6 ads that won Super Bowl LI.

Emily Marchak 02/06/17 - 4:15 pm

It’s the one night everybody channels their inner Don Draper.

Like the fictional “Mad Men” creative director, we carefully scrutinized the Super Bowl ad lineup, scoring spots based on creativity, memorability and relatability. We’d been waiting months for this very moment.

According to the Burson Marsteller Fan Experience (BMFE), 53 percent of Americans said they’d be disappointed if the Super Bowl went commercial free. They’re also not going to watch the ads until the Big Game. Adweek noted that 61 percent of consumers did not plan on watching the commercials ahead of time. In fact, “We found a lot of people who’d prefer to see the ads for the first time during the game,” Jason Teitler, BMFE chair said, “They want the surprise factor.”

What type of ad do consumers enjoy the most?

  • 82 percent of respondents said humor
  • 10 percent said sentimental
  • 4 percent said ironic
  • 4 percent said racy

Which ads scored big? Let’s run the play.

The rookies.

New to the lineup this year were Bai, Airbnb, Hulu, Febreeze, Mr. Clean and National Geographic. Let’s take a look at who scored big.

  1. Humor.
    Bai: “Bai Bai Bai.”

  1. Sentimental.
    Airbnb: “We Accept.”

  1. Racy.
    Mr. Clean: “Cleaner of Your Dreams.”

The veterans.

Which repeat advertiser were consumers most looking forward to see? According to Adweek, 39 percent said Budweiser, 29 percent said Coca-Cola and 18 percent said Audi. Honda and GoDaddy also made the list.

  1. Humor.
    T-Mobile: “#BagofUnlimited.”

  1. Sentimental.
    NFL: “Inside these lines.”

  1. Ironic.
    Buick: “Big Game Commercial With Cam Newton & Miranda Kerr.”

The benched.

Doritos, Heinz, Butterfinger, Taco Bell, Toyota, Visa and many more did not play in last night’s game. Why? Could it have been the entry fee. The average cost for a :30 time slot was $5 million. Who’s to say? But it did have us wondering what they’ll do next year.

What ads topped your list? Tell us in the comments below. For more trends and insights, sign up for the Brogan Weekly Recap.

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