Ho, ho, ho...automakers hope to find plenty of green under their trees, this holiday.
Two signs the automobile industry is recovering from the economic maelstrom: one, there are more and better hors d’oeuvres at events sponsored by auto brands and two, satellites and cable transmissions are spewing out a seemingly endless variety of mind-numbing snow flake, smiling face, Santa, red ribbon commercials to sell viewers on buying that new car now. It’s perfect for Christmas, Hannukkah or Kwanza, right?
I haven’t seen all of the commercials, thank goodness, but Ace Metrix, an LA based research authority on television advertising effectiveness, has just released its Ace Scores for 2010 holiday-themed automotive ads. Overall these seasonal ads increased 10% over 2009.
“Automobile ads scored higher this year, particularly the ‘Desire’ and ‘Relevance’ scores, which indicate that consumers are more receptive to the marketer’s message. Perhaps feeling more comfortable in their own financial situation, these ads are tapping into consumers’ pent-up interest in a new vehicle,” said Peter Daboll, chief executive of Ace Metrix.
To even the most casual television viewer there seem to be more holiday themed car ads than previous years, but Ace has noted, there are fewer holiday ads overall in 2010. The average scores for those ads that are hitting the airways has jumped by over 10% from 2009 (from an average Ace Score of 471 in 2009 to an average Ace Score of 524 in 2010).
Here’s the list of the winners picked by consumers participating in the Ace research. To save you from searching You Tube or watching way too much television a link has been provided to view all the commercials yourself.
Top Ten Holiday-Themed Automotive Ads
- 1) Infiniti: Competitive Winter Event 2010 Ace Score: 614
- 2) Lexus: Dad & Daughter Pick Tree Ace Score: 591
- 3) Infiniti: Inspired Winter Event Ace Score: 585
- 4) BMW: It’s Not the Same Thing Ace Score: 583
- 5) Mercedes: The Winter Event Ace Score: 575
- 6) Lexus: December to Remember Sale Ace Score: 535
- 7) Chevrolet: Chevy’s Giving More Ace Score: 527
- 8) Happier Holidays Ace Score: 515
- 9) Lexus: Giant Stocking Ace Score: 513
- 10) Happy Honda Days Ace Score: 511
The winning ads were able to keep consumers interest, which is sometimes difficult for sales event advertising. The number one Infiniti ad generated the highest scores in ‘Likeability’ and ‘Attention’, also unusual for sales event ads.
Happy viewing. Merry Christmas and a Happy and healthy New Year.