Parental Powerhouse: The Top Breakthrough Ads of Q2

Emotion and humor with family-first messages prevail among this quarter’s top ads

LOS ANGELES – Ace Metrix, the leader in measuring the impact of video advertising, released a list of the top ten Breakthrough ads from the second quarter of 2017. Those on the list have the highest combined Attention and Likeability component scores. With both Mother’s and Father’s Day falling in Q2, there were plenty of opportunities for brands to capitalize on the family theme – and many did. Despite all that clutter, several ads spotlighting parents made it into the Top Breakthrough Ads of the Quarter.

Emotion & humor with family-first messages tops among this quarter’s best ads says @AceMetrix

Animals were a common feature found in four of the top ten spots, and some humorous creative made the cut as well. Visuals were a key element that drove Likeability and Attention scores in most of the ads, with viewers naming it the top Single Best Thing for nine of the ten spots. Viewers favored shorter creative this quarter with the top ads all 1:00 or less, and a majority in the 0:30 format.

TD Ameritrade’s “Every Moment” earned the Top Breakthrough spot with its ‘celebration of fathers who invest in every moment.’ The ad features a creative rendition of the classic hit “Cat’s in the Cradle” that is dedicated to a loving father whose hard work is acknowledged in the chorus line when the son sings, “I’m gonna be like you dad.” This ad went directly for the heartstrings, with many respondents commenting on the “touching” nature of the spot.

Coming in second is Milk Bone’s touching ad that reminds viewers of all the love and joy dogs bring to our lives. Whether they own one or not, viewers found the sweet nature of dogs depicted in this ad very relatable, contributing to the ad having the highest relevance score in the top ten.

Cleverly using wild animals as symbols for mothers, Lysol’s “Mother Protection,” is a testament to the great lengths moms will go to protect their children from harm.

Vivid, colorful dots dancing around the screen to the beat of a song captivated audiences in Samsung’s ad, “Next Innovation,” and made it almost tie for the third spot on the list. Samsung got its message across about the quality of the QLED TV viewing experience, which viewers stated sparked their interest in checking out the product – 62% reported positive purchase intent.

Humor made an appearance in four of the top ten, with Farmers Auto Insurance evoking the strongest humorous reaction from viewers. Other ads on the list with a little bit of a comical touch included Nespresso’s “Comin’ Home,” Infiniti’s “Spring Event” and Home Depot’s “Raincoat.” Nespresso’s “Comin’ Home” features George Clooney as he takes a trip down memory lane through iconic Hollywood scenes from movies like The Muppet Movie and Smokey and the Bandit. The diversity of movie scenes appealed to a broad audience, and when combined with a relevant celebrity, Attention was held throughout the ad.

Similar to TD Ameritrade’s spot, GMC’s homage to the bond between fathers and sons was another ad viewers found ‘touching’ and ‘sweet.’ Rounding out the top ten is AT&T’s patriotic ad, “Rise Up.” Inspiring imagery fills the thirty-second spot which ends with an uplifting message saluting veterans ‘with 20,000 jobs by 2020.’

About Ace Metrix

Ace Metrix® is the standard in television and digital video analytics, dedicated to measuring the impact of video ad creative. We provide data and insight to enable marketers and creative teams to produce more impactful work, test and adjust creative executions in real-time, and understand what creative drivers impact their brand KPI’s. 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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