The latest Super Bowl was a highly competitive game decided by a field goal with 8 seconds left — and automakers that bought ad time for the spectacle were happy.
That’s because those ads in front of more than 110 million “big game” viewers sent them to their computers, tablets and smart phones to find out more about the vehicles and the automakers producing them in the ads.
Overall, the car companies that spent big bucks for commercials saw an 81% lift to pages on Cars.com. The line-up included spots from Kia, General Motors and Stellantis brands Jeep and Ram. However, it was Kia that got the most bang for its buck, enjoying a 230% spike in Cars.com traffic following the airing of its ad, “Binky Dad.”
“Americans are inundated with brand messages on a day that’s as big for advertising as it is for sports, and advertisers ‘win’ when consumers take the next step to find out more,” said Jennifer Vianello, Cars.com chief marketing officer.
“So while the significant traffic growth on Cars.com is a victory for the automaker and brands that showed spots during the game, it’s also a win for the brands that funneled their ad dollars to target Cars.com visitors, bypassing the multimillion-dollar traditional media buy while still capitalizing on the postgame spike of engaged, in-market car shoppers.”
A rising tide …
Not every automaker ponies up the funds — reportedly $7 million for a 30-second spot — to get in front of football fans on their biggest night of the year. However, that doesn’t mean some don’t benefit from the attention the others are getting.
Ford saw a 118% increase in EV engagement on Cars.com from Ram’s “Premature Electrification” ad and a 146% lift on Cars.com during GM’s “Why Not an EV?” ad. BMW also benefited on the marketplace, with a 70% increase in views of the luxury automaker’s EVs during GM’s partnered ad with Netflix and a 33% bump during Ram’s pharma-spoof commercial.
Other notable insights from the game include:
- Cross-Shopping Consumers: Used Teslas saw a 26% bump on Cars.com during Jeep’s “Electric Boogie” ad. The electric-car brand saw an even greater bump (29% for used Teslas) when Elon Musk was shown in the stands, proving consumers are still very EV curious.
- Cars on the Big Screen: Porsche 911’s saw a 47% increase in page views on Cars.com following the trailer for the new “Transformers” movie that features Mirage, a Transformer character that replicates the Porsche 911.
- EV-Curious Fans: In addition to brand-specific searches, Cars.com visitors looked more broadly for information on EVs, causing a 21% increase in EV page views on Cars.com, which appeared to benefit some automakers’ EVs.
Getting in “The Game”
GM used its ad to promote its recently announced tie-in with streaming service Netflix, and partnered once again with Will Ferrell for a commercial in this year’s game titled “EVs on the Screen.”
Fans will see Ferrell enter the world of some of the biggest Netflix shows and films including Army of the Dead, Squid Game, and more. The creative showcases how EVs will show up on screen, while highlighting the wide range of EVs GM plans to offer. More information about Netflix and GM’s joint efforts is available at gm.com/netflix.
“Entertainment has a huge impact on culture. We want to make EVs famous on streaming, small and silver screens to build an EV culture through storytelling that incorporates the experiences of driving and owning an EV,” said GM Global Chief Marketing Officer Deborah Wahl.
“Netflix is a great partner because of the company’s compelling storytelling, commitment to sustainability and track record of sparking conversations that shape cultural trends. We are united in creating a better, more sustainable future for our world as we bring everybody in on EVs.”