Car commercials are big business and a major expenditure for the car companies that invest in them. Car ads can make a break a vehicle’s success, and a lack of ads can keep a great car from being successful.
We all know the Super Bowl commands millions of dollars for just one thirty-second spot. For this year’s event in New Orleans, it is estimated that a half-minute commercial will run 7 million dollars. Some will be more than that, depending on when the spot is scheduled to run. Car companies also seek to capitalize on the NFL during the season, and the college football playoff series which starts the pivotal timeframe of year-end auto sales.
Our friends at Wards Auto, along with iSpots Creative, analyzed the top automaker spots at the end of last month and into the beginning of 2025. Here are their comments, ranked by the number of views on television:
- In the No.1 spot from Ram Trucks, former NFL defensive end J.J. Watt explains how he realized that “life isn’t about how many people you can knock down — it’s about how many people you can lift up.” Over 57% of the commercial’s total 147.2 million national TV ad impressions came from NFL games, while college football generated 14% and men’s college basketball delivered 9%. According to iSpot’s Creative Assessment, this commercial had an 85% brand match (the percentage of survey respondents who remembered it was a Ram Trucks ad after watching it), above the recent automaker industry norm of 79%. WATCH VIDEO
- Mercedes-Benz takes second place with a spot featuring Bradley Cooper, in which its electric G-Class model takes on rugged mountain terrain. College football was an overwhelming focus: Over 92% of the commercial’s total 143.8 million national TV ad impressions came from playoff quarterfinal bowl games, while the rest of its impressions came from College GameDay. Per iSpot’s Creative Assessment, 32% of survey respondents considered the visual scenes to be the “single best thing” about the ad. WATCH VIDEO
- Elegance and refinement are the themes of Kia’s third-place ad, promoting the X-Line Nightfall Collection. NFL games generated nearly 38% of the spot’s total 127.7 million national TV ad impressions, while college football delivered 15%. Additional reach came from the NBA (4% of total impressions), Dick Clark's Primetime New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest 2025 (4%) and House Hunters (3%). WATCH VIDEO
- Subaru tugs at the heartstrings with its No.4 ad, showing how hard – but rewarding – working at an animal shelter can be. Each year during its Share the Love initiative, the automaker supports organizations including the ASPCA by making charitable donations with each vehicle purchased or leased. From a creative standpoint, this commercial performed notably well: It scored above the automotive average for attention, likability, desire and relevance, with 36% of surveyed viewers citing the message as the “single best thing” about the ad. WATCH VIDEO
- Jeep rounds out the ranking with a sleek spot highlighting various features of the electric Wagoneer S, including multiple drive modes and its ability to go over 300 miles (483 km) on a single charge. The commercial aired solely during football and related programming: NFL games generated nearly 64% of the commercial’s total 93.4 million national TV ad impressions and college football games accounted for 28%, with the rest of its reach coming from The NFL Today (6%) and Fox NFL Kickoff (2%). WATCH VIDEO
Photo: Stellantis.