The CRTC may be ready to give Canadian viewers their long-lost U.S. Super Bowl ads in the coming years, but for now, YouTube is giving fans their ad fix ahead of the big game.
According to a Google consumer survey conducted earlier this week examining the top-trending Super Bowl ads on YouTube, 41% of Canadians visit the site to search for Super Bowl ads before and after the game. It’s their preferred method of discovery, followed by sifting through social networks (18%) and getting recommendations from family and friends (17%).
Canadian YouTube searches for “Super Bowl commercials” have outpaced similar searches in the U.S. for the past five years. Typically, when it comes to which ads Canadians are most interested in, big brands are king. Perennial Super Bowl advertisers like Doritos and Budweiser received the highest number of Canadian searches last February. (Scroll down to see which ads have received the most global views so far this year.)
The survey also revealed that Super Bowl spots stick in Canadians’ collective consciousness long after the Gatorade showers. Budweiser’s “Puppy Love” and “Always #LikeAGirl” spots from last year have racked up more than 55 and 54 million You Tube views respectively, and were featured in Canada’s 2014 YouTube Ads Leaderboard.
For some, the ads are more exciting than the main event, with 25% of Canadians reporting that they are more likely to discuss the commercials than the halftime show on the Monday following the game.
The survey also revealed:
• Super Bowl ads have been viewed online more than 44 million times so far, up 25% from last year
• Consumers worldwide have watched more than 70 million minutes of Super Bowl ads on YouTube so far this year, nearly triple that of last year
• On average, each ad was viewed for more than a minute and a half
• Nearly 70 Super Bowl ads or teasers have been uploaded to YouTube, up 55% from the same time last year
Most-viewed Super Bowl Ads
(by global views as of Jan. 24, 2015)
1. Nissan (in collaboration with YouTube creator Rowan Atwood)
2. Carl’s Jr.
3. Bud Light
4. Snickers
5. Bud Light (teaser)
6. Victoria’s Secret
7. Carnival Corp.
8. Toyota
9. Pepsi
10. Carnival Corp.
