Celebrity cameos, bold visuals, and short formats helped brands breakthrough in the year’s most effective national TV ads across 15 categories
Today, TV outcomes company EDO unveiled the most effective TV ads from the first half of 2025, spotlighting the creatives that drove the strongest consumer engagement — measured by branded search and site visits — across 15 key industries, including Apparel, Auto, CPG, and Restaurants.
As media fragmentation grows and performance pressure intensifies, the most effective marketers are turning to outcome-based insights to inform their strategies. With every media dollar under greater scrutiny, EDO delivers the immediate signals brands need to make smarter creative and media decisions while campaigns are still live.
Each ad in EDO’s rankings outperformed its industry peers in driving immediate consumer response — behaviors that are proven to predict future sales. Marketers can look to these standouts for creative inspiration, performance benchmarks, and new ways to activate audiences across Convergent TV.
“Some of the biggest creative wins this year came from brands willing to meet the moment — whether it was Red Lobster rebuilding after bankruptcy, Cadillac stepping into the luxury EV space, or Taco Bell entering QSR’s crispy chicken wars,” said Laura Grover, SVP, Head of Client Solutions, EDO. “These campaigns took different paths and strategies, but all drove the real-world consumer engagement that signals intent and powers future business growth.”
Here are some of the top trends from EDO’s list. For a deeper dive into all 15 categories — including Alcohol, Breakfast, Credit Cards, Cruises, Insurance, OTC Pain Relief, Snacks, and Travel — visit edo.com/topads.
“Great creatives drive real business outcomes by inspiring viewers to take action,” continued Grover. “This year’s top ads used bold visuals, humor, music, and culturally resonant moments to spark meaningful response.”