According to the BBC, Super Bowl LVIII was the most-watched broadcast since the 1969 Moon landing. Immediately following the game, Numerator ran a quick-pulse survey to understand consumers’ sentiment regarding the game, the commercials, their celebrations, and (of course) Taylor Swift.
Laughter Makes for Memorable Commercials
A 30-second commercial for this year’s Super Bowl cost $7 million, according to USA Today. But with upwards of 150 million people tuning into the game, brands and retailers could easily recoup that investment and gain much more.
Super Bowl commercials need to be memorable if the products being advertised want to be talked about in the days, weeks, and months following the game. When we asked viewers what makes an ad memorable, humor was the top response by a considerable margin—proving that, for Super Bowl commercials, laughter really is the best medicine.
While 23% of Super Bowl viewers liked all the commercials, others were quick to pick their most liked and most disliked ads.
Consumers said their favorite commercials from Super Bowl LVIII were:
- Dunkin’ (29% of respondents)
- Budweiser (22%)
- M&Ms (15%)
- BMW (13%)
- State Farm (13%)
Consumers said their least favorite commercials from Super Bowl LVIII were:
- Apartments.com (15%)
- Bud Light / Peyton Manning & Post Malone (11%)
- Booking.com / Tina Fey (11%)
- Temu (9%)
- Bodyarmor (9%)
Most viewers (70%) watched the game on CBS, though the broadcast and commercials were the same for those that streamed on Paramount+.
Brands and retailers also need to consider when their commercials air to get better visibility. Audience size and attention varied drastically at different times during the telecast—and even going into overtime doesn’t guarantee that consumers continue to tune in.
But not all consumers who were “watching the game” were actually watching the game. Almost 1 in 5 (19%) consumers said they paid little or no attention to the broadcast.
Go 49ers! Go Chiefs! Go…Taylor Swift?
You might not have heard, but Taylor Swift was at Super Bowl LVIII. 20% of viewers surveyed said they were rooting for Travis Kelce because of his relationship with the superstar. In total, 48% said they were rooting for the Chiefs and 37% for the 49ers. The rest of the viewers weren’t rooting for either team.
Unsurprisingly, sentiment around the appearance of Taylor Swift at the Super Bowl (and NFL games in general) is divided. In response to the statement “I think Taylor Swift is a distraction for the NFL,” consumers were evenly split:
Viewers Celebrate Their Way
The majority (71%) of Super Bowl watchers indicated that they watched the game at home this year, either alone or with members of their household. Only 3% viewed the game in a public setting, like a restaurant or bar.
No matter where they celebrated, classic game-day favorites topped the Super Bowl menu this year. Soda was the most popular beverage among viewers, while chips were the most likely food to be eaten.
If you want to learn more about Super Bowl consumer impacts or about Numerator’s survey offerings, contact your Numerator representative or get in touch with our team today.
