McCarthy Era: Kia Again Has Most Engaging Auto Ad

For the second week in a row, Kia leads the weekly Most Engaging Auto Ads chart, powered for WardsAuto by iSpot.tv.

Kia’s spot, which was created for the Super Bowl (though it debuted in advance online), features Melissa McCarthy as a hopeful environmental hero who refuses to be deterred when things don’t go as planned. The actress and comedian has helped keep Kia on the chart for three weeks running, and with over one-third of the auto industry’s digital share of voice in the latest ranking, it’s clear the ad continues to engage viewers.

After some time off, Toyota is back on the chart, this time at No.2 with a spot for the RAV4 that appeared in the rankings in January; it’s getting renewed buzz thanks to a fresh round of TV airings. The ad shows off the car’s Pre-Collision System by following a brave parasailor floating across a beautiful landscape, towed for part of the flight by a RAV4.

Honda moves up the chart from fourth to third place with a commercial chock-full of celebrities and their (sometimes amusingly awkward) school-yearbook photos. It is another Super Bowl spot that continues to engage, with its message to always follow your dreams delivered by the likes of Steve Carell, Tina Fey, Jimmy Kimmel, Robert Redford and others.

Subaru also serves up a spot that meditates on the passage of time and how “someday” can come so fast. A boy packing the family’s Impreza with his treasured possessions grows up before our eyes: it’s time for him to move out, and the Subaru is there to help in the next stage of his life.

The family theme continues in Ford’s fifth-place spot, with another parent-kid story: It showcases how the driver-assist features in various models are particularly useful when it comes to new drivers, giving everyone in the car peace of mind (for the most part).

iSpot.tv, the real-time TV ad measurement company with attention analytics from 10 million smart-TV screens, allows customers to monitor social actions, search activity and online video views associated with TV spots across Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Google, Bing and Yahoo!.

powered by

1. Kia: Hero’s Journey

36.31% Digital Share of Voice, 3M Earned Online Views

2. Toyota: Parasailing

7.71% Digital Share of Voice, 3K Earned Online Views

3. Honda: Yearbooks

4.45% Digital Share of Voice, 328K Earned Online Views

4. Subaru: Moving Out

3.34% Digital Share of Voice, 15K Earned Online Views

5. Ford: New Drivers and Their Parents

2.82% Digital Share of Voice, 214 Earned Online Views