5 of the Most Impactful Advertisers of 2019

Graeme Bruce - December 18th, 2019

Every day, Americans are inundated with advertising. Messaging comes from every direction. It takes a really good, and sometimes great, message to break through the noise.

We’re able to identify the standouts with YouGov’s BrandIndex tool. A look through the data for 2019, reveals a few traits that helped some advertisers jump to the front of the line in terms of public attention.

Not surprisingly, humor and starpower drove the biggest jumps in advertising awareness for some of these brands. But not all of the humor was intentional; a viral miscue also drove one brand’s exposure to new heights.

Here’s a look at the 5 most impactful advertisers of 2019, based on YouGov’s Ad Awareness score from its powerful BrandIndex tool.

Doordash: A food delivery app

There’s no denying food-delivery app DoorDash has had a great year. Its Ad Awareness has more than tripled, with which came

increased consideration

for the brand that has no shortage of competitors from the likes of Uber Eats, Postmates and Grubhub.

The “Delicious at Your Door” campaign by agency M/H VCCP marked the brand’s first national advertising effort, followed just months later by “Pop-up” in partnership with agency Brand New School, a campaign that included digital ads, billboards, transit shelters, bus sides, wallscapes and taxi tops in 13 cities.

The company’s 2019 advertising push was rounded off with the “Every Flavor Welcome” campaign with the The Martin Agency, which launched in October.

Peloton: An exercise bike company

Yes, Peloton’s holiday ad was the subject of pointed ridicule, but it did contribute to the brand’s late-year Ad Awareness rise. The stationary bike company will end the year by logging its highest Ad Awareness score ever, according to YouGov data.

The spot, produced with agency Mekanism, features a man gifting his wife a Peloton bike which prompted gender-related criticism that Peloton wasn’t likely expecting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pShKu2icEYw

Lincoln: A car brand from Ford

The luxury vehicle brand, with agency Hudson Rouge, enlisted hefty star power in 2019 to sell its fleet. The brand once again put Matthew McConaughey in the driver’s seat as the face of the 2020 Lincoln Aviator midsize SUV. After becoming a brand ambassador in 2018, Serena Williams starred in the company’s Navigator campaign that launched during the 2019 Grammy Awards.

This year, Licoln also brought on famed photographer Annie Leibovitz for a print and digital campaign for the Continental sedan launch. And for its Corsair small SUV campaign, Musician and actor Jon Batiste the face of a music contest “Chart Your Course,” in which the winner will get recording time at Capitol Studios and be the face of a future Lincoln ad.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wC_vc8QW5HA

Purple: An online mattress company

Born from a $171,000 Kickstarter campaign in 2015, direct-to-consumer online mattress company Purple has found its advertising groove in an increasingly crowded market, thanks to its continued emphasis online videos.

When we say crowded market, we mean slammed, with some 175 brands. Purple and big-name rival Casper are neck-and-neck in terms of purchase consideration among Americans, according to YouGov BrandIndex.

While Purple — in partnership with Harmon Brothers marketing firm — has traditionally relied heavily on funny shareable online videos to get its name out, in 2019 the brand ventured into linear television advertising with a spoof on prescription drug ads.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHR7tbmRvv0

Duluth Trading Co.: An apparel company that features rugged clothing

For several years now, Minnesota-based workwear brand Duluth Trading Co. has garnered attention thanks to quick and funny ad spots that are often simple animated shorts with baritone voiceovers that conjure up images of Nick offerman or Sam Elliott. These ad campaigns, led by the ad agency Planet Propaganda, remain memorable hits and the brand’s Ad Awareness has risen by five percentage points since the beginning of 2019.