Which Super Bowl Ads went Beyond Entertainment to Drive Brand Results?

In the world of marketing, it’s not just about capturing attention; it’s about expanding connection points with consumers so trust can follow. High profile events like the Super Bowl give brands the platform to showcase creativity, storytelling, and their values to foster a more meaningful relationship with their audience.

But TV advertisements are short and viewer attention spans are even shorter. Successful brands extend the investment in airtime beyond initial engagement to build lasting connections.

This year, the most effective campaigns from the 2024 Super Bowl (so far) utilized consumer-first strategies to build multiple, positive touchpoints with audiences.

These campaigns are already supporting positive results like increased stock prices, search interest, and topical popularity, which set the winning brands up for sustained interest and longer-term positive brand impact.

Let’s review the top plays:

Dunkin’ brewed up a storm

With the celebrity-laden “The DunKings” ad, Dunkin’ leaned into relevant pop culture jokes, bridging an emotional gap with audiences. The brand even launched a related website and swag (which promptly sold out) to expand their visibility with consumers.

The ad generated an online buzz that has outperformed other major brands since the game — supporting a 53% growth in brand-related searches during the week following the super bowl, and a sustained growth in topical density within Google.

By using the ad’s widespread visibility and audience-informed humor to direct people to a Dunkin’ owned asset (its new website), the brand effectively moved audiences further into its brand ecosystem.

This approach facilitated a more immersive and controlled brand experience, allowing Dunkin’ to engage with consumers on its own terms. These touchpoints will support long-term brand trust and affinity, and likely attract more loyal customers.

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Dove spoke to this year’s largest female audience

In a year where women tuned in to watch the NFL in record numbers, Dove didn’t miss its opportunity to capitalize on their attention. The brand’s ad tackled low body confidence among young girls in sport while addressing female empowerment.

It drove significant visibility — the brand averaged 3% more weekly searches a full two weeks after launching the ad.

By providing tangible solutions beyond the ad’s story, including downloadable tools for coaches and TikTok challenges, Dove used owned and leveraged assets to share its brand ethos with the larger audience.

It also ensured these assets were optimized for visibility, many of which dominate organic search results for non-branded queries like “low body confidence.”

The ad inspired user-generated content that will bolster and control its brand narrative long-term, strengthening brand trust and credibility. It also did social good — supporting a sustained increase in search interest around body confidence by 89% during and directly after the Super Bowl.

Kia led with emotion

Kia tapped into emotions in its commercial depicting the connection between a young figure skater and her grandfather. The narrative campaign provided incredible user experience and message alignment, demonstrating the brand understands the deep-seated emotions of its target audience (parents).

The ad also directed viewers to Kia’s website, where their marketing team had prepared practical resources such as EV 101 guides, payment calculators, and real-life user stories on their website.

With many consumers turning to Google search to research topics like affordability and charging capability, Kia is smart to position itself as a knowledgeable resource. By proactively providing valuable information, Kia not only addresses the specific queries of potential buyers but also positions itself as a trusted advisor in the EV landscape.

The increased visibility, followed by useful resources, supported a sustained increase in brand interest. It helped drive a 3.5% growth in Kia’s stock prices — already high compared to 2024’s start — directly following the game.

In a world inundated with marketing noise, authenticity, relevance, and community engagement remain paramount. Brands that authentically align with their values, create content that speaks directly to audience needs and interests, and encourage movement toward owned brand assets can harness a lasting connection.

Kudos to these brands for not just entertaining us but also earning our sustained attention!

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Also catch; Episode 156 Of The SalesStar Podcast: Purpose-led Advertising Fundamentals with Julia Hitchman, Chief Commercial Officer at Good-Loop