What the 2020 Super Bowl ads tell us about creative effectiveness

System1, the international research firm, analyzed all the commercials from the 2020 Super Bowl to understand the main drivers of emotional response and, in turn, creative effectiveness.

As the biggest advertising showcase in the US, Super Bowl commercials have a tendency to be over the top as they strive to grab viewer attention in a uniquely cluttered, competitive brand environment.

But analysis covering this year’s spots, conducted by international research firm System1, shows that the biggest lesson to come out this year’s crop of big-budget ads is to keep it simple.

The best commercials, in fact, exhibited at least one – and sometimes all – of the following traits, and offer useful guidance for future advertisers in the NFL season-closer, and for marketers seeking to...

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