The Way to America’s Heart Continues to Be Through Food… and Cars
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. – Ace Metrix®, the new standard in television and video analytics, announced that Kraft’s latest ad promoting its new Cool Whip Frosting topped the list of 10 most effective ads for the first quarter of 2013. The ad, which achieved an Ace Score of 680, beat out the top Super Bowl ads of 2013, only two of which appeared in the top 10 (Budweiser’s top-ranked “Brotherhood” ad and Mercedes-Benz’s star-studded “Soul” ad). Notably, not a single Oscar ad made it into the top 10 this quarter.
“Very educational. Got the feeling that Coca-Cola, Inc. really cares about the health and well being of all the people in the world.”
“Cool Whip’s ability to distinguish its creative against the two biggest advertising events of the year—the Super Bowl and Oscars—is a feat unto itself,” said Peter Daboll, CEO of Ace Metrix. “Consumers were privy to a feast of new creative this quarter and while restaurant ads continue to have a recipe for success, other brands like Cool Whip, Budweiser, Coca-Cola, and Mercedes took a departure from traditional approaches and were rewarded with exceptional creative effectiveness scores.”
Top 10 Most Effective Ads of Q1, 2013*
| Rank | Brand | Ad Title | Ace Score | ||||||
| 1 | Cool Whip Frosting | Mistreated and Hurt | 680 | ||||||
| 2 | Longhorn Steakhouse | Great Steak | 676 | ||||||
| 3 | Buick | Be Ready | 675 | ||||||
| 4 | Coca-Cola | Coming Together | 669 | ||||||
| 5 | Budweiser | (SB 13) Brotherhood | 665 | ||||||
| 6 | Olive Garden | Deliciously Light | 661 | ||||||
| 7 | Mercedes-Benz | (SB 13) Soul | 660* | ||||||
| 8 | Applebee’s | Delicious Diet | 656 | ||||||
| 9 | Tropicana | Cool Refreshment | 653 | ||||||
| 10 | Cadillac | World’s Best | 647 |
| *Definition: Ace Score is the measure of ad creative effectiveness based on viewer reaction to national TV ads. Respondents are randomly selected and representative of the U.S. TV viewing audience. The results are presented on a scale of 1-950, which represents scoring on creative attributes such as Persuasion, Relevance, Information, Attention, Change, Desire and Watchability. The list above reflects the ten most effective ads to air between January 1, 2013 and March 31, 2013. Note: Previously reported scores for ads airing during the Super Bowl were representative of the general population whereas Ad of the Quarter represents both general population and augmented sample scores. SB 13 indicates an ad that broke during the Super Bowl. |
Enter an Element of Surprise
Cool Whip’s clever ad demonstrating their frosting innovation earns Attention, Likeability and Information scores that break 700, with many of the 274 verbatim comments from consumers specifically referring to the unique and surprising approach of the ad. Cool Whip continues a trend we have seen over the past several quarters where exceptional, breakthrough creative from advertisers who air fewer new ads prevail over some of the most iconic advertisers. Recent examples of brands earning top honors from small portfolios include:
- Newcomer SodaStream, which earned the #7 spot on Super Bowl 2013 top 10 list with “SodaStream Effect,” Ace Score 621. Another ad from SodaStream that CBS censored scored even better at 647.
- Samsung Refrigerators – while the parent brand of Samsung is no stranger to top spots for their technology and mobile device brands, Samsung Refrigerators, which has only aired six ads since 2009, earned the number one ad of 2012 with “For Your Big Life,” Ace Score 697.
- Frigidaire, a brand that hasn’t produced a television ad in decades, earned the 2nd most effective ad of 2012 with “History of Innovation,” Ace Score 691.
Coca-Cola’s anti-obesity “Coming Together” ad, which sparked conversation when it broke in January, ranked among the top 5 for the quarter with an Ace Score of 669.
“Coca-Cola’s two minute corporate branding ad not only earns a place in this quarter’s top 10 list – but it’s the highest scoring long form ad we have in our database,” said Daboll. “Consumers respond favorably when advertisers treat them with intelligence and respect. Coca-Cola’s anti-obesity campaign is a departure from their traditional approach of whimsy and humor – applying serious commentary to a serious issue – and their authenticity is appreciated and acknowledged in the consumers’ response.”
Verbatim Comments from Consumers about the Coca-Cola Anti-Obesity Ad
- “Very educational. Got the feeling that Coca-Cola, Inc. really cares about the health and well being of all the people in the world.” (Female 50+, West)
- “I was surprised to see Coke tackle the problem of obesity so straightforwardly, and I appreciate what they’re trying to do.” (Female 21-35, South)
- “A+. It makes it sound like Coca-Cola cares about America, the world, and its customers. It shows that change is possible if we all work together.” (Male 21-35, Midwest)
America’s Love of Food and Cars
Sprinkled throughout the top 10 are ads from restaurants promoting value for money (Longhorn Steakhouse, Ace Score 676) and healthy food options (Olive Garden, Ace Score 661 and Applebee’s, Ace Score 656). Meanwhile, Tropicana’s “Cool Refreshment” ad promoting its “Farmstand” product earned a spot on the list with an Ace Score of 653. Luxury Automotive also experienced a positive quarter, with three of the top 10 ads including Buick’s “Be Ready” ad (Ace Score 675) promoting its remote start capability, Mercedes’ Super Bowl “Soul” ad (Ace Score 660), and Cadillac’s “World’s Best” ad (Ace Score 647) promoting the Cadillac ATS.
About Ace Metrix
Ace Metrix® is the new standard in television and video analytics, dedicated to delivering better, faster, and more cost-effective solutions for evaluating video advertising within competitive context. Through the Ace Metrix LIVE™ platform, companies can now access timely, actionable data wherever, whenever they need to, enabling real-time advertising campaign optimization. Combining leading edge technology and patent pending methodology, Ace Metrix is revolutionizing the way marketers measure themselves and their competitive landscape. The Company is privately held and is backed by leading venture capital firms and industry leaders including Hummer Winblad Venture Partners, Palomar Ventures, Leapfrog Ventures, and WPP.
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