Which Was Your Favorite Super Bowl Ad?
February 13, 2024 — The power of the college student perspective is important to advertisers. As what is consistently the most-watched television event of the year, advertisers showcased their most innovative and high-budget commercials on Super Bowl Sunday and Marist students took a unique opportunity to weigh-in.
For the first time, national news publication USA TODAY invited Marist students to participate and provide ratings on the ads for their annual Ad Meter.
In USA TODAY’s effort to capture the voice of the next generation, Marist was one of five schools selected from across the country to not only rate this year’s ads but also release their top 5 and bottom 5 the following week.
On Thursday, just a few days before the game, about 50 students gathered in Ward Hall lounge to watch many of the ads together and share their thoughts. It was a step towards Marist students determining their most favorite and least favorite of the dozens of new ads that will appear during the game broadcast. Students who who gathered at Ward Hall had the chance to be featured in USA TODAY.
Photo by Nelson Echeverria/Marist College.
“I thought it was great. I've never been to anything like this before and it felt really special to watch the Super Bowl ads early,” said Isabella Rado '25. “I loved the Dove commercial. I thought it sent a great message and I thought it was very relatable. If we do anything like this again, I really encourage other people to come because it was really, really fun.”
“It was so much fun, especially seeing everyone else's reactions at the same time and all the ads being seen early with the Super Bowl,” said Melena Russo '27. “I like the Judge Judy one with the e.l.f. (Cosmetics) commercial. I thought it was super funny. And I liked all the celebrity cameos.”
Now in its 36th year, USA TODAY's Ad Meter is a well-entrenched source for evaluating the popularity of Super Bowl ads, determining which ones resonated most with audiences and which ones fell short.
Lark-Marie Anton '99 is the Chief Communications Officer for Gannett/USA TODAY NETWORK. The media outlet reached out to notable collegiate institutions this year, including Marist, her beloved alma mater.
“I’m thrilled and so proud to have my fellow Red Foxes participate in USA TODAY Ad Meter and see what they think of the 2024 spots,” she said. “Not only are these students the next generation of industry creatives and professionals — they’re savvy consumers whose insights and opinions are invaluable.”
Photo by Nelson Echeverria/Marist College.
Students eagerly evaluated and ranked their top picks and the ads that failed to impress. Utilizing USA TODAY's platform, students were able to view many of the advertisements before the big game, many choosing to do so together at Ward Hall on campus.
Photo by Nelson Echeverria/Marist College.
Here are the ads Marist students liked the best and the least:
TOP 5
Dunkin’ – The DuKings
Hellman’s – Mayo Cat
Uber Eats – Worth Remembering
Dove – Hard Knocks
e.l.f. Cosmetics – Judge Beauty
BOTTOM 5
Snapchat – Less Social Media
He Gets Us – Foot Washing
TurboTax – Make Your Moves
Homes.com – Mascot
Squarespace – Hello Down There
“I think it was a really unique privilege and I was really excited to come in and watch all of the different commercials and see how much I related to them and just what I would expect in 2024,” said Megan Doshi '26. “I just think this is a super neat opportunity and I'm very excited to be here so thank you so.”
This experience allowed many marketing and communication students to engage with real-world advertising and marketing practices, offering valuable insights and potentially shaping the narrative around which Super Bowl ads are most successful.
Check out USA TODAY's article on Marist students and listen to insights from those who took part in the nationwide survey.
Assistant Director of Content Marketing & Communications Bryan Terry contributed to this article.
