Despite not being an actual game, the NFL Draft remains one of the more popular sporting events on the calendar every year. So much so, in fact, that it’s become a three-day event with separate English-language airings across ESPN, ABC and the NFL Network.
Needless to say, that provides a lot of opportunities for advertisers to get in front of football fans. So which brands were the most-seen during this year’s draft?
Progressive (65.0 million TV ad impressions)
Progressive ran six different spots during the NFL Draft this year, including “The Ad Where Nothing Happens,” which featured three of the five members of NSYNC. The spot was among the top 10 most-seen spots of the draft, and 26% of survey respondents considered the characters the Single Best Thing about the ad. The brand also debuted a newer spot last week, featuring football players Nate Burleson, Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Fields. “Up All Night” — ad creative aimed specifically at the draft.
IBM Cloud (58.3 million TV ad impressions)
Though IBM didn’t introduce new ads for the NFL Draft, it did incorporate various sports-related spots. “Hybrid Approach: Football” (with Mike Singletary) had the most TV ad impressions of any IBM Cloud creative during the draft, though most of the spots were newly introduced during early April’s U.S. Open.
GEICO (52.3 million TV ad impressions)
GEICO also didn’t opt for new spots during the draft, instead going with familiar creative and some sports tie-ins. Its most-seen ad was “GEICO Claims Audition,” featuring ESPN’s Dick Vitale. Ace Metrix Creative Assessment showed audiences found the spot to be quirky, with the characters (Vitale) seen as the Single Best Thing by 27% of survey respondents. The brand’s gecko mascot also appeared in two separate spots during the event.
Taco Bell (43.5 million TV ad impressions)
Taco Bell aired just two different ads during the draft, both of which were among the 10 most-seen over the course of the three-day event. “New Heights” showcased the $1 potato-rito and ranked third in impressions among all NFL Draft spots. Since the ad first aired on April 18, over 27% of its impressions have occurred during sports programming. Ace Metrix Creative Assessment found the ad received 11.6% higher attention than the norm over the last 90 days, and was 13.8% more watchable.
Corona Extra (41.8 million TV ad impressions)
Corona Extra aired three different spots featuring Snoop Dogg. However, its most-seen ad during the NFL Draft didn’t feature a celebrity. Instead, “Cinco for Good” celebrates small businesses and food service workers, and highlights Corona’s commitment to supporting the National Restaurant Association.
It was one of the 10 most-seen ads during the draft. Ace Metrix Creative Assessment showed it scored 11% higher on attention and 16% higher on likeability than the average Beer ad from the last 90 days. Audiences reported that the product placements throughout the ad made them thirsty as well, which led to a Desire score 18% above norm.
Interested in being the top brand during next year’s NFL Draft? Schedule a demo with iSpot today to learn more about how we can help make informed decisions around your TV ad buying.