Anheuser-Busch Takes Top Spot In USA TODAY Ad Meter

MCLEAN, Va., Feb. 4, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Anheuser-Busch took the top stop in the 25^th annual USA TODAY Super Bowl Ad Meter. The winning ad featured a touching moment between a man and his Clydesdale. Panelists gave the ad a score of 7.76 (on a scale of 0 to 10).

In celebration of the 25^th anniversary of Ad Meter, USA TODAY expanded the vote to thousands via a password-protected site. More than 7,600 panelists voted on the more than 50 ads that ran during the game. Go to admeter.usatoday.com to watch all the ads and see full USA TODAY Super Bowl Ad Meter results. Complete results are also available in today's editions of USA TODAY.

The top five ads and final ratings are:

• Anheuser-Busch – Budweiser Brotherhood - 7.76
• Tide – Miracle Stain – 7.75
• Ram - Farmer – 7.43
• Frito-Lay Doritos – Fashionista Daddy – 7.27
• Jeep – Whole Again – 7.20

USA TODAY created the Super Bowl Ad Meter in 1989 to gauge consumers' opinions about TV's most expensive commercials. Ad Meter results have long been the industry-leading tool used to measure public opinion surrounding Super Bowl ads.

Previous Ad Meter panel winners:

• 2012 - Doritos – Man's Best Friend – 8.82
• 2011 – Tie - Bud Light – Dog sitter puts dogs to work, Frito-Lay Doritos – Dog's revenge for Doritos teasing – 8.35
• 2010 – Mars Snickers – Betty White and Abe Vigoda in casual football game – 8.68
• 2009 – Frito-Lay Doritos – Crystal ball sees free Doritos – 8.46
• 2008 – Anheuser-Busch – Dalmatian trains Clydesdale to make beer wagon team – 8.73
• 2007 - Anheuser-Busch – Crabs worship a cooler of Budweiser on the beach – 8.56
• 2006 – Anheuser-Busch:  Secret refrigerator stocked with Bud Light – 8.39
• 2005 – Anheuser-Busch:  Pilot jumps out of airplane for Bud Light – 8.65
• 2004 – Anheuser-Busch: Owners demonstrate how their dogs fetch Bud Light – 9.04
• 2003 – Anheuser-Busch: Replay – 8.99
• 2002 – Anheuser-Busch: Satin Sheets – 9.11
• 2001 – Anheuser-Busch: Cedric's dream date – 8.63
• 2000 – Anheuser-Busch: Rex the Dog recalls his worst day – 8.09
• 1999 - Anheuser-Busch:  Separated at Birth - 8.01
• 1998 - Pepsi: Flying Geese - 9.08
• 1997 - Pepsi: Dancing bears - 8.22
• 1996 - Pepsi: On security camera, Coke driver nabs Pepsi - 9.42
• 1995 - Pepsi: Boy gets sucked into bottle - 9.66
• 1994 - Pepsi: Chimp escapes lab, hits the beach - 9.34
• 1993 - McDonald's: Jordan and Bird shoot hoops - 9.00
• 1992 - Nike: Bugs Bunny and Michael Jordan team - 8.51
• 1991 - Diet Pepsi: Ray Charles' new jingle catches on - 8.52
• 1990 - Nike: Famous announcers call imaginary game - 8.17
• 1989 - American Express: Dana Carvey and Jon Lovitz travel to the Super Bowl - 7.52.

USA TODAY is a multi-platform news and information media company. Founded in 1982, USA TODAY's mission is to serve as a forum for better understanding and unity to help make the USA truly one nation.  Through its unique visual storytelling, USA TODAY delivers high-quality and engaging content across print, digital, social and video platforms.  An innovator of news and information, USA TODAY reflects the pulse of the nation and serves as the host of the American conversation – today, tomorrow and for decades to follow. USA TODAY, the nation's number one newspaper in print circulation with an average of nearly 1.8 million daily, and USATODAY.com, an award-winning newspaper website launched in 1995, reach a combined 6.6 million readers daily. USA TODAY is a leader in mobile applications with more than 16 million downloads on mobile devices. USA TODAY is owned by Gannett Co., Inc. GCI.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120913/DC73541LOGO)

SOURCE USA TODAY