USA TODAY Launches 34th Ad Meter Competition

Presented by Kia, the annual program gauges consumer sentiment about Super Bowl LVI commercials

USA TODAY, part of Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI), launched the 34th annual Ad Meter competition. Since its inception in 1989, Ad Meter has become the industry’s leading tool to measure public sentiment and opinion surrounding Super Bowl advertisements. This year’s program, presented by Kia Motors, features interactive voting, live programming and events to celebrate the spirit of the Super Bowl. Associate sponsors for the 2022 Ad Meter competition include Lay’s and Verizon.

Beginning February 9 at 12 noon ET through February 14 at 1 a.m. ET, registered Ad Meter participants can log in, watch and rate this year’s Super Bowl commercials to determine the fan favorites and ultimately, the best advertising campaign. Each participant must rate all Super Bowl advertisements for their final rating to count.

On February 14, at 7:00 am ET, the 2022 Super Bowl Ad Meter winner will be announced at admeter.usatoday.com which will include all Super Bowl ads and ranking results. At 12 noon ET “Ad Meter Live” hosted by “Entertain This” talent Ralphie Aversa will air on USA TODAY’s YouTube channel or admeter.usatoday.com featuring industry experts, including Adweek's Creativity and Inclusion Editor, Shannon Miller.

USA TODAY and YouTube’s strategic partnership continues for a third year, measuring sentiment analysis and providing data insights on the Ad Meter platform. All commercials ranked in USA TODAY’s Ad Meter will also be curated into a proprietary USA TODAY Ad Meter Playlist on YouTube AdBlitz.

“Every year, USA TODAY's Ad Meter plays a pivotal role in gauging consumers' opinions about the best Super Bowl commercials, and we're proud to continue the tradition in partnership with Kia, Verizon, and Lay's,” said Chris Pirrone, VP and General Manager, USA TODAY Sports Media Group. “We look forward to seeing which brands will be represented this year and how their commercials fare with the fans.”

“We're thrilled to continue our partnership and be a part of Ad Meter again this year,” said Russell Wager, Vice President, Marketing, Kia Motors America. “The Ad Meter competition is an exciting time for the advertising community, and as a proud 2017 Ad Meter winner, we at Kia have been long-time fans of the annual event and look forward to seeing what brands have planned this year.”

In addition to the traditional Ad Meter ranking, from February 14 to February 17 participants can cast their votes for USA TODAY Sports Replay Ratings by Verizon, another measurement tool to award commercials in categories including the most comedic, inspirational, heartwarming, action-packed, and more. Lay's will have a significant presence across Ad Meter throughout the competition, as well as the USA TODAY Sports Network.

USA TODAY Ad Meter will host a summit at the Endeavor Lounge, in partnership with 160over90 and Endeavor Analytics, on February 10 in Los Angeles, with media influencers to analyze and assess this year's ad lineup and consumer preferences. The summit will provide an inside look at the winning playbooks of Super Bowl LVI’s official sponsors and advertisers alongside other industry leaders.

To register as an Ad Meter panelist and receive updates on commercials, voting and more, visit admeter.usatoday.com.

About USA TODAY

Founded in 1982, USA TODAY reflects the pulse of the nation, serving as host of the American conversation by delivering high-quality, engaging content through unique visual storytelling across all platforms. A media innovator, USA TODAY reaches more than 100M unique visitors each month across digital platforms, with more than 25 million downloads of our award-winning app. USA TODAY is owned by Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI).

ABOUT GANNETT

Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI) is a subscription-led and digitally focused media and marketing solutions company committed to empowering communities to thrive. With an unmatched reach at the national and local level, Gannett touches the lives of millions with our Pulitzer Prize-winning content, consumer experiences and benefits, and advertiser products and services. Our current portfolio of media assets includes USA TODAY, local media organizations in 46 states in the U.S., and Newsquest, a wholly owned subsidiary operating in the United Kingdom with more than 120 local news media brands. Gannett also owns the digital marketing services companies ReachLocal, Inc., UpCurve, Inc., and WordStream, Inc., which are marketed under the LOCALiQ brand, and runs the largest media-owned events business in the U.S., USA TODAY NETWORK Ventures. To connect with us, visit www.gannett.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220207005144/en/