There’s a new metric in town—how many times a Super Bowl spot gets rewound.
According to The New York Times, in homes with the TiVo video recorder service the commercials got a higher audience than the game.
Todd Juenger, vice president and general manager for audience research and measurement at the New York office of TiVo, said, “There is rewinding and multiple viewing of the ads” on Super Bowl Sunday. It’s one of the few times it happens.”
TiVo’s list of most-watched spots was topped by one of two for E*Trade featuring a “talking” baby; in this spot, the infant spits up at the end of his spiel.
The E*Trade commercial, created by the Grey Global division of the WPP Group, was followed on the TiVo list by one featuring Justin Timberlake, for a music promotion co-sponsored by Pepsi-Cola and Amazon; a spot for Doritos created by a consumer for a contest last year; one for Coca-Cola Classic that spoofed the red-blue political divide; and a spot with Carmen Electra for Ice Breakers Ice Cubes gum.
The results “say something about the TiVo audience in terms of what works to get something rewound,” Mr. Juenger said, listing tactics like humor, celebrities and surprise punch lines.