Jeep Climbs to Top of Most-Watched Auto Ads Ranking

Jeep leads iSpot.tv’s latest ranking of the most-viewed automotive commercials – the ads that have generated the most impressions across national broadcast and cable TV airings.

The No.1 ad for the week of March 28, Jeep’s “Made for What You Are Made Of,” was

backed by the biggest estimated national ad budget in our ranking and a focus on March Madness college basketball programming. The automaker spent an estimated $13.7 million on the tournament games and a nearly equal amount on “CBS Mornings” to capture impressions. 

Given viewer reaction, it was money well spent. The ad generated the highest overall score in iSpot’s Ace Metrix survey data, with an average result 13.2% higher than industry norms, led by a strong score in “desire” ranking – 10.88% above industry norms. 

Ram Trucks placed second, with the “NASCAR Cup Series” leading the pack of programming delivering the views. News and procedural dramas rounded out the top shows generating impressions for the ad. The use of Chris Stapleton’s cover of “I’m a Ram” in the spot was called out in particular by Ace Metrix viewers as a nice touch. 

Jason Bateman steals the show in Hyundai’s third-ranked “History of Evolution.” Ace Metrix viewers cited the ad’s characters (Bateman, mainly) as the single best thing about the ad at a rate 96.7% higher than industry norms. “Jason Bateman is very charming and likable,” says one Ace survey respondent. 

Cadillac’s “Fortune Favors the Fearless” remains a mainstay on the list of late, landing in fourth place. All top five shows delivering the impressions on the ad were news programs, from primetime broadcasts to morning news/talk shows to “SportsCenter.” Ace Metrix respondents found it “informative,” giving it a score in that category 11.7% above industry norms. 

Rounding out the list in fifth was Kia’s 15-second cut of its “Robo Dog!” Super Bowl spot. The automaker replaced football with NBA basketball this time around as the ad’s only sport-related placement. Other programming included procedural dramas and syndicated comedies. Viewers still liked the ad, giving it high scores in attention (13.2% above industry norms), likeability (15.6% above industry norms) and watchability (8.37% above industry norms).

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Jeep: Made for What You Are Made Of

Impressions: 271,842,659 

Interruption Rate: 2.45% 

Attention Index: 103 

Est. TV Spend: $3,038,326

Ram Trucks: Step Into a New Day

Impressions: 224,381,502 

Interruption Rate: 2.70% 

Attention Index: 95 

Est. TV Spend: $1,869,902

Hyundai: History of Evolution

Impressions: 118,485,092 

Interruption Rate: 2.24% 

Attention Index: 101 

Est. TV Spend: $1,176,682

Cadillac: Fortune Favors the Fearless

Impressions: 115,616,037 

Interruption Rate: 2.16% 

Attention Index: 106 

Est. TV Spend: $908,061

Kia: Robo Dog!

Impressions: 98,095,649 

Interruption Rate: 3.10% 

Attention Index: 91 

Est. TV Spend: $1,416,210

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.