MarketCast data reveals CTV and linear creative around family, fall and value is resonating with audiences.
Collage of screenshots from Chewy, Inspire, and Progressive ads showing a dog and cat, Joan Vassos, and Progressive Insurance employees inside a Sweet Eva's van
(Photo credits: Chewy, Inspire, Progressive / YouTube)
As the dog days of summer were winding down, a survey found television audiences were already eagerly anticipating the chillier weather and creature comforts of autumn. But even as they favor fall-themed creative in their finest football-themed wares, another survey found their excitement for Super Bowl ads is waning.
Intuit, NFL, Domino’s Pizza, Starbucks, Chewy, Dick’s Sporting Goods and Progressive Insurance emerged with the top 10 breakthrough ads across CTV and linear in August, according to a report by market research firm MarketCast.
The report, which measured more than 7,000 ads that ran during the month, found that spots featuring football, pets, seasonal items and big savings stood out in the pack. There were undeniable throughlines in both the CTV and linear spots: Despite the summer timing, audiences appeared ready to settle into more fall-themed rituals, like watching NFL football and enjoying comfort foods and seasonal drinks.
“I definitely think there's been a big lift in the emotional resonance play overall,” Emily Drabik-Stevens, VP, market strategy and enablement at MarketCast told Campaign about the findings. “I think it’s a warm nostalgia connection feeling. We've definitely been seeing that both in August and over the last couple of months.”
Creators and deals break through on CTV
Among CTV audiences, Intuit’s Better Informed Decisions scored 17% above the benchmark for MarketCast’s Breakthrough score, which measures viewers who not only remember the ad’s content (“Ad Memorability”), but can also attribute the ad to the correct brand (“Brand Linkage”). The spot features Street Hearts hostTiff Baira using her signature matchmaking skills to partner small business owners with QuickBooks software. It also offers viewers a 90% discount for three months, utilizing popular creators and a steep discount on its services to appeal to young and money-conscious entrepreneurs.
Coming in as close seconds with scores of 14% each above benchmark were Inspire’s slightly cheeky and ASMR-esque Do You Really Know Someone Until You Sleep Together?, which features Golden Bachelorette Joan Vassos and fiancé/season winner Chock Chapple promoting the brand’s sleep apnea implant, and an NFL Game Day spot promoting the purchase of tickets for an in-stadium fan experience.
Fall, family and affordability resonate on linear
Chewy’s Changes, featuring a family and their pets adjusting to a move, won over linear viewers, performing 16% above the benchmark. Knees from Aleve, featuring a woman named Carol enjoying pain-free garden work, and There’s Only One PSL from Starbucks, showing a montage of fans expressing their elation at the return of the chain’s popular pumpkin spice latte, trailed at 13%.
Other top-performing spots include School Pickup from Progressive Insurance, and spots promoting new menu items and value meal deals from Chick-fil-A, Wendy’s, Taco Bell, McDonald’s and Domino’s Pizza — the latter of which also ran an ad recruiting “Beta Testers” for its app in which users receive $5 for ordering pizza through the platform.
Drabik-Stevens also noted the results indicated audiences are keen on affordability, observing that factors such as back-to-school and preholiday budgeting may be spurring strong responses for many of the ads.
“There's definitely some economic signals that we're picking up on,” said Drabik-Stevens. “We're gearing for the holidays. We're back at school. Spending and money are on a lot of consumers' minds right now. We’re seeing this in-between period before we ramp up into actual holiday sale time in the ads.”
Not so ‘geared up’ for Super Bowl ads
While audiences may be eager to watch football, a September MarketCast report reveals interest has waned over recent years in watching Super Bowl ads.
The report revealed ads for Super Bowl LX performed below prior year benchmarks, with Ad Memorability dipping to 38% from 41%, Brand Linkage falling to 53% from 58% and Breakthrough petering out to 20% from 24% in 2025 and its peak of 27% in 2023 and 2024.
“As spend and cost [of spots] goes up each year, it's getting harder and harder to break through,” said Stacey Perrus, senior director of marketing communications and engagement at MarketCast. “That doesn't mean the [media] buy doesn't work anymore. It just means that advertisers have to work that much harder to make that buy work the same way it worked six years ago.”
By comparison, regular season and post-season spots performed more favorably, with the latter performing the strongest across all categories. These results — and the breakthrough ads leading into fall — suggest football’s audience pull is strongest when brands build around the season, rather than betting on a single activation.