USA TODAY to Commemorate 30th Ad Meter Presented by Kia

Audience will choose from the top performing ads to celebrate 30th running of USA TODAY’s popular annual competition

USA TODAY, part of Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI), has launched the Ad Meter 30th Anniversary Bracket presented by Kia. The bracket competition celebrates three decades of its popular Super Bowl advertising competition and industry-leading tool used to measure public opinion surrounding the game’s commercials.

Every year since 1989, USA TODAY’s audience has crowned their favorite Super Bowl commercial, becoming a staple for the advertising and creative community. This year, USA TODAY will be taking a look back at the previous winning ads, giving fans the opportunity to pick their all time favorite beginning today at www.admeter30.usatoday.com. The competition will feature bracket-style, round-by-round voting and will close on January 31st.

The 30th anniversary competition includes last year’s winning spot, Kia’s “Hero’s Journey,” previous winning ads from PepsiCo, and 14 ads from the all time high winner, Anheuser-Busch InBev.

“For 30 years, people have used Ad Meter to voice their opinions on the biggest ads of the year,” said Andy Yost, chief marketing officer, Gannett | USA TODAY NETWORK. “This year, we are excited to bring the winners of the last 29 years together for a competition to crown the best of all time. The competition is stiff, but we trust that the best will rise to the top.”

“As last year’s winner of USA TODAY’s annual Ad Meter poll, we are honored to sponsor the 30th anniversary of this much-anticipated, annual pop culture moment,” said Saad Chehab, vice president, marketing communications, Kia Motors America. “Super Bowl commercials are more popular than ever and we’ll be watching and looking forward to another year of fierce and creative competition.”

The 32 commercials in the anniversary bracket include the 30 winners from the past 29 years of Ad Meter (two tied for the top prize in 2011). To round out the bracket, the two highest-rated, second place finishers are also included. The ads are:

1989, American Express, “Jon Lovitz and Dana Carvey go to the Super Bowl”
1990, Nike, “Announcers and Athletes”
1991, Diet Pepsi, “New Jingle Spreads Around the World”
1992, Nike, “Michael Jordan and Bugs Bunny”
1993, McDonald’s, “Jordan, Bird Shoot Hoops”
1994, Pepsi, “A Chimp Experiment Goes Awry”
1995, Pepsi, “Boy Gets Sucked Into Pepsi Bottle”
1995, Pepsi, “Pepsi vs. Coke Truck Drivers” (second place)
1996, Pepsi, “Coke Driver Nabs Pepsi”
1996, Pepsi, “Frozen Tundra” (second place)
1997, Pepsi, “Bears Dance to Village People Tune”
1998, Pepsi, “Flying Geese”
1999, Budweiser, “Separated at Birth”
2000, Budweiser, “Rex the Dog Recalls Worst Day”
2001, Bud Light, “Cedric’s Date Goes Awry”
2002, Bud Light, “Romantic Evening Goes Awry with Satin Sheets”
2003, Budweiser, “Football-Playing Clydesdales and Zebra Referees”
2004, Bud Light, “Owners Demonstrate How Their Dogs Fetch Bud Light”
2005, Bud Light, “Pilot Jumps Out of Plane for Six-Pack”
2006, Bud Light, “Secret Fridge Stocks Bud Light”
2007, Budweiser, “Crabs Worship Bud Ice Chest”
2008, Budweiser, “Dalmatian Trains Clydesdale”
2009, Doritos, “Crystal ball Sees Free Doritos”
2010, Snickers, “Betty White and Abe Vigoda Play Football”
2011, Doritos, “Dog Gets Revenge” (tied for first place)
2011, Bud Light, “Dog Sitter Puts Dogs to Work” (tied for first place)
2012, Doritos, “Dog Bribes Cat Owner”
2013, Budweiser, “Horse and Trainer Reunited”
2014, Budweiser, “Puppy Love”
2015, Budweiser, “Lost Dog”
2016, Hyundai, “First Date”
2017, Kia, “Hero’s Journey”

Additionally, a corresponding editorial partnership with Ad Age, the leading global source of news for marketing and media communities, will feature content and articles that look back at the Ad Meter era of Super Bowl advertising and celebrate its creativity.

“The Super Bowl is our Super Bowl,” said Brian Braiker, editor, Ad Age. “We’re pretty pumped to be joining forces editorially with USA TODAY as we mine Ad Age’s Super Bowl Ad Archive for behind-the-scenes stories and insights on classic ads to make the Ad Meter bracket even more robust.“

To vote and celebrate the 30th year of Ad Meter, please visit www.admeter30.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 nearly 80 million unique visitors each month across digital platforms, with more than 24 million downloads of our award-winning app. USA TODAY also remains the nation’s number one newspaper and is owned by Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI).

About Kia Motors America

Headquartered in Irvine, California, Kia Motors America continues to top quality surveys and is recognized as one of the 100 Best Global Brands and 50 Best Global Green Brands by Interbrand. Kia serves as the "Official Automotive Partner" of the NBA and LPGA and offers a complete range of vehicles sold through a network of nearly 800 dealers in the U.S., including cars and SUVs proudly built in West Point, Georgia.*

For media information, including photography, visit www.kiamedia.com. To receive custom email notifications for press releases the moment they are published, subscribe at www.kiamedia.com/us/en/newsalert.

* The Sorento and Optima GDI (EX, SX & Limited and certain LX Trims only) are assembled in the United States from U.S. and globally sourced parts.

About Ad Age

Ad Age is a daily must-read for an influential audience of decision makers and disruptors across the marketing and media landscape.

Created in 1930 to cover a burgeoning industry with objectivity, accuracy, and fairness, Ad Age continues to be powered by award-winning journalism. Today, Ad Age is a global media brand focusing on curated creativity, data and analysis, people and culture, and innovation and forecasting.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180119005436/en/

USA TODAY NETWORKStephanie TackachDirector, Corporate Communications and Public Relations212-715-5490stackach@gannett.com

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