While many advertisers played it safe in the first half of 2025, the breakthrough TV campaigns took calculated risks that paid off in measurable ways. Having tracked every national TV ad's real-world impact, our team at EDO can show you exactly which strategies separated winners from the pack.
Our full analysis included over $22 billion in estimated TV spend across 43,000 creatives and 4 trillion impressions. EDO measures TV ad engagement by how effectively it drives real consumer behavior — like search and site visits – in the moments after an ad airs.
Top creatives across categories generated the strongest audience response, though brands took many different paths to success — from retail’s focus on products and celebrities to the auto and restaurant brands that tackled economic uncertainty head-on. Let’s take a closer look at some of the key trends.
Effective TV strategies vary, though star power shines
Looking at 2025’s first-half ad leaderboard, our first striking observation is that TV performance varies greatly across and within categories. While some industries were dominated by a small number of brands, others saw every single one of their top 10 creatives come from a different advertiser.
In categories like alcohol, a remarkable diversity among top performers spanned everything from premium liquors to craft beers to mainstream lagers. Other categories showed heavier concentration, such as Quick Service Restaurants (QSR), which was dominated by national brands like Taco Bell.
While there's no universal formula for success, the power of celebrity stood out as a consistent trend. Few spots exemplified this effect better than Levi's “Pool Hall” ad featuring Beyoncé, which topped the Apparel category. Timed with the release of her "Cowboy Carter" album and ongoing tour, which created an organic brand alignment, the creative drove 373% higher engagement than the average Apparel ad.
As consumer tastes and interests constantly evolve, media leaders need outcome measurement to quickly adapt to what resonates with audiences.
Autos speed past competition with savvy positioning
With most auto brands having a mix of US and non-US production, nearly every manufacturer was heavily impacted by tariff announcements in early 2025. But one brand led the charge in responding to this rapidly changing environment.
Following the tariff news, Ford quickly launched an ad touting the scale of its US workforce and domestic production. The ad spot, “Commitment,” generated 186% stronger engagement than the average Non-Luxury Auto ad, demonstrating how fast-moving advertisers can capture consumer engagement during significant cultural moments and news cycles.
The effectiveness of Ford's approach was reinforced by real market behavior — we observed a surge in auto sales in April as consumers accelerated purchase decisions to get ahead of potential tariff-driven price increases.
Restaurant brands double down on value
As economic uncertainty has persisted throughout the year, restaurant brands proved that value-focused messaging remains a powerful driver of consumer engagement. However, successful execution requires authentic brand storytelling rather than simple price promotion.
Red Lobster stood out by combining value messaging with thoughtful executive communications. Casual Dining’s top performing ad spot, “Real Talk Real Change” highlights the restaurant chain’s charismatic young CEO and recent "back to basics" approach that delivers what consumers have been asking for. The creative connects value to quality, tradition, and leadership, driving 252% higher engagement than the average Casual Dining ad.
Discover your next TV campaign success formula
Whether leaning into celebrity partnerships, touting product benefits, or relying on simple, authentic storytelling, brands have multiple pathways to effectively engage TV audiences at scale. But our H1 2025 top ads analysis reveals that successful TV advertising also increasingly requires the intersection of creative excellence and strategic market intelligence.
To keep pace with industry changes, media buyers and sellers need real-time outcomes signals to understand which approaches and placements are working best. This requires moving beyond traditional delivery metrics to focus on actual consumer behavior and engagement.
Curious to dive deeper into these trends and discover which creatives dominated across all categories? Check out our full H1 2025 Top Ads interactive leaderboard to explore the top 10 creatives across 15 categories and uncover strategic insights that can fuel your next campaign.