DISQO ranks highest performing big game ads

February 15, 2022, Los Angeles, CA — Customer experience platform DISQO released the results of its second annual Big Game advertising report revealing which ads went beyond the buzz to deliver both brand and performance lifts that drive return on ad spend. DISQO used the scale and speed of its platform to query game viewers for their recall and perceptions of the ads and to measure online behaviors such as search and site visit activity. DISQO’s unique capabilities illuminate how brand placements in the preeminent advertising event of the year made an immediate impact with consumers. 

According to DISQO’s analysis, the following ads were the top all-around performers:

“Advertising in the biggest live event of the year is high-stakes for any brand, disruptor and venerable Big Game regulars alike,” said Armen Adjemian, co-founder & CEO, DISQO. “Our platform enables advertisers to go beyond subjective analysis of creativity and buzz to learn what actually moved the ball forward in their business. It helps our clients understand how and why ads drive customers farther into their purchase journeys.” 

The winning category of the night was streaming services, propelled by NBCUniversal-owned Peacock, AMC+, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, and Netflix. With access to big name celebrities and fresh content to promote, the streamers together scored a 46 impact score. 

Many observers called this year’s Big Game the “crypto-bowl” because of the influx of newer financial service platforms advertising in the game for the first time. These advertisers included Coinbase, Crytpo.com, eToro, FTX, and BitBuy, a Canadian crypto exchange who ran an ad during the Canadian broadcast. Bud Light Next also made a reference to NFTs, and TurboTax messaged about their deal with Coinbase to enable direct deposit of tax refunds into cryptocurrency. Considered as a distinct category, crypto ranked number 4 in a ranking of categories by impact, and finance was number 3.  

“A funny celebrity ad may be recalled and well-liked, creating a brand halo for a period, but the holy grail marketers want is brand affinity and driving people to deeper funnel activities,” said Anne Hunter, study architect and VP Product Marketing, DISQO. “Veteran Big Game advertisers know to identify their brands early in their spots in order to drive impact. This year’s study showed that identifying brands in the first few seconds of the ad got results – both from brand and performance perspectives.”

Methodology

DISQO passively measured the online behaviors of 19,612 U.S. adults from February 6, 2022 through February 14, studying search behavior and site visits related to this year’s Big Game advertisers. DISQO also surveyed 13,939 adults including those who watched the game and those who did not to support exposed and control lift analysis of ad impact across behaviors and attitudes. DISQO’s audience members are rewarded for passively sharing desktop and mobile behaviors and for participating in surveys, all in a fully transparent and 100% consented approach, enabling unparalleled understanding of brand experiences across platforms and through the entire consumer journey. To develop the rankings, each advertiser was given an impact score based on two factors: ad recall and lift vs. pre-game digital behaviors. Those scores were then combined to arrive at a total impact score for each brand. 

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