Each year the Super Bowl presents the opportunity for brands both big and lesser-known to capture the attention of the nation (and many people beyond).

It’s one of the strongest arguments against the idea that the internet is killing TV advertising, although online promotions and interactivity are a huge part of the overall experience.

Brandwatch tracked online mentions of each Super Bowl ad live as they aired to see which generated the most interest.

Here’s the top 10:

10. Burger King

11,000 mentions overall

Below is the full version of Burger King’s ad, though the ad which aired during the Super Bowl was just a 45 second clip.

Burger King’s ad was a clip of Andy Warhol eating a hamburger, from “Andy Warhol Eating a Hamburger,” directed by JØrgen Leth. It originally came out in 1982, as part of a film called “66 Scenes from America.”

“We believe that it’s kind of cool that he did a lot of art that looked like advertising and that we are using his art to advertise,” Burger King CMO Fernando Machado told AdAge. “It’s like a silent assassin in the clutter of the Super Bowl.”

9. Mercedes-Benz

12,000 mentions overall

Mercedes-Benz star-studded ad features Free Willy, Lassie, Wile.E. Coyote, Ludacris, and more famous characters in a world where everything listens to you.

The Mercedes-Benz 2019 A-Class does just that.

 

8. Doritos

13,000 mentions overall

 

In this homage to the new Doritos Flamin’ Hot Nachos, Chance the Rapper joins the Backstreet Boys to sing an updated version of the classic ‘I Want It That Way’, complete with original dance moves.

It’s a natural fit – if I were to tuck into a bag of Flamin’ Hot Nachos this is exactly what would spring to mind.

7. Planters

14,000 mentions overall

 

This nuts commercial features Charlie Sheen and a not-so-subtle dig at kale chips.

Mr. Peanut drives round in a giant nut car dishing out nuts at #crunchtime.

Particularly enjoyable is the small print at the start, encouraging viewers: “Don’t drive like a nut.”

The driving force behind all the mentions was Mr Peanut’s ongoing give-away in which tweeters were entered to win a bunch of cool prizes.

6. T-Mobile

14,000 mentions overall

T-Mobile released a bunch of humorous ads for the big game, advertising various partnerships with other brands as well as their own promotions.

People were particularly excited about the prospect of getting a free Lyft ride to Taco Bell for free tacos on Tuesdays.

5. Avocados from Mexico

16,000 mentions overall

Avocados From Mexico’s ad centres around a human dog show in which the prize is a trophy full of guacamole.

It’s a pretty weird entry, although no weirder than the Chance the Rapper / Back Street Boys mash up.

The Avocados From Mexico Twitter account really went to town with the healthy, always in season message.

4. Verizon

19,000 mentions overall

Verizon’s tear-jerker #AllOurThanks ad honors first responders who save lives every day.

Not all mentions were supportive of the brand.

3. Pepsi

40,000 mentions overall

Since Pepsi had an ad and sponsored the half time show, they could have been expected to do well.

That said, their star-studded, self-aware ad has generated more than 725k views on YouTube at the time of writing and references to the commercial made up a large chunk of their mention count.

2. The NFL

45,000 mentions overall

This bonanza of famous faces and cake destruction made the NFL the second most mentioned brand within Super Bowl conversation.

It’s a celebration of the games 100th season, and features 40+ current and former NFL players.

1. Bud Light

57,000 mentions overall

What gets people talking? Sports and Game of Thrones are a pretty solid bet, and that’s what made Bud Light’s Super Bowl spot the top mentioned of all the big game ads.

The ad features the Bud Knight taking on The Mountain in a jousting match as a dragon flies ahead, finishing up with confirmation of the April 14 release date of the long-awaited final season of GoT.

Nice job, Budweiser.

With thanks to Kellan Terry for analyzing the data live.

If you’re a journalist looking to cover our data you can email react@brandwatch.com for more information.