The Farmer’s Dog Wins USA TODAY’s 35th Annual Ad Meter Competition

The “Forever” commercial takes the top spot in this year’s competition, presented by Kia

MCLEAN, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--USA TODAY, part of Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI), announced The Farmer’s Dog, a brand that made its Super Bowl debut this year, the winner of the 35^th USA TODAY Ad Meter competition, presented by Kia Motors. The “Forever” commercial portrays the life-long journey and bond between a puppy and its owner progressing through decades and milestones together. The annual program is the industry’s leading tool to measure public sentiment and opinion surrounding Super Bowl advertisements.

USA TODAY Ad Meter panelists rated ads from February 8 to February 13, resulting in over 150,000 registrations. Registered panelists were required to rate all eligible Super Bowl commercials that aired during the game, from the coin toss to the 2-minute warning in the fourth quarter, scoring each from one as the lowest to a maximum of ten. The commercial with the highest average rating was named the winner.

The top five ads, as rated by the 2023 USA TODAY Ad Meter panelists are:

1. The Farmer’s Dog: “Forever” – Score 6.56
2. NFL: “Run With It” – Score 6.38
3. Amazon: “Saving Sawyer” – Score 6.35
4. Dunkin’: “Dunkin’ ‘Drive-Thru’ Starring Ben” – Score 6.34
5. PopCorners: “Breaking Good” – Score 6.26

“USA TODAY Ad Meter has been the premier platform for consumer engagement on game day for 35 years strong,” said Kelly Andresen, President of USA TODAY National Sales at Gannett. “When consumers become Ad Meter panelists, brands know what resonates. This year, The Farmer’s Dog won Ad Meter’s top spot by captivating the hearts of panelists.”

Following the USA TODAY Ad Meter competition from today to February 17, participants can cast their votes for USA TODAY Ad Meter Replay Ratings, another measurement tool to award commercials in a variety of categories including Rookie of the Year, most comedic, inspirational/heartwarming, and most nostalgic.

Programming to support this year’s Ad Meter included Behind-the-Scenes interviews and Best of Ad Meter Videos featuring celebrity guests including Serena Williams, Brian Cox, Anna Kendrick and Miles Teller across the USA TODAY Network, admeter.usatoday.com and the USA TODAY channel available on multiple streaming platforms online, from your smartphone, or on your TV, including XUMO, The Roku Channel, Amazon News, Tubi, Samsung TV Plus and more.

For a complete list of the 35^th USA TODAY Ad Meter results, previous winners, and more, please visit https://admeter.usatoday.com/.

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ABOUT GANNETT

Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI) is a subscription-led and digitally-focused media and marketing solutions company committed to empowering communities to thrive. With an unmatched reach at the national and local level, Gannett touches the lives of millions with our Pulitzer Prize-winning content, consumer experiences and benefits, and advertiser products and services. Our current portfolio of media assets includes USA TODAY, local media organizations in 43 states in the U.S., and Newsquest, a wholly owned subsidiary operating in the United Kingdom with more than 150 local news media brands. Gannett also owns digital marketing services companies marketed under the LocaliQ brand, and runs one of the largest media-owned events business in the U.S., USA TODAY NETWORK Ventures. To connect with us, visit www.gannett.com.