July 9th, 2015

Product Information and Innovation Delight Consumers in the Second Quarter

Author

Ace Metrix

The second quarter quickly came to a close as we arrived back in the states after a week of celebrating truly outstanding creative from every corner of the world, across every marketing medium imaginable. Lion awards acknowledged stellar “outside of the box” executions that achieved attention, changed perceptions and moved the needle related to some awesome objectives. More on that later…

This quarter, we acknowledge the top performing ads across 31 categories where, for the majority, it was effective communication of innovations and product affinity that captured America’s attention. The ads displayed below rose above the nearly 1,200 other new ads to debut on television last quarter – all to the tune of more than 20 percent and one at over 30. Read on.

Apparel & Footwear

Nike General Apparel’s “Better For It” earned an Ace Score of 615, 19.5 percent above the 12 Apparel & Footwear Norm. The inspiring ad featured the thoughts that typically go through the minds of women while exercising, and excelled in both Relevance and Likeability, achieving scores of 664 and 691 respectively.

NikeAdPersonalityThe 311 optional verbatim responses left by consumers indicated the ad’s strength in Relevance, with 10 percent actually mentioning they “relate” to the ad. When asked the question, “What is the single best thing about this ad,” 33 percent of respondents said that it was the message.

Appliances

A robot vacuum is a gadget that is certainly helpful in today’s increasingly busy world. It is no wonder that iRobot Roomba’s “Kids Play on the Floor” achieved the highest Ace Score of the Quarter from any category, while outperforming their own Appliances category by 15.6 percent.

Kids Play On Floor-ADpers

The ad’s high score was powered by its Relevance to consumers and the Information it conveyed, earning a Relevance score of 690 and an Information score of 688. Additionally, the ad scored 13 percent higher among viewers who have children at home than among those who do not.

 

Auto-Luxury

Vehicle safety continues to be of utmost importance to consumers. Mercedes Benz is leading the way with safety features that focus on avoiding accidents, which are highlighted in their Ad of the Quarter winning “Crash Worthy.” The ad earned and Ace Score of 661, scoring 17.3 percent above the 12-month Luxury Auto norm. The ad scored particularly well in the Information and Relevance components, earning scores of 695 and 676.

(AUG) Crash Worthy-AdPers

The 293 optional verbatim responses left by reveal what consumers learned and enjoyed most about the ad. Seventeen percent of consumers mentioned the “safety” of the new features, while 9 percent mentioned the “technology” featured in the ad. These safety-focused responses appeared to have a positive impact on those individuals who are interested in purchasing or leasing a new car within the next 6 months. These soon-to-be car owners scored the ad 711, 28.6 percent higher than those consumers looking to buy a car in 2+ years.

Auto-Non-Luxury

Honda swipes the Ad of the Quarter title for the Non-Luxury Auto category with their clever “The Mixture” ad, featuring the evolution of the new Honda HR-V Crossover. The ad earned an Ace Score of 618, 12.8 percent above the 12-month Non-Luxury Auto category.

The Mixture-Adpers

Thirty-two percent of consumers agreed that the visual scenes were the best thing about the ad. The visual scenes also contribute to its high Emotional Sentiment score, a score 37 percent higher than category norm. Consumer verbatims reveal an appreciation for the ad, with 8 percent using “different” to describe the concept of the ad, 7 percent using “interesting,” and 9 percent describing the ad as “good.”

(AUG) Crash Worthy-Verbs

Automotive Services

Once again, WeatherTech achieves Ad of the Quarter for the Automotive Services category, with their ad, “Bumpstep” featuring their new product that helps prevent damage done to a car when backing into something. “Bumpstep” earned an Ace Score of 659, 17 percent higher than the 12-month Automotive Services category norm. It excelled in the Information component, earning a score of 718, 15 percent above category norm.

Bumpstep-AdPers

Six percent of the 359 consumers to leave optional comments found the ad “interesting,” and an additional 4 percent found the ad “informative.” Fifty-one percent of consumers thought the product itself was the best thing about the ad.

Beverages – Beer

With summer in full swing, it is almost fate that Samuel Adam’s “Summer Ale” wins Ad of the Quarter for the Beer category. The ad, featuring their lemony summer brew, scored a 552 Ace Score, 9.5 percent above the 12-month Beer category norm. Driven by high Information (593) and Likeability (616) scores, the ad effectively communicates Samuel Adam’s intended message.

Summer Ale-AdPers

Men aged 16-35 scored the ad highest, awarding it a 636 Ace Score. Unsurprisingly, 27 percent of respondents said that the best thing about the ad was the product itself.

Beverages – Non-Alcoholic

Pure Leaf’s “Pure Leaf” ad holds the highest score among all Non-Alcoholic Beverage Quarter 2 ads. The ad, which traces their tea back to the leaf, earned a 638 Ace Score, 12.8 percent above the 12-month Non-Alcoholic Beverages category norm.

Pure Leaf-30-AdPers

The ad focuses on the purity of its tea – something that really resonated with consumers. Of the 361 optional comments left by consumers, 5 percent mentioned the “natural” aspect of their tea, while 8 percent mentioned that the ad was “interesting” and “informative.” In fact, Relevance and Information served as the power behind this ad, scoring nearly 12% above category norm in both components.

Beverages – Soda

Coca-Cola comes back with an animated ad featuring a gloomy man walking his enthusiastic dog to win consecutive Ad of the Quarter awards. The spot, “Happy Feeling” earned an Ace Score of 645, 19.5 percent above the 12-month Soda category norm. The ad scored extremely well in both Attention and Likeability components, which are both key ingredients for an ad to break through to consumers.

Happy Feeling 60-AdPers

Looking at the 297 consumer verbatims left for the ad reveals why the ad earned such high break through scores. Eight percent of respondents mentioned that the “dog” was core to the ad’s Likeability scores, and an additional 7 percent highlighted the “animation.”

Beverages – Spirits, Flavored Malts & Wine

Smirnoff Ice’s “Refreshing” earned an Ace Score of 593, 22.1 percent above the 12-month Spirits, Flavored Malts & Wine category norm. The ad highlights their new Strawberry Mimosa drink, appealing most to men aged 21-35.

Refreshing-15-AdPers

While the ad beat the norm in all components, the ad was Communication based, scoring well in both Information (628) and Change (643). Unsurprisingly, when asked what the single best thing about the ad was, 37 percent said it was the product itself.

Candies & Snacks

Something about the combination of chocolate and gooey caramel certainly makes viewers’ mouths water. Add in catchy pop song “Worth It” by Fifth Harmony, and you get the Ad of the Quarter winner for the Candies & Snacks category. Hershey’s “It’s Worth It” nabs the title, earning an Ace Score of 651, 14.2 percent about the 12-month Candies & Snacks category norm.

Its Worth It-AdPers

Likeability and Desire fueled the ad’s success. Consumers awarded the ad a Desire score 15 percent higher than category norm – an outcome unsurprising with close ups of chocolate and caramel. Additionally, 9 percent of consumers to leave optional verbatim comments mentioned that they want the candy shown, and an additional 4 percent used “yummy” to describe the visual scenes in the ad.

Financial Services – Banking, Investment & Mortgage

E*Trade’s winning Ad of the Quarter, “Intuitions” features their new barcode scanner app. The Communication fueled ad earned an Ace Score of 618, scoring a notable 22.7 percent above the 12-month Banking, Investment & Mortgage category norm.

(AUG) Intutions-AdPers

The spot generated high Information and Change scores, which can be understood more thoroughly by looking at the optional verbatim comments left. Nine percent of consumers thought the ad and the product was “interesting,” and 5 percent liked the “message” of the ad. Additionally, “Intuitions” generated an Emotional Sentiment score 39 percent higher than category norm, possible due to the use of actor Kevin Spacey.

Financial Services – Credit Cards

Nearly everyone has had that fearful moment of reaching into a wallet for a credit card that isn’t there. Discover Card’s consecutive Ad of the Quarter win hopes to help people who lose their cards by allowing them to halt any activity on the card. The ad, “Freeze 30” earned an Ace Score of 659, 20.9 percent above the 12-month Credit Card category norm. The ad was awarded exceptional Information scores (an Information score 21 percent above category norm).

Freeze 30-AdPers

When asked what the single best thing about the ad was, consumers responded with the message. What was so interesting to consumers about the message can be seen in the optional comments left by viewers, where thirteen percent appreciated the “freeze” feature of the card.

Financial Services – Real Estate

Zillow’s “Life to Happen” ad wins Ad of the Quarter for the Real Estate category, earning an Ace Score of 552, 6.5 percent above the 12-month Real Estate category norm. The ad follows the story of a couple adopting a child, using their app to find the perfect house for the new family. It generated a Likeability component score of 647.

Life To Happen-AdPers

The ad also scored nearly 20 percent higher among respondents who have children at home than those who do not. A possible explanation for this can be seen in the 355 optional verbatim comments, where a combined 12 percent thought the ad was “heartwarming” and “touching,” and 4 percent appreciated the ad’s “message.”

Household

Purex has set out to simplify our lives by introducing their new detergent that always pours the right amount into the washer. Their ad featuring the product, “Dispenses the Right Amount” wins Ad of the Quarter for the Household category, earning an Ace Score of 660, 12 percent higher than the 12-month norm for the Household category.

Dispenses the Right Amount-AdPers

Information and Relevance power the ad, winning an Information score 17 percent higher than category norm. Women found the ad most relevant, scoring the ad nearly 15 percent higher than men. When asked what the best thing about the ad was, 35 percent of respondents said it was the product itself (no surprise here).

Insurance

Traveler’s “Extraordinary” snags Ad of the Quarter for the Insurance category, earning an Ace Score of 605, 15.1 percent above the 12-month Insurance category norm. Information and Attention power “Extraordinary,” earning scores of 646 and 686 respectively.

Extraordinary-AdPers

The spot features a mother waiting for a call from her daughter who was in a natural disaster zone, so it is no surprise that women aged 50+ scored the ad the highest. The message certainly captured viewers’ attention, with 35% concluding that it was the best thing about the ad.

Packaged Foods

It’s grilling season, and Weber shows us the right seasoning to use on anything we want to cook up in the Packaged Foods Ad of the Quarter winner. Their “Grilling with the Right Seasoning” ad earned a 683 Ace Score, 18.9 percent above the Packaged Foods 12-month category norm. Viewers appreciated the relevant and informative nature of the ad, awarding the spot a Relevance score of 700 and an Information score of 709.

Grilling with the Right Seasoning-AdPers

Surprisingly, the best thing in the ad according to consumers wasn’t the visual scenes as is typical with food focused ads, but rather, 37 percent said the best thing was the message of the ad.

Personal Care – Cosmetics

Cover girl teams up with Pink for “Pink: The Super Hero Makeup,” an ad that earned an Ace Score of 547, 10.2 percent above the 12-month Cosmetics norm. The ad did particularly well in the Change component, scoring 9 percent above norm.

Pink The Super Hero Makeup-AdPers

Combining Cover girl cosmetics and music superstar Pink proved to be a success for the ad, especially appealing to women, who scored the ad 30.4 percent higher than men. Seventeen percent of consumers (especially women) actually mentioned, “Pink” by name, and additionally mentioned their interest in the “makeup” (10 percent) and the “products” (6 percent) featured in the ad.

Personal Care – Hair

Herbal Essence earns consecutive Ad of the Quarter wins, this quarter for their ad “Take Your Hair to Paradise.” The ad earned an Ace Score of 535, nearly 6 percent above the 12-month Hair category norm. The ad was able to effectively break through with consumers, scoring a 660 Attention and a 603 Likeability component scores.

Take Your Hair to Paradise-Adpers

The high Attention score most likely stems from the ad’s enchanting visual scenes, about which 32 percent of consumers said were the best thing about the ad. Respondents also confirmed the ad’s presence, with 6 percent mentioning the word “attention,” and an additional 6 percent indicating they thought the ad was “funny.”

Personal Care – Main

Band-Aid brand’s “For the Things You Cherish” reminds us all about the importance of protecting our loved ones, whether it’s from a rainstorm or from a scrape. The ad scored a 629 Ace Score, 13.5 percent above the 12-month Personal Care category norm. The ad scored 30 percent above norm in Relevance, and 17 percent above norm in Likeability, which isn’t surprising given the message of the ad relates the brand with everyday life. Just over 22 percent of viewers thought the message was the best thing about the ad.

For The Things You Cherish-AdPers

Consumers were passionate about the subject, leaving 406 optional verbatim comments. Of the words used most frequently, 13 percent used “care,” 5 percent used “protect,” and 14 percent described the ad as being “good.”

Personal Care – Skin

Vaseline brings the convenience of spray moisturizer to life in their Ad of the Quarter winning “Moisturizing the Skin Everyday.” The ad earned an Ace Score of 600, 15.1 percent above the 12-month Skin category norm. As such a product is new and exciting, the ad scored a 619 Relevance and 616 Information component score.

Moisturizing the Skin Every Day-AdPers

Women scored the ad nearly 17 percent higher than men, with women awarding the ad a 638 score and men a 548. Thirty-four percent of consumers thought the product itself was the best part of the ad, which could also be seen in the optional verbatim comments. Common words mentioned by consumers included “spray,” (9 percent of responses) which highlighted the aspect of the product they liked most, and “visual,” (6 percent of responses) which described the ad.

Pets

Pet owners truly want the best for their dogs, especially as they grow older. Purina delivers a winning ad, “Helping Pets” which features their adult dog food. Achieving an Ace Score of 674, 20.4 percent above the 12-month Pets category norm, it is not surprising that people appreciated the informative and likeable nature of the ad. Viewers awarded “Helping Pets” an Information score of 741, and a Likeability score of 728.

Helping Pets-60-AdPers

Dog owners unsurprisingly scored the ad highest, nearly 28 percent higher than those with no pets. The optional verbatim responses highlight just what consumers liked most about the ad, with a combined nine percent describing the ad as “informative” and “interesting.”

Pharmaceutical OTC

Aleve accomplishes an AOTQ win with their “Bennie’s Best Friend” spot, racking up a 590 Ace Score, 6.4 percent above the 12-month Pharmaceutical OTC category norm. The ad features a women working at a pet shelter, and follows her dog, Bennie’s, adoption story. Relevance fueled the ad, with viewers relating to the “dog” (16 percent of responses), and the “pain” (13 percent of responses).

Bennies Best Friend-AdPers

The ad generated a three way tie between the best things featured in the ad: 18 percent said it was the characters featured, another 18 percent said it was the Aleve itself, and a final 18 percent said it was the message of the ad.

Restaurants – Casual Dining

Olive Garden hits the mark with their “2 for $25” commercial, earning an Ace Score of 676, 11 percent above the 12-month category norm for Casual Dining Restaurants. The ad was powered by Relevance, earning a 701 Relevance component score.

2 for 25-30-ADPers

Twenty-three percent of viewers said the visual scenes were the best thing about the ad, an unsurprising result when showing close up shots of delicious looking Italian food. Consumer verbatims also highlight the Relevance and desire the commercial generated, with 14 percent saying they were “hungry” after watching the ad, 34 percent mentioning the relevance of “food,” and 11 percent saying they “want” the food featured.

Restaurants – QSR

With delicious visuals of ice cream and hot fudge, Baskin Robbins wins Ad of the Quarter for their “31 percent Off” spot. The ad earned an Ace Score of 675, 17.8 percent above the 12-month QSR category norm. Likeability powered the ad, achieving a Likeability component score 14 percent above category norm.

31 Off-15-AdPers

Unsurprisingly, 32 percent of viewers said the ice cream itself was the best thing about the ad, and viewers certainly highlighted that in the optional verbatim comments. Twenty-six percent mentioned the “ice cream” in their responses, and an additional 12 percent indicated that they “want.”

Retail

Kohl’s dances its way to an AOTQ victory with their “Busting Moves” ad, which earned an Ace Score of 641, 19 percent above the 12-month Retail category norm. The ad gives viewers a peak at some of the athletic wear carried by Kohls. The ad appealed to consumers by being Relevant and Likeable.

Busting Moves-AdPers

Women scored the ad nearly 14 percent higher than men. Despite the score gap, both men and women enjoyed the ad, and its Likeable qualities could be seen in the verbatim comments, where 9 percent described the ad as “fun.”

Technology – Hardware

The Surface 3 Tablet leads Microsoft to an Ad of the Quarter victory, with their ad “It’s New” earning an Ace Score of 629, a score that is 11 percent higher than the 12-month Hardware category norm. “It’s New” highlights the features of the new Surface 3 tablet, and delivers Information to consumers.

Its New-30-AdPers

Thirty-seven percent of viewers said the Surface 3 was the best thing about the ad, and they appreciated the functionality of the product. Of the 313 optional responses left for the ad, a combined 14 percent mentioned the dual “tablet” and “laptop” functions, 10 percent mentioned the “Surface” by name, and 10 percent highlighted that the product was “new.”

Technology – Mobile Devices

An ingenious and long awaited invention – the wireless charger – brings home a win for Samsung Mobile Phones in their ad “Wireless Charging.” The ad earned an Ace Score of 681, 18.9 percent higher than the 12-month Mobile Devices norm. The ad was powered by Relevance, with consumers awarding the ad a 697 Relevance component score, a score 25 percent above category norm.

Wireless Charging-AdPers

An astounding 43 percent of viewers said the wireless charger itself was the best thing about the ad. By reading the verbatim comments it is easy to see that consumers are annoyed by the constant need to plug in to a charger, and the mess of wires that typically is involved in charging devices, so they certainly appreciated the “wireless” feature.

Technology – Software & Websites

Google’s “Keep Questioning” achieved an Ace Score of 654, 30.2 percent above the 12-month Software & Websites norm. The ad showcases the Google App’s capabilities, while also exploring the different places that a question can lead. “Keep Questioning” gapped above norm in all components, with a soaring Relevance score of 694.

Keep Questioning-AdPers

Twenty-four percent of respondents said the message was the best thing about the ad. This most likely contributed to the extremely high Emotional Sentiment score the ad achieved – earning a score 31 percent higher than category norm.

Technology – Video Games & Consoles

With excellent graphics, Warner Brother Video Games’ “The Batman” breaks through with consumers to earn an Ace Score of 582, 13 percent above the 12-month Video Games & Consoles norm. The ad achieved high Attention and Likeability scores of 679 and 659 respectively.

The Batman-AdPers

Men scored the ad 20.8 percent higher than women, which is not a huge surprise in the video game category. They were particularly drawn to the graphics and visual scenes, which 31 percent of viewers said were the best thing about the ad.

Telecom Services

Our phones go through an enormous amount of stress, from being dropped on the ground, to being dropped in the pool. AT&T Wireless’ “Life Simulator” showcases the Samsung Galaxy S6 Active, which is built to withstand most of these accidental drops. The ad earned an Ace Score of 652, a score 22 percent above the 12-month Telecom Services category norm.

Life Simulator-30-AdPers

The ad outperformed all components, but was perhaps most impressive in the Relevance and Information categories, earning scores of 663 for each. Out of the 302 optional responses left for the ad, 27 percent mentioned the “phone,” 4 percent appreciated the “durable” quality of the phone, and 7 percent found the ad “funny.”

Travel

The Happiest Place on Earth just got a little happier with their Ad of the Quarter win!  Disney Parks’ “The Celebration” earned an Ace Score of 647, nearly 15 percent above the 12-month Travel category norm.  The ad features Disneyland through the years to celebrate their 60th anniversary. “The Celebration” was powered by Relevance and Likeability, earning scores of 683 and 711 respectively.

(AUG) The Celebration-ADPers

When asked what the single best thing about the ad was, 30 percent of viewers responded with the brand and everything it stands for. Certainly Disney remains close to many people’s hearts. The most common words used in verbatim responses included “Disney” (16 percent of responses), “want” (9 percent of responses), and “nostalgic” (5 percent of responses).

We scored more than 2,000 new ads this quarter, 1,200 of which debuted on national television. One ad from each of the 31 qualifying categories was awarded Top Dog honors. Each of the ads to debut this past quarter were watched by at least 500 consumers and scored on a multitude of dimensions that make up the holistic Ace Score. This represents 1,000,000 consumer interactions and nearly 650,000 qualitative voice of the consumer responses offered optionally by the respondents.

While we love to show-off which brands brought their A-game on a quarterly basis, our real specialty is diving into the “whys” behind the “whats” of creative success. We can take a deeper look into any category, so contact us below to set up a conversation specific to your advertising needs.

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