The findings are contained in Clickin Research's annual study of Super Bowl television commercials. Findings indicate that ads for some well-established brands resonated with the audience while other brands did not. Apple showed some strong gains in likeability with an innovative partnership with Pepsi. Great increases in familiarity (nine per cent) as well as likeability (six per cent) were realised by Apple iTunes as a result of their Super Bowl exposure. AOL which focussed on their new optimised platform, captured audience attention with a set of surprising commercials and also achieved significant improvements between their pre- and post-measures.

In Clickin's pre- and post-game survey of American viewers' attitudes toward brands over 500 viewers participated in a survey designed to measure the effectiveness of the commercials that were aired and their impact on brand perceptions. The survey was administered prior to the Super Bowl and then again immediately after the broadcast.

Well-known advertisers like Budweiser, Pepsi and Frito-Lay showed little change in likeability or recognition as a result of their exposure. They were able to reinforce their already strong and leading positions. On a 100 point scale, Budweiser received the highest ad likeability score (85). Pepsi had the second highest with a 77, and Frito-Lay received the third highest likeability score for their ads (71). The likeability of these brands did not change as a result of the Super Bowl ads.

The study further noted that companies hoping to grab a bonanza from exposure to a huge worldwide audience often failed to realise that it is not simply about awareness of the product. It is about the meaning of the brand and the relevance of that meaning to the total experience delivered by viewing the game. Some ratings showed no improvement between the pre- and the post-game measures and occasionally the scores actually dropped. The reasons for these changes are complex and involve prior exposure to the brand, audience relevance, and the impact of the game itself. The game itself was a strong asset for this year's advertisers the study observed.