend millions on Sunday, The Daily Beast analyzes which big game commercials—from tackled grannies to streaking sheep—actually worked. View the best.

Here's how the Daily Beast scored each ad's effectiveness. First, they accounted for the USA Today Ad Meter rankings for 2005-2010—an ad's likability is the first step toward getting new customers. Then they compared the share price of the parent company for the Friday before the Super Bowl to the average price the month after, modeled after a 2009 study that found a correlation between Super Bowl ads and share prices. (The majority of Super Bowl advertisers are owned by public companies; the median share price change was applied to privately owned companies.) Then, they factored in mentions of the product in major U.S. newspapers and on television news shows for the month before and after the ad aired. Finally, they included scores from the annual Kellogg Super Bowl Advertising Review, which evaluates each brand based on marketing criteria that try to translate branding into sales. All factors were weighted equally.

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.

More from this Slideshow

0 of 0

Best Performing ... As marketers prepare to spend millions on Sunday, The Daily Beast analyzes which big game commercials—from tackled grannies to streaking sheep—actually worked. View the best.

Here's how the Daily Beast scored each ad's effectiveness. First, they accounted for the USA Today Ad Meter rankings for 2005-2010—an ad's likability is the first step toward getting new customers. Then they compared the share price of the parent company for the Friday before the Super Bowl to the average price the month after, modeled after a 2009 study that found a correlation between Super Bowl ads and share prices. (The majority of Super Bowl advertisers are owned by public companies; the median share price change was applied to privately owned companies.) Then, they factored in mentions of the product in major U.S. newspapers and on television news shows for the month before and after the ad aired. Finally, they included scores from the annual Kellogg Super Bowl Advertising Review, which evaluates each brand based on marketing criteria that try to translate branding into sales. All factors were weighted equally.

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
10. Budweiser “S... Agency: DDB

Another heartwarming tale from Budweiser. Note the slick production and crafted narrative, as an unwanted dog turns mud into a Mudslide and takes his place alongside the Budweiser Dalmatian. Tugs at your heartstrings, doesn’t it? And with all the visual candy, maybe at your purse strings too.

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
9. Budweiser “Sh... Agency: DDB

The concept for this ad stands on the shoulders of Budweiser ads past, throwing a monkey wrench into the classic Clydesdale football game. Add in a cute hairless sheep doing a better streak-job than most human streakers and you’ve got an effective combination of nostalgia and comedy

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
8. Budweiser “Cr... Agency: DDB

Budweiser lets you know who’s king—of the crabs at least. An ice cooler cleverly comes to resemble a crab as the sun melts. Yet the brand isn’t put down as a lowly crustacean, it’s raised up as an exemplar. Budweiser quite innocently comes to rule the scuttle in the process.

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
7. Denny’s “Thug... Agency: Goodby Silverstein & Partners

Things get surreal as organized crime associates are interrupted by an eager whipped cream-wielding waitress in this parody of the pancake concoctions offered at Denny’s Rooty Tooty Fresh 'N Fruity competitor, IHOP. But weird is only half the story. What really propels this ad into the endzone, and customers into the doors, is the free breakfast. Basically, this was a visual coupon.

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
6. Doritos “Powe... Agency: None

Another contest winner with an arc of silly/painful/silly. Doritos was unapolagetically going for the male consumer, age 18 to 34—with a de-clad woman, free money, an insult to authority and physical comedy. Of course, the guy gets what’s coming to him. As a whole, the ad succeeds at reaching the Doritos demographic.

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
5. Budweiser “Cl... Agency: DDB

It almost seems too easy for Budweiser in this one. There are few people who can’t relate to a youthful overachiever pulling himself up by the yoke (with a little help, of course). Remember the first time you accomplished something you thought was impossible? Remember how that reminded you of Budweiser? Well, maybe not. But you might have treated yourself to a beer. And that beer might have been a Bud.

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
4. Diet Pepsi Ma... Agency: BBDO

Grab a bunch of famous faces, throw them alongside a load of regular joes, give them a common bond and make them do the most recognizable head bop in America. That’s the recipe behind this ad. That bond, of course, happens to be Diet Pepsi Max.

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
3. Doritos “Free... Agency: None

A goofball plot about an employee whose crystal ball-busting antics snag the entire office free Doritos. The fluidity between funny and funny/painful is relevant because of subtle and effective product placement within the story. As part of a contest, Doritos awarded two unemployed brothers $1 million for concocting this ad. Given its effectiveness, that was money well spent.

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
2. Doritos “Unde... Agency: 5 Point Productions

It’s revenge of the dogs against the jerks in this spot produced as part of Doritos’ annual Crash the Super Bowl contest. A cruel, simple-minded parkgoer won’t share his bag of delicious Doritos with a cute pup. The pup has the last laugh, though, as Doritos inspires the dog to sprout opposable thumbs and snap his bark collar around the doofus’ neck. You go dog.

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
1. Snickers “Gam... Agency: BBDO

An alter-ego Betty White gets up in her friend’s face during a football game after the friend says, “you’re playing like Betty White out there.” The ad is much wittier (for 18-34 year olds anyway) than most 30-second spots, and made Betty White a cultural mainstay of 2010. Fellow octogenarian Abe Vigoda gets short shrift at the end of the ad, with nary a funny line (what, no "I’m Not Dead" joke?). Still, this ad, more than any other, shows the power the Super Bowl commercial can wield when coupled with a viral Internet campaign, for both actress and brand.

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
More on The Dail... To see more effective Super Bowl ads, click here.