Managing to light a fire in our hearts, Gaviscon’s ‘Tim and Tom at Dinner Table‘ advert beat both M&M’s ‘Eating in Bed‘ and KFC’s cryptically-titled ‘Fried Chicken Falls into Bucket‘ to retain the title of the most effective TV ad of 2017, according to analysis from Nielsen.
The heartburn remedy brand’s ad scored 67% on the ‘Net Impact Potential’ scale – a combination of how many viewers can remember the ad’s storyline and can also attribute it to the correct brand within 24 hours of seeing it – while M&M’s and KFC both scored 62%.
“The purpose of an ad is to generate awareness and the best ads are the ones where viewers can remember both the content of the ad and link it to the brand,” said Samuel Davis, Nielsen’s marketing effectiveness consultant.
“Gaviscon’s ad, like KFC’s, is not necessarily the funniest ad or most heart-warming, but they both do a great job at sticking in people’s minds and that’s what ads should be about.”
The analysis involved over one million survey results across 3,600 ads in 2017.
Chocolate/sweet brands did particularly well and accounted for half of the 10 most memorable ads, with Trebor, Skittles, Snickers and Maltesers scoring 61%, 59%, 59% and 58%, respectively.
For the first time ever, Amazon featured in the top 10 ads and was the only brand to have two entries – both of which were Christmas ads (Last Minute Christmas Deals and Going Out) – which both scored 59%.
Meanwhile, P&O Cruises sailed into the sunset with 61% for its ‘Day Three Eastern Madeira in Atlantic’ ad.
Davis said the top adverts suggest that creating an “‘own-able’ style with strong synergies between executions” helps to produce the best results.
“Unfortunately, there are no hard-and-fast rules when it comes to making an advert that will cut-through, however there are guidelines to follow,” he added.
“The best chances of making an ad memorable involve entertaining before educating and creating upbeat and simple storylines through relatable characters and situations. To drive brand linkage, insert brand cues early and often and integrate the brand into your storyline.”
