There’s never just one winner in the Super Bowl. Sure, there’s the team that holds the Lombardi Trophy, but there’s also the place that the winning team represents, the fans, and the halftime performers embracing the limelight—who could forget Left Shark?

And then there are the advertisers that pay ungodly sums for America’s eyeballs. Though it’s not always clear whether that investment is worth it, at least there will be a champion come Monday morning, thanks to USA Today. Since 1989, the publisher has released an annual list of the most-liked Super Bowl spots, voted on by a team of thousands of panelists.

• Rick Suter, digital revenue strategy and custom content project manager for USA Today Sports Media Group, has overseen the Ad Meter since joining the company in 2019. (FWIW, his favorite spots are Jeep’s “Groundhog Day” ad and Snickers’s Betty White commercial.)
• According to Suter, the publisher noticed audience interest in the ads—and how much advertisers were spending—in the late ’80s, so it wanted to capitalize on the moment. “It was really just to gauge consumer opinion…more people were talking about the commercials in the game,” he said.
• Back then, they’d bring people to USA Today’s office in McLean, Virginia, to observe them and gauge their reactions.

Today, the Ad Meter is a digital-only affair. Leading up to the game, brands and ad agencies can submit commercials to USA Today. Only national spots are considered, and they must run between the coin toss and the two-minute warning in the fourth quarter.

Continue reading here.—RB

Word on the street is that sports fans love statistics. If you’re one of them and you’re also into advertising, which we assume you are, you’re in the right place.

A survey of 1,050 US adults recently conducted by Marketing Brew and Harris Poll suggests that viewership could be on track to continue an upward trajectory (last year, the game drew an average of 112 million viewers, a five-year high). What’s more, it found that potential viewers are almost as excited for the ads as they are for the game itself.

This year, 79% of US adults surveyed said they’re at least somewhat likely to watch the Super Bowl, while nearly 70% said they watched last year. In a survey conducted last year, 61% said they tuned into the game in 2021, per Harris Poll.

Football is for the girls: That potential uptick in viewership could be driven by women.

• Three-quarters (75%) of women said they’d likely watch the Super Bowl this year, up from 62% who said the same last year and 50% who said they did in 2021.
• While more men (83%) said they’d likely watch the game this year than women, the increase in self-reported viewership among that demographic has been less dramatic year over year, up from 72% who said they did in 2021 and 74% who said they would in 2022.

Ad anticipation: Those who are likely to watch the Super Bowl this year were most excited about the game itself—82% said they’re looking forward to it. But they’re more highly anticipating the ads than the halftime show (sorry, Rihanna).

• About three in four (76%) likely viewers said they were at least somewhat excited about the ads, compared to 71% who said the same of the halftime show.
• That order of excitement (game, ads, halftime show) was the same for last year’s game, data showed.

Keep reading here.—AM

Each Tuesday, we spotlight Marketing Brew readers in our Coworking series. If you’d like to be featured, introduce yourself here.

Patrick Buchanan is VP of marketing at Good American. Earlier in his career, he held marketing roles at companies including K-Swiss and UMG’s Bravado.

Favorite project you’ve worked on? The Good American Open Casting is by far the best project I’ve worked on. I got the opportunity to travel around the world and meet so many incredible women and hear their inspiring stories. Year after year, this campaign has helped redefine what is valued or even allowed in fashion by breaking down barriers and challenging dated norms. It’s a special experience to be able to speak to and spend quality time with your customers.

What’s your favorite ad campaign? It’s hard to just name one. I really loved the Nike campaign featuring Colin Kaepernick. The message said, “Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything.” It hits on many levels.

One thing we can’t guess from your LinkedIn profile: Well, one job that I didn’t list on my LinkedIn is that I was Kelly Clarkson’s assistant for a day. When I was in college, I won a contest on MTV, and they filmed the entire thing. It’s a memory I’ll never forget and something no one would probably guess (unless you saw that episode of TRL).

What marketing trend are you most optimistic about? Least? I love that more and more brands are prioritizing inclusivity and providing more representation through media. While I know some brands are likely being opportunistic, they’ll soon discover that inclusivity is not just important; it works. I’m least excited about the new gross-out marketing trend, where brands use disgusting food combinations to get consumers’ attention. No thank you.

What’s one marketing-related podcast, social account, or series you’d recommend? Follow Gary Vee. He’s an incredible businessman and marketer. He’s a good one to follow also because he’s known for being super engaging with his audience.

There are a lot of bad marketing tips out there. These aren’t those.

: Dig through these 160+ social media statistics to stay up-to-date on usage data and trends.

: If your brand is still on Twitter, the platform has pulled together a calendar of major moments to leverage in your marketing.

: Work in content marketing? These eight tips could help bolster your writing.

It’s not just about getting an ad in the Super Bowl; it’s about making it count. Which brand ran the “most-loved ad” of last year’s broadcast, according to data from Morning Consult?

1. Doritos and Cheetos
2. Budweiser
3. Disney+
4. Planet Fitness

Keep scrolling for the answer.

Catch up on a few Marketing Brew stories you might have missed.

• Tarte and the future of the influencer trip
• Budget woes getting marketers down? Make the most of it, experts say
• Why your last text message is probably from a brand