2025 USA TODAY Ad Meter Marketing Spotlight: TCU's top 5 and bottom 5
It's a debut for Texas Christian University, a private research university located in Fort Worth, Texas – and the inaugural panelists didn't disappoint.
The school had students from the Bob Schieffer College of Communications and Neeley School of Business rate this year's Super Bowl commercials, creating a mix of opinions that produced some of the most comprehensive breakdowns of the Big Game spots.
How did the Horned Frogs' collective opinions compare to the overall Ad Meter ratings?
TCU steps into the Marketing Spotlight.
SUPER BOWL COMMERCIALS 2025: Watch big game's best ads, Budweiser Clydesdales return
1. Instacart, "We're Here"
2. Michelob Ultra, "The ULTRA Hustle"
3. Novartis, "Your Attention, Please"
4. Hellmann's, "When Sally Met Hellmann's"
5. Lay's, "The Little Farmer"
1. Coffee mate, "Foam Diva"
2. Tubi, "Cowboy Head" (note: not part of the Ad Meter ratings, but discussed during post-ratings class conversation)
3. Mountain Dew, "Kiss from a Lime"
4. Cirkul, "You got Cirkul"
5. OpenAI, "ChatGPT | The Intelligence Age"
1. Lay's, "The Little Farmer"
2. Google, "Dream Job"
3. NFL, "Somebody"
4. Hellmann's, "When Sally Met Hellmann's"
5. Poppi, "Soda Thoughts"
1. Coffee mate, 'Foam Diva'
2. Tubi, 'The Z-Suite'
3. Hims & Hers, 'Sick of the System'
4. Fetch, "The Big Reward"
5. OpenAI, 'ChatGPT | The Intelligence Age'
1. Michelob ULTRA, 'The Ultimate Hustle'
2. Lay's, 'The Little Farmer'
3. Stella Artois, 'David and Dave'
4. Bud Light, 'Big Men on Cul-De-Sac'
5. NFL, 'Somebody'
1. Coffee mate, 'Foam Diva'
2. Tubi, 'The Z-Suite'
3. Hims & Hers, 'Sick of the System'
4. OpenAI, 'ChatGPT | The Intelligence Age'
5. Cirkul, 'You Got Cirkul'
All three classes rated the Lay's "The Little Farmer" creative as one of the best, with Avery Kisner saying, "The spot connected back to the product, unlike many commercials that tell stories yet have nothing to do with their product. So, when I remember the Little Farmer, I always remember it's Lay's."
"Classic heartfelt Super Bowl ad, executed well," added Jake Ogburn.
"I loved that this empowered a young girl to be independent and feel empowered," said Gabrielle Topfer, whose thoughts were echoed by Sofia Startz: "I loved the nostalgic feel of being a child and how Lay's incorporated storytelling by not just selling a bag of chips but the story behind it."
Storytelling grabbed the attention of student Charley Simpson, who saw Stella Artois' spot as a perfect production blend.
'Loved the storytelling aspect of the commercial …the plot caught my attention right away, moving into David & Dave meeting, it was entertaining and easy to follow," said Simpson. "I liked how they bonded over the product, yet the product wasn't introduced until the end of the commercial, allowing the viewer to enjoy the commercial without feeling pressured to immediately engage with the brand."
Bailey Diamond kept the focus on the Anheuser-Busch brands in the national lineup, this time heading over to the neighborhood block party and Bud Light's solid use of star power.
"A perfect way of adding in celebrities that felt authentic to the brand and felt like everyday users of the product," noted Diamond of the 60-second spot that finished seventh in the overall Ad Meter ratings. "Post Malone, Shane Gillis, and Payton Manning were the perfect 'Holy Trinity' of a singer, comedian, and athlete they could use for the commercial."
AB's domination in the top 10 also included the Michelob Ultra commercial, which student Sophia Richards saw as the right blend of recognizable faces for the intended audience: "Great celebrities for the age demographic that consumes alcohol. Funny."
Another commonality among the three classes was the positive feedback for the NFL's "Somebody," ad. Repetition creating a powerful cascade of emotions, the 60-second spot highlighted "a good message" according to student Matt Stoutenborough, while classmate Gabrielle Topfer noted the commercial showed how it's "important to encourage kids at a young age to be confident in who they are."
As for the NFL's setting and use of the Big Easy?
"Being from New Orleans, this commercial was relatable and extremely heartfelt," said Kate Bensel.
The TCU students all agreed that Coffee mate's "Foam Diva" missed the mark, with each class selecting the 30 seconds of tongue-dancing theatrics as the least-favorable ad of the night.
"This ad was weird and disturbing," said Camie McLeod of the commercial, which finished 55th (out of 57) in the Ad Meter ratings.
OpenAI's first jump into the national lineup on advertising's biggest stage also didn't land with the TCU collective. Student Jacqui Cook explained that the campaign was "too futuristic," while Matt Stoutenborough focused on the creative swing and miss: "I was unaware of what it was about."
Other spots that failed to make a positive impression on the Horned Frogs mirrored many of the commercials that finished near the bottom of the pack, with the last-place spot from Fetch holding a notorious distinction in the Big Game for student Jack Borek: "First commercial where I actually looked away disinterested."
The TCU students ultimately highlighted how the next generations of sports marketing, media, and even business talents can view personal opinions within a larger context, including other age demographics.
One of the best examples of this constructive conversation came from student Catalina Aria, who is from Costa Rica. Her insightful observations toward the Poppi campaign highlighted the challenges brands face with capturing Gen-Z while keeping some relevance with older consumers.
"I'm surprised by Poppi's low rating, especially since they collaborated with influencers like Alix Earle and Jake Shane," she began. "Having seen behind-the-scenes content from the campaign beforehand, I was excited to see the commercial … this made me realize that while these influencers are highly relevant to our generation, their reach may not extend across all demographics."
Will there ever be a Super Bowl advertising home run that connects with nearly all the 120-million-plus viewers?
It's a question that brands and creative agencies often grapple with as they search for "that great Big Game ad."
For Jack Borek, the formulaic tug-of-war was very much present in the overall Super Bowl 59 campaigns: "Ads that played on human emotion connected with me the best, like the Lay's ad," Borek said. "But I also really liked the creative use of celebrities in Jeep, Uber Eats, Bud Light and more which added comedy…
"Ads that I rated the best tended to have a combination of both concepts."
USA TODAY Ad Meter would like to thank Texas Christian University for participating in the 2025 Marketing Spotlight, with a special note of gratitude to Professors Kevin Smith, Megan Korns Russell and Dr. Catherine Coleman.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 2025 USA TODAY Ad Meter Marketing Spotlight: TCU
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