Brands shell out millions of dollars for a 30-second commercial slot during the TV mega-event that is the Super Bowl. And many brands tap celebrities to be the faces of their Super Bowl ads, hoping their fame and likeability will translate to the brand. But does celebrity endorsement really work?
Not necessarily, according to MindProber’s Super Bowl LVII ad analysis. We found that celebrity endorsements do not always lead to better results when it comes to generating emotional engagement for viewers during the game.
What really matters in ad measurement
MindProber’s analysis shows that celebrity endorsement ads do not lead to higher Emotional Impact Scores (EIS) than non-celebrity ads. In fact, celebrity ads scored, on average, slightly lower on EIS than non-celebrity ones during the 2023 Super Bowl. On the other hand, ads featuring stars outperformed non-celeb ads in terms of likability.
Likability data, which is collected from our in-app dial that allows users to score a moment by like or dislike, shows celebrity ads are well-liked and effective at transferring positive sentiment to the brands. But when we measure more deeply into the audience’s real-time emotional reaction — going beyond what viewers tell us — we see celebrity ads actually have a less emotional impact than ads that don’t feature superstars.
What to do when star power dims
Our data suggest that while celebrity endorsement ads may be an effective way to promote recognition of a brand or product, they are not as effective at creating a stronger emotional connection with consumers, which is what translates to conversion and, ultimately, increased revenue.
There may be reasons companies will choose to use celebrities in their advertising campaigns, such as to increase visibility or perceived credibility. But according to MindProber data, celebrities don’t necessarily translate to the kind of emotionally impactful ads brands want.
How to understand if ads are engaging to brand buyers? Companies should support their decisions for the next Super Bowl ad campaigns with data-driven insights instead of relying on the misconceptions of star power.
Learn more
If you want to know more about our ad analysis methodology and our full Super Bowl ad rankings, contact us.
Interested in more use cases? Check out our White Paper and Case Studies page.
