Toyota Again Reigns Supreme With Most-Seen TV Ads

Toyota’s fairy-tale-themed commercials continue to grace television screens; this week the brand’s edgy take on the gingerbread-man tale is the most-seen ad across the auto industry, according to iSpot.tv.

The spot, which features music by American Gentlemen, advertises the ’18 C-HR as a (naturally) ginger-haired driver speeds through city streets and ends up at an outdoor masquerade party.

Lexus captures second place with a commercial for the ’17 ES 350 that shows how, in the hectic routine of daily life, the car can offer a daily retreat and a place to relax and recharge. The ad urges you to “go ahead, spoil yourself” with a limited-time lease offer.

Kia’s enduring ad for the Summer’s On Us Sales Event is at No. 3 with over 147.8 million impressions, while Mitsubishi remains in fourth place with a spot for the ’17 Outlander and Outlander Sport. Action shots accompanied by customer testimonials explain why “nine out of 10 of our drivers recommend their cars.”

Nissan’s high-energy commercial with music by John Mellencamp takes fifth place. To celebrate the Fourth of July, people can get 0% APR financing for up to 72 months during what the company calls “America’s Best Sales Event.”

iSpot.tv is a real-time TV-ad-measurement company with attention and conversion analytics from 10 million smart-TV screens.

Data provided by

1. Toyota: Gingerbread Man

186,107,490 Impressions, 91.35 Attention Score, $3,960,187 Est. TV Spend

2. Lexus: Daily Retreat: July Offer

151,222,027 Impressions, 89.56 Attention Score, $3,416,767 Est. TV Spend

3. Kia: Summer's On Us Sales Event: Jet Ski

147,850,589 Impressions, 87.15 Attention Score, $4,564,448 Est. TV Spend

4. Mitsubishi: Fabric/3rd Row

147,395,792 Impressions, 88.59 Attention Score, $2,557,447 Est. TV Spend

5. Nissan: America's Best Sales Event: Rock

144,392,561 Impressions, 95.18 Attention Score, $2,130,336 Est. TV Spend

TV Impressions - Total TV ad impressions delivered for the brand or spot.
Attention Score - Measures the propensity of consumers to interrupt an ad play on TV. The higher the score, the more complete views. Actions that interrupt an ad play include changing the channel, pulling up the guide, fast-forwarding or turning off the TV.
Est. National TV Spend - Amount spent on TV airings for the brand’s spots.