MCLEAN, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--USA TODAY, part of Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI), announced that Jeep’s “Groundhog Day” was voted the winning commercial of USA TODAY’s 32nd Super Bowl Ad Meter, the industry-leading tool used to track public opinion surrounding Super Bowl ads. The commercial received the highest average rating in this year’s competition, which is presented by Kia – a previous Ad Meter winner in 2017 and sponsor of the 30th Anniversary of Ad Meter in 2018. The commercial features actor Bill Murray in a nostalgic nod to his film "Groundhog Day," but with a twist. This time, a new Jeep turns the problem of reliving the same day over and over into a joyride alongside the famous weatherman, Punxsutawney Phil. This is the first time that Jeep has finished first USA TODAY’s Ad Meter.
Voting took place on the Ad Meter platform at admeter.usatoday.com starting on Wednesday, January 29, at noon ET and remained open until the night of the Super Bowl at 1 a.m. ET/10 p.m. PT. Like last year, there were tens of thousands of participants. Registered panelists were required to rate every eligible national Super Bowl ad that aired between the coin toss through the end of the two-minute warning of the fourth quarter, including halftime, and, the ad with the highest average rating was named the winner.
The top five ads, as rated by the 2020 Ad Meter panelists, are:
1. Jeep, “Groundhog Day,” 7.01
2. Hyundai, “Smaht Pahk,” 6.98
3. Google, “Loretta,” 6.77
4. Doritos, “The Cool Ranch,” 6.62
5. Rocket Mortgage, “Comfortable,” 6.60
For this year’s competition, USA TODAY and YouTube launched a strategic partnership to bring data insights to the Ad Meter platform, allowing both participants and brands to see a more robust picture around the video popularity of this year’s ads. All commercials ranked in USA TODAY’s 32nd Ad Meter are also curated into a proprietary USA TODAY Ad Meter Playlist on AdBlitz, a YouTube exclusive.
“We are delighted to see that so many consumers continue to turn to the Ad Meter platform to vote for their favorite ads year after year. Ad Meter has become such a strong tradition that gives fans the chance to crown the Super Bowl commercial champion,” said Maribel Perez Wadsworth, president of USA TODAY NETWORK and publisher of USA TODAY. “Congratulations to Jeep on earning this year’s top spot.”
“It was an incredible year with Super Bowl ads that made people laugh and shared poignant and touching stories. Together with Josh Jacobs, Kia proudly used its time on advertising’s biggest stage to raise awareness and drive action against the issue of youth homelessness,” said Russell Wager, director, marketing operations, Kia Motors America. “Congratulations to Jeep and welcome to the Ad Meter winner’s circle.”
Previous Ad Meter winners and ratings include:
2019 – NFL – “The 100-Year Game” – 7.69
2018 – Amazon – Alexa Loses Her Voice – 7.18
2017– Kia – Hero’s Journey – 7.47
2016 – Hyundai – First Date – 6.90
2015 – Anheuser-Busch – Lost Dog – 8.10
2014 – Anheuser-Busch – Puppy Love – 8.29
2013 – Anheuser-Busch – Budweiser Brotherhood – 7.76
2012 – Frito-Lay Doritos – Man's Best Friend – 8.82
2011 – Tie – Bud Light – Dog Sitter Puts Dogs to Work; Frito-Lay Doritos – Dog's Revenge for Doritos Teasing – 8.35
2010 – Mars Snickers – Betty White and Abe Vigoda in Casual Football Game – 8.68
2009 – Frito-Lay Doritos – Crystal Ball Sees Free Doritos - 8.46
2008 – Anheuser-Busch – Dalmatian Trains Clydesdale to Make Beer Wagon Team – 8.73
2007 – Anheuser-Busch – Crabs Worship a Cooler of Budweiser on the Beach – 8.56
2006 – Anheuser-Busch – Secret Refrigerator Stocked with Bud Light – 8.39
2005 – Anheuser-Busch – Pilot Jumps Out of Airplane for Bud Light – 8.65
2004 – Anheuser-Busch – Owners Demonstrate How Their Dogs Fetch Bud Light – 9.04
2003 – Anheuser-Busch – Replay – 8.99
2002 – Anheuser-Busch – Satin Sheets – 9.11
2001 – Anheuser-Busch – Cedric's Dream Date – 8.63
2000 – Anheuser-Busch – Rex the Dog Recalls His Worst Day – 8.09
1999 – Anheuser-Busch – Separated at Birth – 8.01
1998 – Pepsi – Flying Geese – 9.08
1997 – Pepsi – Dancing Bears – 8.22
1996 – Pepsi – On Security Camera, Coke Driver Nabs a Pepsi – 9.42
1995 – Pepsi – Boy Gets Sucked Into Bottle – 9.66
1994 – Pepsi – Chimp Escapes Lab, Hits the Beach – 9.34
1993 – McDonald's – Jordan and Bird Shoot Hoops – 9.00
1992 – Nike – Bugs Bunny and Michael Jordan Team – 8.51
1991 – Diet Pepsi – Ray Charles' New Jingle Catches On – 8.52
1990 – Nike – Famous Announcers Call Imaginary Game – 8.17
1989 – American Express – Dana Carvey and Jon Lovitz Travel to the Super Bowl – 7.52
Visit admeter.usatoday.com to see the full results.
About USA TODAY
Founded in 1982, USA TODAY reflects the pulse of the nation, serving as host of the American conversation by delivering high-quality, engaging content through unique visual storytelling across all platforms. A media innovator, USA TODAY reaches more than 90M unique visitors each month across digital platforms, with more than 25 million downloads of our award-winning app. USA TODAY is owned by Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI).
