Super Bowl LI is almost here, and with it that equally-beloved American institution: Super Bowl ads. Odds are you’ll have some strong opinions on what exactly are the best (and worst) commercials of the night are, and if you do, you can have your voice heard by registering as a panelist for USA TODAY’s Super Bowl Ad Meter, the foremost tracker of public opinion on Super Bowl ads. Interested? Have questions? See the FAQ below so you can get started.
And if you have more questions, contact us at admeter@usatoday.com.
How is Ad Meter 2017 different than previous Ad Meters?
The big change 2017 is that voting on ads that have been revealed to the public will begin on Wednesday, February 1, at noon ET. As soon as an ad is released, we will add it to the voting platform. Remember: in order for your vote to count, you must vote on every ad—so don’t forget to come back during the Super Bowl to finish rating all the commercials.
Another notable change is that voting will remain open until 1 a.m. ET/10 p.m. PT the night of the Super Bowl. This will give participants more time to weigh in on their favorite commercials.
Just like last year, U.S. citizens, 18 years of age or older who want to be Ad Meter panelists can register online now to get access to use a password-protected microsite to vote on Super Bowl Sunday. We’ll again be rating halftime ads as well as the commercial block between the coin toss and kickoff (in addition to the ads that run all the way through the end of regulation of the game). Additionally, a dedicated online portal—admeter.usatoday.com—will host daily content supporting the excitement and stories leading up to the game.
When does Ad Meter voting registration begin and end?
Registration is open now and will close at the end of regulation of the game.
When does voting begin and end?
Voting for this year’s Super Bowl Ad Meter begins on Wednesday, February 1 at noon ET, and ends at 1 a.m. ET/10 p.m. PT the night of the Super Bowl.
What is the history and significance of Ad Meter?
USA TODAY created the Super Bowl Ad Meter in 1989 to gauge consumers’ opinions about television’s most expensive commercials. The 2017 Ad Meter is the 29th year and the results have become the industry-leading tool used to measure public opinion surrounding Super Bowl ads.
Can just anyone participate? How can you “control” who they are?
Yes, US citizens 18 years of age and older can participate. Interested panelists must register in advance at admeter.usatoday.com. Participants will be asked for basic demographic information— age, gender, income, zip code. Once they are accepted, they will receive the information on how to vote on Super Bowl Sunday.
Can an advertiser “game” the system?
As proved by the size of the voting panel in 2016, we will again have a statistically significant amount of votes cast in 2017 to keep any one advertiser from “gaming” the system. We will be monitoring our registrations and auditing the voting process closely for any sort of patterns or discrepancies—like bulk voting or Bots—and we will investigate anything that seems odd.
Are there any incentives to participate?
We are not offering incentives or payment for participation.
How many panelists do you expect/want?
We again expect to have thousands of participants like we did in 2016.
Are you changing any of the rules around eligible ads?
No. Like last year, all national ads that air from after the coin toss through the end of regulation (including halftime) will be voted on.
How does the voting work? How is the winner determined?
Each commercial will receive a rating by every panelist who votes. Average rating will be the total of all ratings divided by the number of users who rated. The highest average rating will be the winner. The winner of the 2017 USA TODAY Super Bowl Ad Meter will be declared at the conclusion of voting on admeter.usatoday.com and the results will also be printed in USA TODAY.
Why now include the halftime and coin toss to kickoff ads?
Brands have started developing ads specifically for halftime as part of their marketing strategies so we thought it was time to include these commercials. Also, ads in the coin toss-to-kickoff window are now almost identically priced to ads inside the game, so we decided to start rating those as well.
Do you have any sponsors for Ad Meter 2017?
Yes—we do have sponsors: Adobe and WordPress.com.
As panelists are voting–will ads be in the same order as they are in the telecast?
Yes—we plan to put the ads in telecast order on the voting site.
Do panelists have to vote on every ad?
Yes—all panelists are required to vote on every ad.