Tebow falls flat; Google wins most effective Super Bowl ad

Posted Feb 8, 2010 by Walt Belcher

Updated Feb 8, 2010 at 05:50 PM

Some Super Bowl ads were good. Others were funny. And some were just blah.

But Internet search engine Google earned top marks for its “How to Impress a French Woman” commercial in the sixth annual Kellogg School Super Bowl Advertising Review. The commercial followed someone using Google to find the right connections for a relationship in Paris.

In a measurement of brand effectiveness, conducted by the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. the Google commercial was ranked No. 1. 

Google edged out fellow “A” grade advertisers including Denny’s, Audi, Volkswagen, Dodge and Snickers. With three auto spots scoring in the top five, automakers surprised viewers by creating memorable ads that broke through the clutter.

“This year’s Super Bowl featured several effective ads, making the Review an exciting learning experience for the students,” said clinical professor of marketing Tim Calkins, who leads the event (more than 50 students were grading the commercials as the spots aired).

“The overarching goal for Super Bowl advertisers is a successful ad that resonates with their target audience. Based on our framework, Google really embraced the key elements of a winning Super Bowl commercial with both its sentimental and practical execution.”

With the pre-game buzz surrounding Focus on the Family for its anti-abortion sentiment and U.S. Census, which used government dollars, the panel thought the ads fell flat and didn’t live up to the strategic framework. Other advertisers that received low marks from the panel included Honda and Bridgestone.

Associate professor of marketing Derek Rucker, who also leads the Review, noted, “Companies now need to leverage the buzz to increase their ROI (return on investment). Turning the advertising into consumer action is the next step and the best companies know that.  The marketing departments will be working overtime for that reason.”

Unlike other popularity-based reviews, the Kellogg School Super Bowl Advertising Review uses a strategic academic framework known as ADPLAN. The acronym, developed by Kellogg faculty, instructs viewers to grade ads based on attention, distinction, positioning, linkage, amplification and net equity.

To learn more about the Kellogg School Super Bowl Advertising Review, visit www.kellogg.northwestern.edu.