Most Top-Ranked Auto Ads Pass on NFL Playoffs

Nissan’s “Electric Cars for Electric Drivers” returns to the top spot among iSpot.tv’s most-viewed automotive commercials without running any ads during the NFL conference championship games.

NFL football programming has driven the majority of impressions for automaker ads during the regular season and playoffs. But of the five most-seen ads during the week of Jan. 24, only one targeted last weekend’s conference championships to drive impressions in any meaningful way.

The top-ranked Nissan ad drew most of its impressions from NBA and college basketball. It also led the list in the consumer “desire” category, according to iSpot’s Ace Metrix survey data, with a rating 4.3% higher than industry norms. 

But it was Subaru’s “Well Adventured” in the No.2 spot that had the best reaction among surveyed viewers, with an overall rating 10.8% higher than industry norms. This was driven by top scores that exceeded industry norms in “attention” (8.2%), “likeability” (7.2%) and “relevance” (8%). Among the programming delivering the most impressions, procedurals such as Law & Order: SVU and Chicago Fire led the way.

The same was true for the other Subaru ad on the list: “Thank You” at No.3. 

Honda debuted on the list with “Powerful Drivers” at No.4, notable as the only ad leaning heavily on the NFL to drive impressions. The automaker was the top spender of the week, with an estimated $7.7 million national ad budget, $5.1 million of which was dedicated to the NFL playoff games. Ace Metrix survey respondents said the ad’s visual scenes were the “single best thing” about it. 

Lexus’ “Hustle” rounded out the list at No.5, with the gender-bending message noted as the “single best thing” among Ace Metrix viewers. 

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Nissan: Electric Cars for Electric Drivers

Impressions: 212,353,659 

Interruption Rate: 2.32% 

Attention Index: 103 

Est. TV Spend: $1,870,086

Subaru: Well Adventured

Impressions: 174,101,477 

Interruption Rate: 2.46% 

Attention Index: 116 

Est. TV Spend: $1,407,977

Subaru: Share the Love Event: Thank You

Impressions: 168,751,179 

Interruption Rate: 2.47% 

Attention Index: 101 

Est. TV Spend: $1,228,108

Honda: Powerful Drivers

Impressions: 153,074,150 

Interruption Rate: 1.83% 

Attention Index: 114 

Est. TV Spend: $7,735,872

Lexus: Hustle

Impressions: 152,534,446 

Interruption Rate: 1.61% 

Attention Index: 108 

Est. TV Spend: $852,663

Data provided by iSpot.tv, TV Ad Measurement for Disruptive Brands

*Ace Metrix auto industry norms data measured over the last 90 days.

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

Interruption Rate - The rate at which the audience present at the beginning of your ad disengages with it before it ends.

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

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