Jeep’s Groundhog Day ad wins Super Bowl gold

Patrick Mahomes wasn’t the only one with the golden touch on Super Bowl Sunday. Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs marched to a thrilling, come-from-behind victory in Super Bowl LIV – and so did many of our favorite brands.

Jeep’s “Groundhog Day” ad – featuring Bill Murray, Punxsutawney Phil and others in a flashback to the blockbuster movie, where the ageless comic takes an unwitting groundhog on countless adventures in a Jeep Gladiator – was ranked the No.  1 ad in the USA TODAY ad meter, Adweek and Ad Age (which once again partnered with iSpot.tv, the TV ad measurement and attribution company).

The priceless Hyundai spot featured Boston-affiliated celebs, including actor Chris Evans, John Krasinski, Saturday Night Live alum Rachel Dratch and former Boston Red Sox star David Ortiz, who discussed the latest Hyundai feature that lets car owners park remotely with exaggerated accents making “Smart Park” sound like “smaht pahk.”

Google’s ad stood out with a poignant tear-jerker. It features a man reminiscing about his wife using the Google Assistant feature to pull up nostalgic photos of her and past vacations. The ad is set to an instrumental version of “Say Something” by Great Big World.

Here are the Top 10 ads from USA TODAY ad meter:

1. Jeep “Groundhog Day”

Average Rating: 7.01

Air Time: Third Quarter

2. Hyundai “Smaht Pahk”

Average Rating: 6.98

Air Time: First Quarter

3. Google “Loretta”

Average Rating: 6.77

Air Time: Second Quarter

4. Doritos “The Cool Ranch”

Average Rating: 6.62

Air Time: Third Quarter

Doritos added a hilarious dance off to “Old Town Road,” Lil Nas X’s smash hit of the year. In the Western-themed ad, Lil Nas faced off with grizzled character Sam Elliot with wacky, sometimes GCI-enhanced dance moves at the “Cool Ranch.” Billy Ray Cyrus, who is part of the song’s remix, also made a cameo.

5. Rocket Mortgage “Comfortable”

Average Rating: 6.60

Air Time: Second Quarter

6. NFL “Next”

Average Rating: 6.60

Air Time: First Quarter

7. Amazon “Before Alexa”

Average Rating: 6.40

Air Time: Third Quarter

8. Kia “Tough Never Quits”

Average Rating: 6.19

Air Time: Third Quarter

9. Microsoft “Be The One”

Average Rating: 6.13

Air Time: Fourth Quarter

10. Cheetos “Can’t Touch This”

Average Rating: 6.07

Air Time: Fourth Quarter

Cheetos used nostalgia effectively, channeling the 30-year-old MC Hammer classic “U Can’t Touch This.” The snack food ad features a man with bright orange Cheetos dust on his hands who uses it as an excuse not to move furniture and perform office tasks. Hammer himself – “Hammer pants” included – popped up to bark out his iconic catch phrase.

Adweek’s Top 10:

1. Jeep “Groundhog Day”
2. Google “Loretta”
3. Amazon “Before Alexa”
4. Hyundai “Smaht Pahk”
5. Snickers: “#SnickersFixTheWorld”
6. Mtn Dew Zero Sugar: “As Good as the Original”
7. Tide: “Super Bowl Now, Laundry Later”
8. Microsoft “Be The One”
9. Porsche: “The Heist”
10. Rocket Mortgage “Comfortable”

Ad Age’s Top 10 (Digital Share of Voice):

1. Jeep “Groundhog Day”
2. Facebook: Ready to Rock?
3. GMC: Quiet Revolution [T1]
4. Google “Loretta”
5. Doritos “The Cool Ranch”
6. Pepsi Zero Sugar: Zero Sugar. Done Right.
7. Hyundai “Smaht Pahk”
8. Planters: Baby Funeral
9. Olay: Make Space For Women
10. Rocket Mortgage “Comfortable”