Whether you’re a Packers fan or a Steelers fan, you no doubt probably tuned into the Super Bowl last weekend not only to watch the game, but the highly anticipated SuperBowl ads.  They always seem to generate a lot of discussion, sometimes I think more so than the game itself.  Case in point – in our Monday morning meeting, the PR department’s conversation was mostly about which commercials they liked best, despite the fact that we have several die-hard sports fans in the group.

And while the discussion surrounding the commercials is all good and fun, as a marketing and branding professional, I now find myself more curious about the ROI (return on investment) and influence these ads have for each company and their consumers.  How are consumers watching these commercials, why are they watching them?  Can they remember the ad and the product after viewing?  In a recent Ad Age article, I found it interesting that while VW’s Little Darth Vader commercial is by far the most liked and most viewed on the web, it actually didn’t even break Nielsen Rating’s top 10 list of recalled ads.  With the added mix of social media and online video streaming, marketers are now faced with a more complex web of statistics and data to analyze just how well they fared. 

So far, data shows that the prize for online viewing clearly goes to VW with over 26 million views, with the Dorito’s Pug Attack and Chrysler’s “Imported From Detroit” starring Eminem following behind. 

Only time will tell whether VW can capitalize on their online success, but so far, I’d say the force is with VW.