Raise a glass to the young Clydesdale foal who starred in “First Delivery,” the 90-second Super Bowl spot from Budweiser, as the iconic beer brand rode him to victory in the 37th USA Today Ad Meter competition.
The annual initiative by the Gannett property helps gauge public sentiment about national Big Game spots, and more than 173,000 people registered to participate as panelists this year.
Those panelists gave each ad that aired between kickoff and the two-minute warning of the fourth quarter ratings on a one-through-five scale, with five representing the best.
Budweiser’s Clydesdale foal crossed the finish line in first place. The ad featured his journey from sadness at being too young to join the hitch team and deliver beer, to saving the day by retrieving a fallen keg and ensuring that it reached the bar, soundtracked by “Let Your Love Flow,” a 1976 hit from the Bellamy Brothers.
The top five ads in the 37th USA Today Ad Meter competition were:
- Budweiser, “First Delivery,” 3.56 average score
- Lay’s, “The Little Farmer,” 3.55
- Michelob Ultra, “The Ultra Hustle,” 3.52
- Stella Artois, “David + Dave,” 3.51
- National Football League, “Somebody,” 3.49
“Cheers to Budweiser as the 2025 USA Today Ad Meter champion,” USA Today senior vice president Monica Richardson said in a statement. “Given the popularity of Ad Meter, USA Today is launching USA Today Movie Meter as a platform for movie enthusiasts to rate their ‘Film of the Year’ based on the Oscar nominations as USA Today continues to innovate as the place for content the nation needs and wants.”
