"The Evolution of Super Bowl Ads: Winners, Losers, and Record-Breaking Prices"

Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management has been evaluating Super Bowl ads for the past 20 years, focusing on business impact rather than just humor or likeability. Some of the best ads include Google's love story ad, E-Trade's talking baby, Amazon's Alexa losing her voice, T-Mobile's attack on Verizon, and Kia's portrayal of small-town heroes for the Telluride SUV. However, some ads, like Nationwide's 2015 ad featuring a child's death, GoDaddy's cringey kiss, Burger King's Andy Warhol ad, HomeAway's controversial baby scene, and Groupon's Tibet-themed ad, fell flat and even damaged their brands. The pressure to create a successful Super Bowl ad is intense, as it can either boost a brand's reputation or lead to apologies and career setbacks.