This year’s Super Bowl ads brought their A-game, from hilarious moments to heartwarming stories, leaving us talking long after the final whistle. But what made these ads truly stand out and stick with us? At VuePlanner, we believe that understanding the science behind advertising can help predict which ads will resonate with audiences and which ones may fall short. Let’s take a closer look at the standout ads from the 2025 Big Game and explore what made them unforgettable—beyond just the entertainment value.
We’re analyzing USA Today’s list of the best Super Bowl ads from 2025, ranked using their Ad Meter. Leading up to the Super Bowl, individuals can register as Ad Meter panelists, where they watch and rate all eligible commercials that air during the game.
The Ad Meter tells us which ads people liked—but does liking an ad mean it actually works? That’s the real question. Panelists rate commercials in a controlled setting where they’re fully engaged. But in the real world, ads compete with endless distractions—notifications, conversations, second screens, and background noise. People often judge ads based on emotion—whether they’re funny, nostalgic, or heartwarming. But effective advertising isn’t just about being liked—it’s about engaging the subconscious mind in a way that makes people notice, remember, and take action.
While USA Today’s Ad Meter provides a solid starting point for understanding which ads resonate with audiences, we at VuePlanner see room for improvement. Their rankings rely on human judgment, which can be subjective, and not reflective of real-world settings, whereas our ad scoring system leverages ad science to predict whether the ad would actually tap into someone’s subconscious and capture real attention—leading not just to brand recall and recognition, but also to a campaign’s overall success with greater precision.
That’s why we’ve partnered with junbi.ai, VuePlanner’s AI-powered creative intelligence solution, to analyze these ads ourselves. junbi.ai is a cutting-edge, neuroscience-backed AI designed to help brands optimize their YouTube video ads and drive superior business outcomes. By simulating advanced eye-tracking technology, it predicts for attention and generates heat map outputs and evaluates creatives based on three key performance metrics:
- Brand Attention – How well does the ad capture and maintain focus on the brand?
- Ad Breakthrough – How effectively does the ad stand out against competing visual and distractions surrounding the ad?
- Cognitive Ease – How easily can viewers process and engage with the ad’s messaging?
With these insights, we can move beyond likability and determine which ads are truly built for impact.
junbi.ai goes beyond measuring preference—it predicts whether an ad genuinely captures attention and keeps viewers engaged. An ad may be entertaining, but if people scroll past or look away within the first few seconds, it’s wasted spend. By leveraging proven ad science, junbi.ai identifies which ads will break through the noise, stay top of mind, and drive real action.
Lay s- The Little Farmer
Let’s take a closer look at the Lay’s “The Little Farmer” ad, which USA Today panelists ranked this as the second best ad of the game. However, junbi.ai gave it an overall score of just 8 out of 100, showing a significant difference in evaluation.
One major issue junbi identified was the ad’s low-contrast, dull color palette, which failed to grab attention. With so many external distractions in a person’s real surroundings, such as other people, wall color, furniture and their phones. All these compete for the viewers’ attention and a dull, low-contrast ad would run the risk of being ignored in front of these distractors.
Another key weakness was delayed branding. In this one-minute ad, the Lay’s logo didn’t appear until the 42-second mark, meaning anyone who tuned out early would never know which brand was behind it. Even when branding did appear, it was either too small or too brief to leave a lasting impression. A strong storyline alone isn’t enough—if viewers don’t remember the brand, the ad is ultimately ineffective.
For maximum impact, even major brands like Lay’s should feature their name or logo early, prominently, and consistently throughout the ad. This aligns with the primacy-recency effect, which suggests that people best remember what they see first and last.
While “Little Farmer” has a charming storyline, when judged on actual effectiveness rather than just likability, it falls short. junbi.ai would not place this ad in the top five in terms of impact.
You can watch junbi’s full analysis here!
Michelob Ultra – The ULTRA Hustle
Next, let’s examine Michelob Ultra’s “The ULTRA Hustle” commercial featuring Catherine O’Hara and Willem Dafoe. USA Today ranked this ad as number three, but junbi.ai gave it a score of just 32 out of 100.
In terms of Ad Breakthrough, junbi determined that this ad performed well due to its consistent use of faces throughout, which naturally draw viewer attention. The high-contrast visuals also helped the ad stand out from surrounding distractions, making it more visually engaging.
However, the ad scored poorly in Brand Attention. In this one-minute spot, Michelob Ultra branded itself only a few times—and too subtly. The purpose of an ad is to build familiarity with the brand and make it memorable. To achieve this, brands should present their name and logo in a bold, clear, and prominent way. If Michelob Ultra had featured its branding at the start and maintained a visible logo throughout—perhaps in a corner of the screen—their brand recall would have significantly improved.
While they did show their brand name at the end, the font was too small and placed alongside other strong visual elements, particularly faces. When a brand name appears next to a celebrity’s face, where does the attention go? Almost always to the face. A more effective approach would have been to display the brand name on its own, free from competing visuals.
Overall, this ad had a fun storyline and strong execution in terms of grabbing attention and standing out from environmental distractions. With a few small adjustments, Michelob Ultra could have made this ad significantly more effective in driving brand awareness.
You can watch junbi’s full analysis here!
Bud Light – Big Men on the Cul-de-sac
Finally, let’s take a look at Bud Light’s “Big Men on the Cul-de-Sac” ad featuring Post Malone and Shane Gillis. USA Today ranked it at number seven, but after running it through junbi’s analysis, it received a score of 68 out of 100. This was one of the highest-scoring ad among those in USA Today’s top 10 list.
According to junbi’s Ad Breakthrough scoring, Bud Light did an excellent job capturing attention and minimizing distractions. The ad featured faces throughout, maintained strong contrast, and used clear focal shots to keep viewers engaged.
Its Cognitive Ease score was also high. Most scenes were displayed long enough for the brain to process, with minimal abrupt cuts and uncluttered backgrounds. This made the storyline easy to follow and the overall ad more digestible for viewers.
The only factor that lowered Bud Light’s score was Brand Attention. At the start of the ad, the brand name was displayed too subtly, competing for focus with prominent faces in the same scene. As mentioned earlier, faces naturally draw the most attention, making it difficult for the brand name to stand out. Bud Light repeated this mistake in the final scene, once again positioning its branding alongside faces, reducing its visibility and impact.
Overall, this ad excelled at grabbing and maintaining attention. With a few small branding tweaks, Bud Light could elevate it even further—ensuring that viewers not only enjoy the storyline but also clearly remember the brand behind it.
You can watch junbi’s full review here!
The Power of junbi AI
General likability scores alone aren’t enough to determine an ad’s success. Just because an ad is enjoyable doesn’t mean it’s effective. Many Super Bowl commercials take their time building up a story, assuming viewers will stay engaged until the punchline. But in today’s skippable, distraction-filled world, that’s a risky bet. junbi.ai evaluates how well an ad captures attention from the very first second through to the last second—because if people tune out early, the message never lands.
A celebrity cameo or a beloved brand can easily boost an ad’s Ad Meter ranking, but that doesn’t necessarily make it effective. If viewers remember the celebrity but not the brand, can the ad truly be considered a success? junbi eliminates this bias by analyzing the ad itself—its visuals, pacing, and composition—to determine whether it genuinely holds attention.
An ad can be funny, heartwarming, or visually stunning, but if people don’t remember who it was for, it has failed. junbi’s analysis goes beyond capturing attention; it evaluates whether the brand message is clear, memorable, and impactful long after the ad ends.
Conclusion
The 2025 Super Bowl ads have proved that entertainment alone doesn’t guarantee success. While USA Today’s Ad Meter rankings give us insight into which commercials audiences enjoyed, true effectiveness requires a deeper level of analysis. In today’s competitive ad environment, every second of engagement counts. Ads need to not only entertain but also capture attention, reinforce brand identity, and drive action.
That’s where VuePlanner’s AI-powered creative intelligence solution comes in. By leveraging neuroscience-backed insights from junbi.ai, brands can move beyond subjective likability scores and focus on what truly makes an ad work. Our data-driven approach ensures that only the most effective, attention-grabbing ads are pushed live, minimizing media waste and maximizing impact.
In a world where consumers are constantly bombarded with content, brands can’t afford to leave their ad performance up to chance. The right creative strategy—one backed by science—can make all the difference in whether an ad breaks through the noise or gets lost in the shuffle. By using tools like junbi.ai to fine-tune their creatives, brands can significantly improve engagement, reduce wasted impressions, and ensure their ad dollars are spent on content that truly resonates.
Partnering with VuePlanner to execute your YouTube ad campaigns ensures that your strong creatives are paired with data-driven strategies for maximum impact. Our AI-powered insights, combined with expert campaign execution, and custom curation practices help optimize every aspect of your ad, from targeting to pacing. By leveraging both powerful creative assets and precise execution, we guarantee your YouTube campaigns reach the right audience, capture attention, and drive meaningful results—unlocking the key to sustained success.
Ready to elevate your YouTube ad strategy? Contact us today to start maximizing your ad performance!