Reese’s, a Super Bowl Rookie last year, is returning to the Big Game for the second consecutive year. With a 30-second spot, the ad is expected to feature a runaway bride and a scooter-riding grandma in hot pursuit to find Reese’s Chocolate Lava Big Cup. The brand actually launched the new item a bit more quietly in November of 2024, with that 15-second spot generating the brand’s highest purchase intent over the past year. What made this creative so effective in driving positive business outcomes?
While conversions represent completed actions and can provide a snapshot of post-campaign performance, they are influenced by a variety of external factors, including competitor maneuvers, pricing, and changing market conditions.
Purchase intent is the purest early indicator of an ad’s sales potential—but knowing why it resonates is even more powerful. With these insights, advertisers can sharpen their creative strategies and refine messaging to positively influence purchase decisions.
iSpot’s Creative Assessment analyzed three years of Reese’s ads to pinpoint the winning creative elements that most influence consumer intent. The Optimal Profile below reveals the features that set high-performing ads apart.
Reese’s Volcano :15
Purchase Intent Gap to Category Norm: +10 pts (73% Top 2 Box)
The Optimal Profile for the Reese’s brand reveals that Likeability is historically the most differentiating creative aspect in driving consumer intent, followed by Relevance/relatability. The Attention-grabbing ability of the ad as well the level of Information and Change conveyed also contribute, but to a lesser extent.
The :15 “Reese’s Volcano” over-indexed on each creative driver of Purchase Intent by a wide margin and easily appealed to a broad audience (necessary for the Super Bowl). In fact, the creative ranked in the top percentile of the past year in breakthrough, Information and Change—and 98th in Relevance. Even though candy might naturally have broad appeal, this level of creative accomplishment sets the ad apart.
The deliciously Surreal visuals captivated viewers, leaving them both Incredulous* and curious about the innovative new product, within a highly entertaining experience. Placing in the higher Purchase Intent quadrant signifying its persuasive abilities, “Reese’s Volcano” persuaded 73% of all viewers to positive consideration (besting candy & gum norms by + 10 points) in creative testing.
For any given brand, making a measurable impact on its unique set of KPIs can deliver higher purchase intent creative—whether it’s Likeability, Attention, Relevance or the level of Information or Change conveyed in the ad. Will Reese’s 2025 Big Game ad deliver the same results? Sign up for iSpot’s VIP Ad Center to find out and track creative and audience performance insights for every Super Bowl LIX ad, including pre-releases and teasers.
*Indicates one of the 57 emotional reactions iSpot Creative Assessment measures for every video ad.