Sometimes, the best ads are the ones that remind us of ourselves or of everyday life. At least, those were the ads that performed best according to our Creative Breakthrough Score in Q1 of this year. As a reminder, our Creative Breakthrough Score measures how well an ad captures attention compared to other ads that run in the same pod. It is a strong measure of an ad's creative impact.
Airbnb, inspired viewers to think about their next family vacation with an attention-grabbing ad set to the sound effect of a phone going to voicemail. Bounty kept eyes on the screen with a tense moment of complicated at-home furniture assembly gone wrong. Amazon used music to pull viewers into a wedding day setting. Finally, Progressive showed a young homeowner turning into his parents while attempting to socialize on an elevator.
At TVision, we measure every second of TV and CTV content and ads and report on engagement in our SAAS platform Ad Scoreboard. We used that data to identify the top-performing ads of Q1 2023, which we've highlighted below.
In Ad Scoreboard, marketers are able to drill into the performance of their campaigns at the brand level and also analyze the performance of specific ads. Marketers use Ad Scoreboard to evaluate their own engagement and compare it to competitors. With insight into overall viewer Attention and Presence-in-Room, as well as the networks, apps, and dayparts that perform best, marketers are able to optimize their campaigns for maximum value.
Take a look at the videos below to see how the top ads from Q1 2023 captured viewer Attention second-by-second.
Creative Breakthrough Score - 109.8
The Top Ad for Creative Breakthrough Score, according to TVision's eyes-on-screen attention data comes from Airbnb. The ad premiered at the very beginning of February and features a montage of family vacation photos set to a minimalist soundtrack of a phone ringing and ringing before going to voicemail. The ad immediately grabs attention in its first few seconds as viewers hear the all-too-familiar sound--one we're all conditioned to react to. No music or voiceover needed.
The ad performed 7.4% above the network average for FOX, 6% for NBC, and 5.7% for ABC. Together, these three networks were responsible for 54% of the ad's impressions in the last three months. The ad also outperformed across all age groups--notably commanding 43.1% attention with 30-39-year-olds (7.5% above average for this demographic).
Creative Breakthrough Score - 110.7
The top ad for men shows the power of relatable scenarios. A couple just finished assembling a new coffee table, only to discover that they missed some essential steps in the instructions. The critical mistake results in the table buckling beneath its weight, causing a can of red soda to spill--endangering the white carpet. The tension keeps viewer attention high throughout the first two-thirds of the ad until the near-crisis is averted thanks to Bounty coming to the rescue. Phew! The ad captured 41.3% Attention with male viewers--2.1% above the average and also performed 2.5% above average with the 40-49-year-old age bracket.
Creative Breakthrough Score - 106.8
The Top Ad for Creative Breakthrough Score among women in Q1 2023 comes from Amazon, "Save the Date." The ad premiered over a year ago in February 2022, but continued to capture high attention at the beginning of this year. Similar to the Airbnb ad, this ad immediately grabbed viewers' attention in the first few seconds with a familiar sound. However, this time it was with music--specifically staple wedding march, Pachelbel's Canon in D. Attention then begins to drop off slightly as the bride and her bridesmaid have a surprise heart-to-heart about how commitment can be scary, in the context of Amazon Subscribe & Save. The ad performed especially well with the sought-after 18-29 demographic bracket--capturing 3.9% more attention than average for that group.
Creative Breakthrough Score - 105.2
Finally, the Top Ad for Creative Breakthrough Score among viewers ages 25-34 was a Progressive ad featuring, Dr. Rick. Similar to the other ads this quarter, this centered around a relatable family story. This time, the fear of becoming your parents as you get older and talking to strangers on elevators. With a healthy dose of awkward tension, the ad performed 2.5% better than the average for viewers 18-29 and +1.3% better for 30-39 year-olds. It also outperformed on BRAVO, with an overall ad attention of 48%, 6.3% better than the average ad on that network.
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