TNS conducted some early analysis on Super Bowl ads such as Colgate’s Save Water campaign and Heinz’s Sausage Dogs and found that Colgate is so far the best performer with regard to emotional impact, and Heinz looks to be edging the viral battle. 

However, TNS claims that neither ad has a great deal of long-term relevance to the brands they promote, and as such are unlikely to create the engagement from consumers that contribute to long-term brand building success. 

“Heinz and Colgate have created a splash this year with highly original content and we’re also seeing some strong cause-related campaigns," said Franck Sarrazit, global director of Brand & Communication at TNS. "In all of these cases we’re seeing brilliant engagement on social media but low scores when it comes to relevance and long-term impact.

“If we reflect on some of the most successful moments in the Super Bowl’s 50-year history, the likes of Macintosh: "1984" have been most successful precisely because they resonate with consumers in a meaningful way while also showing a clear link to the brand’s values.

“It will also be fascinating to see whether any brands take the risk with reactive campaigns on the night. Oreo was the clear winner in 2013 when following an unplanned power cut in New Orleans it shared an advert reminding people ‘you can still dunk in the dark’. The ad was shared over 10,000 times within the hour. When advertisers are spending up to $5 million to run an ad during the Super Bowl, the ability to run a smart, quick and responsive ad on social media is undoubtedly the best way to cut through the noise.”