Auto Ads During Super Bowl Win Car Shoppers
ATLANTA -- Automakers spent millions on ads during Super Bowl XLVIII to grab the attention of car shoppers. And, based on search activity on AutoTrader.com, the expense more than paid for itself.
One of the big stories of the night was shopper interest in luxury vehicles, particularly exotics. Surprise advertiser Maserati saw the biggest lift in searches at both the make and model level: searches for the Ghibli model rose 2,143% the hour after the ad ran, while searches for Maserati as a whole were up 385%. A first-time advertiser on the big game, Jaguar, wasn't far behind; searches for the F-Type were up 1,460% the hour after its "Rendezvous" spot ran, while searches for Jaguar overall rose 208%.
Luxury vehicles from the higher volume manufacturers also drew significant car shopper interest: the Audi A3 saw the third-largest gain from a make/model perspective with a 379% increase in search activity coming from its "Doberhuahua" spot, with Hyundai right on its heels with a 373% lift in searches for the Genesis.
However, automakers didn't necessarily have to have a high-end offering to break through; the lift in searches for mainstream models Toyota Highlander and Ford Fusion were also significant -- up 84% and 81%, respectively.
"While the strong performance of the exotic manufacturers was impressive, it's in a way more relevant to see which of the volume vehicles broke through," said Rick Wainschel, vice president of automotive insights, AutoTrader.com. "Models like the A3, Genesis, Fusion and Highlander have a significant amount of competition and are on more consumers' shopping lists, so it means a bit more when they can stand out."
From a brand perspective, Kia was another big winner of the night, with a search lift of 150% the hour following "The Truth" spot. Hyundai and Audi performed well in the brand category as well, with searches up 50% and 47%, respectively. The Chrysler brand ad featuring Bob Dylan was another strong performer, with a lift of 47%.
Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
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