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Ken Jennings wasn’t the only one to score big on “Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time,” ABC’s showdown between the three most successful contestants ever to appear on the popular game show. Four of the week’s most effective commercials for limited-service restaurant chains aired during the multinight contest, as did the two breakthrough commercials from full-service brands.
Chick-fil-A topped the limited-service effectiveness rankings from EDO with a spot on “America’s Got Talent” for the chain’s Nuggets. The commercial featured voice-overs from customers explaining why they love the item.
A different Chick-fil-A commercial, focused on an employee's communication with customers via sign language, landed the No. 3 spot with its airing on the Tuesday edition of “Jeopardy!” Taco Bell finished in fourth place with its spots for $1 Double Stacked Tacos the next night, and earned a sixth-place berth with an airing on the special show’s finale.
Olive Garden grabbed the top two spots on the rankings for casual and midscale chains with commercials touting the Italian chain’s baked pastas. The same creative was run on separate nights during the special “Jeopardy!” tournament. The Darden Restaurants holding was the dominant force among all full-service brands for the week, securing seven of the top 10 rankings. In addition to the pasta line, the brand promoted its lunch offerings.
The rankings are based on EDO’s proprietary calculation of Search Engagement Volume, or changes in the level of searching for a brand after its commercial airs. The New York City-based agency views that metric as a gauge of consumers’ propensity to order from the chain.
Top 10 QSR/fast-casual network primetime TV ads
(Jan. 7 – Jan. 13) | |
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- Chick-fil-A Chick-fil-A Nuggets - Magic - 27.1 SEV
America's Got Talent (NBC), Jan 13, 6.5M impressions - McDonald's 2 for $5 Mix & Match - Choose From Your Favorites :15 - 19.2 SEV
Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time (ABC), Jan 9, 15.6M impressions - Chick-fil-A Signers - 15.1 SEV
Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time (ABC), Jan 7, 14.4M impressions - Taco Bell $1 Double Stacked Tacos - Big Show :15 - 13.2 SEV
Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time (ABC), Jan 8, 14.9M impressions - Wendy's 2 for $5 - 12.2 SEV
Last Man Standing (FOX), Jan 9, 4.4M impressions - Taco Bell $1 Double Stacked Tacos - Big Show :30 - 10.1 SEV
The Bachelor (ABC), Jan 13, 5.4M impressions - Wendy's 4 for $4 - Nothing Beats the One :30 - 9.9 SEV
The Bachelor (ABC), Jan 13, 5.4M impressions - McDonald's 2 for $5 Mix & Match - Choose From Your Favorites :15 - 9.5 SEV
Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time (ABC), Jan 7, 14.4M impressions - Dunkin' Beyond Sausage - Employee of the Month :15 - 9.4 SEV
America's Got Talent (NBC), Jan 13, 6.5M impressions - McDonald's 2 for $5 Mix & Match - Choose From Your Favorites :15 - 8.6 SEV
Dateline NBC (NBC), Jan 10, 4.1M impressions
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Top 10 casual/midscale network primetime TV ads
(Jan. 7 – Jan. 13) |
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- Olive Garden Oven Baked Pastas - New Year :30 - 47.4 SEV
Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time (ABC), Jan 8, 14.9M impressions - Olive Garden Oven Baked Pastas - New Year :30 - 33.2 SEV
Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time (ABC), Jan 7, 14.4M impressions - Applebee's Can’t Help Myself :15 - 15.6 SEV
Chicago Fire (NBC), Jan 8, 8.0M impressions - Olive Garden Oven Baked Pastas - New Year :30 - 13.4 SEV
Modern Family (ABC), Jan 8, 6.4M impressions - Olive Garden Oven Baked Pastas - New Year :30 - 13.1 SEV
America's Funniest Home Videos (ABC), Jan 12, 4.4M impressions - Olive Garden Lunch at Olive Garden :30 - 12.5 SEV
Truth and Lies: Jeffrey Epstein (ABC), Jan 9, 6.2M impressions - Applebee's One More Time - 11.2 SEV
Young Sheldon (CBS), Jan 9, 7.6M impressions - Olive Garden Lunch at Olive Garden :15 - 8.8 SEV
The Bachelor (ABC), Jan 13, 5.4M impressions - Olive Garden Lunch at Olive Garden :30 - 8.1 SEV
Stumptown (ABC), Jan 8, 2.7M impressions - Applebee's One More Time - 7.9 SEV
Undercover Boss (CBS), Jan 8, 4.3M impressions
Source: EDO SEV = Search Engagement Volume |
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Peter Romeo has covered the restaurant industry since 1984 for a variety of media. As Editor At Large for Restaurant Business, his current beats are government affairs, labor and family dining. He is also the publication's unofficial historian.
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