TWU business dean has expert pulse on Super Bowl ads

Feb. 6, 2025 — DENTON — They’re often funny, they frequently include celebrities, children and animals, and this Sunday, 30-second Super Bowl commercials will cost about $8 million to air during one of the year’s most celebrated events.

So with that kind of price tag, it’s no wonder advertisers are pulling out all the stops when producing the TV ad spots that are likely to remain the topic of social media and water-cooler talk for weeks afterward.

When putting together those commercials, advertisers often turn to tried-and-true practices of incorporating the aforementioned elements to guarantee their success, said Rama Yelkur, TWU’s dean of the Merrilee Alexander Kick College of Business and Entrepreneurship.

For roughly a quarter-century, Yelkur, a PhD, has been analyzing Super Bowl commercials on their effectiveness in connecting with audiences and advancing the promotional value of everything from potato chips to automobiles. Her robust analysis has landed her consulting work with global brands such as Kimberly Clark, Disney, Hormel Foods and the NFL.

Yelkur and several business students will be tuned in this Sunday to analyze the latest crop of Super Bowl commercials to add to her growing body of research. And this year, she and her team will be watching carefully for emerging predictors of commercial success.

“Humor remains an enduring predictor of the likability of Super Bowl commercials,” Yelkur said, adding: “A new predictor in the field is positive emotional appeal that emerged as the strongest predictor of ad likability during the COVID years.”

She also noted that sex appeal, which has become more frequent in TV ads over the past four years, has become a more consistent predictor of ad likability. But no matter what new trends may arise this year, it’s unlikely anything will compare to the popularity of celebrities helping pitch products. Last year, 75 percent of Super Bowl commercials included at least one celebrity.

Yelkur said her team also will be paying close attention to new advertisers during the Super Bowl. She said this year, at least 10 newcomers will enter what has become known as the “Ad Bowl.”