Who Spent the Most on Advertising in 2014

AdAge recently came out with an article on what companies spent the most on their advertising campaigns in 2014 with the help of statistics by iSpot.tv. It’s easy to see that auto manufacturers were top on the list. In fact, four automakers spent more than any other advertiser in 2014 according to iSpot.tv. Together, Buick, Mazda, GMC and Fiat spent over $290 million on advertisements with Buick at the top.

List of Companies That Spent the Most on Advertising in 2014

1. Verizon – $93 million – More Everything Plan

2. Buick – $92 million – 2014 Buick Lineup

3. Esurance – $78.5 million – Beatrice

4. Domino’s Pizza – $74 million – Specialty Chicken – Failure is an Option

5. Mazda – $68.1 million – Bruce Lee & Dare the Impossible 

6. State Farm – $65.4 million – 3 AM Savings, State of Unrest

7. Trivago – $64.3 million – Compare Prices Campaign

8. Sleep Number – $63.6 million – Find Your Setting

9. GMC – $62.7 million – Sierra 1500 Crew Cab Summer Selldown

10. Fiat – $61 million – Mirage featuring P. Diddy and Pharrell

Which Advertiser Came Out On Top

Most likely, Trivago, although it will take time to see how the travel site grows this first quarter.

The most successful campaign here can be determined by a number of factors, but we think that the most successful advertiser had to be Trivago. Their campaign was simple, straightforward and uninhibited. It’s an incredible advertisement to explain something that everyone has been wanting for some time. For more specific proof, you only have to look at Expedia’s profits and prosperity after the acquisition of Trivago.

How TV Ads Sponsor Social Interaction

Another way to determine the success of these advertisements is to look at the social response to each ad. According to iSpot.tv, there were 4.5 billion digital views for ads that aired on TV. Of those, iSpot tracked 125 million social interactions and 800 million searches that linked to when the ads aired on TV.

This means that advertisers should look at more ways to creatively inspire social interactions from their advertisements. There is a blatant need for ads to be created that people want to share.

Overall, the most successful ad of the year for social interactions would have to be Budweiser’s “Puppy Love,” which aired during the 2014 Super Bowl and had 54 million online views as well as 2.6 million social actions.