Among Latest Most-Seen Auto TV Ads, Jeep Stands Out

Jeep shines among automakers with the most-seen commercials, based on iSpot.tv’s national TV ad impressions across Sept. 23-29. Not only does Jeep own the first- and third-place spots by reach, their creative elements were well received, with “upscale” and “cinematic” cited as the top viewer emotions/reactions to both ads. Additionally, the spots scored notably high for purchase intent: For Jeep’s first-place ad, 52% of survey respondents said they were “much” or “somewhat” more likely to purchase after viewing the spot, while 49% of viewers cited higher purchase intent for the No. 3 commercial.

Jeep’s No. 1 ad (188.7 million national TV ad impressions) is a colorful, adventurous ode to its various models that had 30% of surveyed viewers citing the visual scenes as the “single best thing” about the spot. Sports delivered the widest reach, led by the NFL (18% of impressions), college football and the 2024 Presidents Cup (both 13%). But Jeep also found audiences with more budget-friendly placements: For example, the series premiere of Murder in a Small Town on Fox was the No. 4 program by reach.

In its third-place commercial, Jeep focuses on the features and capabilities of the ’24 Grand Cherokee, and the ad performed above average for likeability among surveyed viewers. As with Jeep’s No. 1 spot, sports delivered the widest reach, with college football generating 30% of its total 151.1 million TV ad impressions, followed by the 2024 Presidents Cup (19%) and the NFL (12%) — but airings during The Weather Channel’s LIVE: Tracking Helene also generated a top-five program impression-count. 

Sports was a similar focus for Ram’s No. 2 spot, which received 160.6 million national TV ad impressions. Over 12% of impressions came from airings on ESPN, while top programming included college football (10% of the spot’s total impressions), MLB games and SportsCenter (both 3%). That being said, Paramount Network was the No. 2 network by reach but No. 7 by estimated national TV ad spend, showing that brands don’t always have to focus on pricey placements to reach consumers at scale.

“Water Girl,” promoting the Volkswagen Atlas, takes fourth place with 146.4 million national TV ad impressions. The ad’s upbeat music, from Brazilian artist Sérgio Mendes (who passed away in early September), was cited as the “single best thing” about the ad by 13% of surveyed viewers. NFL games generated 10% of the spot’s total impressions, with a mix of reality series  including The Voice, and news programming such as The Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell, also delivering notable reach. 

Lexus rounds out the ranking with “Free,” a fun take on what parents get up to after their kid goes to college. Audiences enjoyed the characters, with 12% of surveyed viewers saying they were the “single best thing” about the ad.

College girl calls her busy parents in Lexus ad.

ESPN generated 36% of the spot’s total 130.1 million national TV ad impressions, with significant reach also coming from other cable networks including Travel, Bravo, Comedy Central and ESPN2.

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1. Jeep: You Know

Impressions: 188,683,260

Interruption Rate: 3.58%

Attention Index: 88

Est. National TV Ad Spend: $4,513,202

2. Ram Trucks: The Calling: Blessed 

Impressions: 160,598,484

Interruption Rate: 3.79%

Attention Index: 82

Est. National TV Ad Spend: $1,261,059

3. Jeep: You Know: Middle of Nowhere

Impressions: 151,059,369

Interruption Rate: 4.18%

Attention Index: 84

Est. National TV Ad Spend: $2,527,618

4. Volkswagen: Water Girl 

Impressions: 146,357,769

Interruption Rate: 3.95%

Attention Index: 76

Est. National TV Ad Spend: $1,925,719

5. Lexus: Free

Impressions: 130,117,544 

Interruption Rate: 2.21%

Attention Index: 92

Est. National TV Ad Spend: $1,591,992

Data provided by iSpot.tv, The New Standard for TV Ad Measurement

TV Impressions - Total TV ad impressions delivered for the brand or spot.

Interruption Rate - The percentage of devices that were present at the beginning of the ad but did not complete watching the ad. Actions that interrupt ad play include changing the channel, pulling up the guide, fast-forwarding or turning off the TV. The Interruption Rate is measured on a scale of 0 to 100%.

Attention Index - A comparison of the ad’s Interruption rate against its specific media placement. The Attention Index is measured on a scale of 0 to 200, where 100 is the average and means the ad is performing as expected.

Est. National TV Spend - Amount spent on TV airings for the brand’s spots.