Google’s “Loretta” was found to be the most effective ad of this year’s Super Bowl LIV, according to new research released by Unruly, a video advertising technology company. After the big game, Unruly ranked the top commercials from the night using its proprietary metric, UnrulyEQ, which scores ads based on customer engagement and ability to drive brand metrics.

 “Loretta” ranked highest on Unrulys list of Most Effective Ads of Super Bowl LIV, scoring a 6.5 out of 10, followed by Cheetos’ “Can’t Touch This” (6.1), NYLIC’s “Love Takes Action” (6.0), and Doritos’ “The Cool Ranch” (5.9).

 According to Unruly’s research, Google’s ad made 49 per cent of viewers have an intense emotional response to the commercial – 58 per cent more intense than the average US ad, and the highest ranking of any ad tested. Unruly also revealed that “Loretta” was almost twice as likley to make a viewer smile, almost four times more heart-warming and 12 times sadder than the average US ad. The ad also made other Google metrics increase, such as purchase intent, which jumped to 46 per cent, and willingness to learn more about the brand, which reached 47 per cent.

 “The Super Bowl is traditionally the chance for advertisers to bring home the laughs, yet two of the top three ads leaned heavily on more serious emotions,” said Terence Scroope, VP, Insight & Solutions, US, Unruly. “Google’s ‘Loretta’ ad had the highest score for sadness in the top 10 and both Google and NY Life Insurance had some of the highest scores for warmth at 32 per cent and 26 per cent, respectively. It really shows how leaning into more unusual emotions can help brands stand out during the funny ads usually dished out during the Super Bowl.”