Super Bowl ad takeaways—3 audience insights for brand marketers

After setting a record with 123 million viewers in 2024, this year’s Super Bowl became the most-watched telecast in history, with 127.7 million viewers. It’s no surprise that the cost of a 30-second spot reached a record $8 million. It’s money well spent, even though almost 60% of Americans say ads aren’t as good as they used to be, and fewer than half say brands that advertise don’t earn their trust. The Big Game remains a milestone cultural event. Almost three-quarters of Americans (72%) believe that the Super Bowl remains relevant, while nearly half the country (48%) watched at least one Super Bowl ad during the 2024 game, according to a new Harris Poll survey. Super Bowl ad review The best and worst commercials from the Big Game Click here Some 4 in 5 Americans (79%) consider watching the ads to be an essential part of the Super Bowl experience. When asked whether less-established brands should pay to appear in the game, only 11% of respondents said they should not. Our research indicates that the likelihood of watching a Super Bowl commercial last year increased with higher levels of education and income. While 37% of Americans with a high school diploma or less watched at least one ad, this figure rose to 55% among those with at least a bachelor’s degree. Similarly, only 33% of individuals earning less than $50,000 watched a Super Bowl spot, compared to 56% of those earning $100,000 or more. Super Bowl audiences are not just huge but desirable. Here are three trends we spotted in our Super Bowl-related survey that marketers should know: Mine the generational split Sharp generational splits emerged. While Super Bowl spots aren’t guaranteed to boost a company’s profile—only 47% continue to follow brands that advertise—the numbers diverge generationally: Majorities of Gen Zers (52%) and millennials (63%) follow Super Bowl brands while majorities of Gen Xers (54%) and baby boomers (66%) do not. Younger generations are also more interested in gambling. Roughly 1 in 3 Gen Zers (34%) and 2 in 5 millennials (41%) planned to bet on the 2025 Super Bowl—significantly higher than Gen Xers (22%), baby boomers (8%) and the general population (24%). Younger generations were also more likely to report that they had already placed bets before the Big Game: 20% of millennials and 15% of Gen Zers had done so, compared to 9% of Gen Xers, 2% of boomers and 10% of the population overall. Super slippage? Top-line numbers remain healthy for advertising in the Big Game, which remains a tentpole advertising showcase, with new spots expected to generate buzz for their creativity and the stars who show up in them. But we’ve come a long way since Apple’s groundbreaking “1984”-themed ad. Novelty has given way to high expectations, which are increasingly unmet. . Close to 3 in 5 Americans (59%) said that Super Bowl ads aren’t as good as they used to be. That might explain why a majority of Americans (53%) doesn’t keep up with brands it sees advertised during the game. Alarmingly, we see a drop in the number of Americans who say that up-and-coming brands advertising in the Super Bowl are likely to earn their trust. Two years ago, 55% of respondents said that Super Bowl advertising makes them trust a brand, but this year, the figure is down to 49%. Ad Age Best Places to Work 2025 50 companies doing a standout job See the full list here Most consumers (64%) think that there are more effective ways to reach customers during the Super Bowl than advertising. That sentiment is balanced by the belief that advertising in the game is a good way for brands to get discovered—83% agreed—though even that figure is down from 87% two years ago. Brands should target wisely Americans think that Super Bowl ads ought to be food-related: When we asked what types of brands or companies should buy spots, the top answers were packaged food and drinks companies (47%), food services (such as restaurants or delivery apps, at 45%) and entertainment services (such as streaming platforms, at 43%). These preferences vary across demographic groups. Food services were tops for women (48%) but ranked only fifth among men (42%). Adult Gen Zers (49%) want to see health and wellness commercials in the Super Bowl more than the general audience (49% to 34%) And baby boomers love their cars: They are more interested in car-related commercials compared to Americans as a whole (43% versus 37%). And an important note for financial tech companies: Don’t bother. That was the type of brand people least frequently said should advertise (16%).

Super Bowl ad takeaways—3 audience insights for brand marketers

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