Do Minds rank Super Bowl ads like real people?
100 grounded Minds rated all 54 ads in the USA TODAY Ad Meter 2026. Their ranking closely matched the human panel's (Spearman 0.79), but they rated the ads about 5% of the scale too kindly.
We showed all 54 ads from the USA TODAY Ad Meter 2026 to an audience of 100 grounded Minds and asked how much they liked each one. Then we compared their answers with the ratings of the Ad Meter's human panel.
The two rankings were close. The rank correlation was 0.79 (95% interval 0.65 to 0.88), and in 80% of the 1,420 ad pairs, Minds and humans put the same ad ahead. On average, an ad's Minds score was 6.77% of the rating scale away from its human score.
The scores were not perfect. Minds rated the ads too kindly, by 5.12% of the scale on average, and their scores spread only 0.70 times as widely as people's. Use the ranking; calibrate the level.
What did we do?
We built an audience of 100 Minds to reflect U.S. adults. A Mind is an AI respondent with its own profile and memories; an audience is a group of them used to answer research questions. Age, sex and region follow the Census Bureau's 2024 population estimates. Race and ethnicity, education and employment follow the 2024 American Community Survey. Party identification, including people who lean toward a party, follows Gallup's 2025 figures, and the type of community people live in follows the 2024 General Social Survey. Combinations of these traits follow the patterns observed in the 2024 General Social Survey, so the audience contains realistic people, not random mixes of traits.
Each Mind is grounded. It has a trained profile and its own knowledge base, with a median of 124 knowledge items (between 102 and 138 per Mind). Every one of the 5,400 answers drew on the answering Mind's own knowledge, a median of 4 retrieved passages per answer. No answer used web search.
All 54 ads went into one survey, each as the full video. Every Mind answered the same question for every ad: "How much do you like Ad NN overall? Rate from 1 (do not like it at all) to 5 (like it very much)." NN was the ad's number in the survey. That makes 100 Minds × 54 ads = 5,400 answers. Each Mind gave a probability for each of the five options, and its score for an ad is the expected rating. An ad's Minds score is the average over all 100 Minds. The rankings below come from sorting those scores. The survey ran in English.
The human side is the USA TODAY Ad Meter 2026 for Super Bowl LX. USA TODAY reported about 190,000 registered panelists. Each panelist had to rate every eligible ad on the same 1 to 5 scale, and USA TODAY ranks the ads by their average rating. It does not publish how many people rated each ad.
Every ad counts. We did not remove difficult ads or keep only our best matches.
100 Minds. The full ranking.
Across all 54 ads, the Spearman rank correlation between Minds and humans was 0.79 (95% interval 0.65 to 0.88). At most 1 in 10,000 random shuffles of the Minds scores reached a correlation that high (permutation p ≤ 0.0001).
A more concrete way to read the ranking: take any two ads that humans scored differently. There are 1,420 such pairs. In 1,134 of them, or 80%, Minds also scored the human favorite higher. Kendall's tau-b, which counts these agreements and disagreements, was 0.59.
The Pearson correlation between the scores was 0.78. People's favorite ads also tended to get higher Minds scores, although the order was not identical.
How close were the scores?
Ratings stay on the 1 to 5 scale. Gaps are shown as a share of the scale's range: the scale spans 4 points, so a gap of 0.4 points is 10% of the scale.
On average, the Minds score of an ad was 6.77% of the scale away from its human score (95% interval 5.46% to 8.11%). "Absolute" means that scoring too high and scoring too low both count as a miss; they do not cancel out. The median gap was 6.50%. The root mean square gap, which weighs large misses more heavily, was 8.43%.
Average score gap per ad
All 54 ads. Each gap is shown as a share of the 4-point range of the 1 to 5 scale. Lower is closer to the human scores. The bias-corrected row estimates the shift for each ad from the other 53 ads only.
- Minds6.77%
- Minds, after removing the average bias5.59%
| Across all 54 ads | Average absolute gap (% of scale) |
|---|---|
| Minds | 6.77% |
| Minds, after removing the average bias | 5.59% |
Much of the remaining gap is a constant shift. When we estimate the average bias from the other 53 ads and subtract it from each ad, the average gap falls to 5.59% of the scale. That correction is shown for context; the headline result uses the uncorrected scores.
| Across all 54 ads | Result |
|---|---|
| Ads within 5% of the scale of their human score | 23 of 54 |
| Within 10% | 43 of 54 |
| Within 15% | 51 of 54 |
| Within 20% | 53 of 54 |
Top and bottom
For creative teams, the ends of the ranking matter most. Here they are side by side.
| Place | Humans | Minds |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Budweiser · American Icons | Lay's · Last Harvest |
| 2 | Lay's · Last Harvest | Pepsi · The Choice |
| 3 | Pepsi · The Choice | Toyota · Superhero Belt |
| 52 | Ro · Healthier on Ro | Coinbase · Everybody Coinbase |
| 53 | Svedka · Shake Your Bots Off | SalesForce · @MrBeast's Vault |
| 54 | Coinbase · Everybody Coinbase | Poppi · Make it poppi |
Two of the human top three were also in the Minds top three. The human winner, Budweiser, came fourth with Minds, and the Minds third place, Toyota's Superhero Belt, was 20th with humans.
The bottom three overlapped less: only Coinbase was in both. The other two human bottom three, Ro and Svedka, were 49th and 51st with Minds, so still near the bottom. Across larger groups, the overlap grows.
| Group | Ads in both lists |
|---|---|
| Top 3 | 2 of 3 |
| Top 5 | 3 of 5 |
| Top 18 (first third) | 12 of 18 |
| Bottom 3 | 1 of 3 |
| Bottom 5 | 3 of 5 |
| Bottom 18 (last third) | 14 of 18 |
Minds did not like everything. Their lowest scores went to ads that people also rated low: 14 of the 18 ads in the human bottom third were in the Minds bottom third.
Archive upload by System1 Group. No official upload is publicly available.
Budweiser: human score 4.00; Minds score 3.46.
Budweiser · American Icons
Average liking on a 1 to 5 scale. Humans: USA TODAY Ad Meter 2026. Minds: 100 grounded Minds.
- Humans4.00
- Minds3.46
Toyota: human score 3.04; Minds score 3.51.
Toyota · Superhero Belt
Average liking on a 1 to 5 scale. Humans: USA TODAY Ad Meter 2026. Minds: 100 grounded Minds.
- Humans3.04
- Minds3.51
Coinbase: human score 2.06; Minds score 2.49.
Coinbase · Everybody Coinbase
Average liking on a 1 to 5 scale. Humans: USA TODAY Ad Meter 2026. Minds: 100 grounded Minds.
- Humans2.06
- Minds2.49
Where did Minds come closest?
Some scores were almost identical. We picked these examples after scoring; every result above still includes all 54 ads.
| Ad | Human | Minds | Absolute gap (% of scale) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rocket and Redfin · America Needs Neighbors Like You | 3.27 | 3.2668 | 0.08% |
| NFL · You Are Special | 3.23 | 3.2394 | 0.23% |
| Levi's · Backstory | 3.02 | 3.0296 | 0.24% |
Rocket and Redfin: human score 3.27; Minds score 3.27.
Rocket and Redfin · America Needs Neighbors Like You
Average liking on a 1 to 5 scale. Humans: USA TODAY Ad Meter 2026. Minds: 100 grounded Minds.
- Humans3.27
- Minds3.27
The owner does not allow this video to play on other websites. Open the cover or the YouTube link to watch it.
NFL: human score 3.23; Minds score 3.24.
NFL · You Are Special
Average liking on a 1 to 5 scale. Humans: USA TODAY Ad Meter 2026. Minds: 100 grounded Minds.
- Humans3.23
- Minds3.24
Levi's: human score 3.02; Minds score 3.03.
Levi's · Backstory
Average liking on a 1 to 5 scale. Humans: USA TODAY Ad Meter 2026. Minds: 100 grounded Minds.
- Humans3.02
- Minds3.03
Where did it miss?
The largest gaps were all overestimates. Minds liked these three ads much more than people did:
| Ad | Human | Minds | Absolute gap (% of scale) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wix · Wix Harmony: The New Way to Create | 2.38 | 3.1961 | 20.40% |
| Apartments.com and Homes.com · Can't Live There | 2.63 | 3.4002 | 19.25% |
| Anthropic · Can I get a six pack quickly? | 2.45 | 3.2016 | 18.79% |
Wix: human score 2.38; Minds score 3.20.
Wix · Wix Harmony: The New Way to Create
Average liking on a 1 to 5 scale. Humans: USA TODAY Ad Meter 2026. Minds: 100 grounded Minds.
- Humans2.38
- Minds3.20
Apartments.com and Homes.com: human score 2.63; Minds score 3.40.
Apartments.com and Homes.com · Can't Live There
Average liking on a 1 to 5 scale. Humans: USA TODAY Ad Meter 2026. Minds: 100 grounded Minds.
- Humans2.63
- Minds3.40
The official upload is longer than the aired spot. Minds rated the 30-second version that aired.
Anthropic: human score 2.45; Minds score 3.20.
Anthropic · Can I get a six pack quickly?
Average liking on a 1 to 5 scale. Humans: USA TODAY Ad Meter 2026. Minds: 100 grounded Minds.
- Humans2.45
- Minds3.20
This is part of a wider pattern. Minds scored 42 of the 54 ads above the human average, and on average they scored ads +5.12% of the scale too high. They also compressed the range: the Minds scores spread only 0.70 times as widely as the human scores. Ads that people liked most tended to be underrated, and ads they liked least tended to be overrated. The biggest underestimate was the winner itself: humans gave Budweiser 4.00, Minds 3.46.
These misses count in every result above. We did not calibrate the scores to make them look closer.
What does this mean for creative teams?
The ranking is the useful part. Across 54 real ads, Minds put stronger ads ahead of weaker ones in 4 out of 5 pairs, and their bottom third largely matched the human bottom third. That makes an audience of Minds a fast way to sort creative options and to spot weak executions before spending on them.
The absolute level needs calibration. A Minds score of 3.4 is not a human score of 3.4: on this evidence, it is likely to sit about 5% of the scale too high, with differences between ads that look smaller than they are. Compare ads with each other, or calibrate against a known human benchmark, rather than reading a Minds score as a forecast of a published rating.
The next step is a blind, prospective test: an audience and question fixed before the ads air, with the Minds scores published before the human results exist.
How to read this study
- Audience: 100 Minds built to reflect U.S. adults. The Ad Meter panel is self-selected, and its demographics are not published. We did not recreate its panelists.
- Grounding and contamination: before the run, a fixed rule deleted 107 knowledge items that mentioned the Super Bowl, the Ad Meter or 2026 campaigns. None remained at launch.
- Preregistration: the hypotheses, the scoring method and all metrics were fixed before the run. The answers were sealed with a cryptographic hash before the human scores were opened.
- Blinding: a separate custodian held the human scores until the answers were sealed. Before launch, the analyst knew one result from the press release: Budweiser had won.
- Prior knowledge: the Ad Meter 2026 results were published in February 2026. We removed them from the Minds' knowledge, but the underlying language models may have seen the ads or coverage of them during training. This is a retrospective test, not a blind forecast.
- Models: the survey ran on the default Minds routing. 5,322 answers came from gemini-3.8-flash, 61 from gemini-3.5-flash-lite and 17 from gpt-5.6-terra. No single model was pinned.
- Scope: one wave, one overall-liking question, 54 ads. USA TODAY does not publish per-ad sample sizes, so the uncertainty on the human side is not modelled.
- Robustness: scoring each Mind's single committed answer instead of its expected rating gives almost the same result: Spearman 0.79 and nearly the same average gap.
- Minds’ average gap was smaller than that of answering 3 for every ad, a pre-registered check (one-sided p = 0.0009).
- No model control: this study did not run a same-model comparison with simpler prompts, so it does not show how much the grounding itself contributed.
- One set of ads: these results cover the 54 ads of one Super Bowl. Agreement can differ for other sets of ads.
The takeaway is specific: in this study, 100 grounded Minds ranked the 54 Ad Meter 2026 ads in close agreement with the human panel, and scored them about 5% of the scale too high. We do not claim the same accuracy for unseen campaigns, for individual viewers, or for sales.
Every ad. Every comparison.
All 54 ads appear below in the human ranking order. Each chart compares average liking on the same 1 to 5 scale, drawn from zero so that gaps are not exaggerated. The tables show the exact scores and ranks; tied scores share a rank. No ads were removed. Every ad has its video (or, where the owner blocks embedding, a cover that links to it), its chart, its scores and its gap.
Budweiser · American Icons
Archive upload by System1 Group. No official upload is publicly available.
Budweiser · American Icons
Average liking on a 1 to 5 scale. Humans: USA TODAY Ad Meter 2026. Minds: 100 grounded Minds.
- Humans4.00
- Minds3.46
| Score | Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Humans | 4.00 | 1 |
| Minds | 3.4620 | 4 |
Absolute gap: 13.45%
Lay's · Last Harvest
Lay's · Last Harvest
Average liking on a 1 to 5 scale. Humans: USA TODAY Ad Meter 2026. Minds: 100 grounded Minds.
- Humans3.80
- Minds3.67
| Score | Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Humans | 3.80 | 2 |
| Minds | 3.6650 | 1 |
Absolute gap: 3.38%
Pepsi · The Choice
Archive upload by Campaign Unpacked. No official upload is publicly available.
Pepsi · The Choice
Average liking on a 1 to 5 scale. Humans: USA TODAY Ad Meter 2026. Minds: 100 grounded Minds.
- Humans3.50
- Minds3.53
| Score | Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Humans | 3.50 | 3 |
| Minds | 3.5270 | 2 |
Absolute gap: 0.67%
Dunkin' · Good Will Dunkin'
Archive upload by Campaign Unpacked. No official upload is publicly available.
Dunkin' · Good Will Dunkin'
Average liking on a 1 to 5 scale. Humans: USA TODAY Ad Meter 2026. Minds: 100 grounded Minds.
- Humans3.48
- Minds3.33
| Score | Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Humans | 3.48 | 4 |
| Minds | 3.3255 | 11 |
Absolute gap: 3.86%
Michelob Ultra · The ULTRA Instructor
Archive upload by System1 Group. No official upload is publicly available.
Michelob Ultra · The ULTRA Instructor
Average liking on a 1 to 5 scale. Humans: USA TODAY Ad Meter 2026. Minds: 100 grounded Minds.
- Humans3.47
- Minds3.31
| Score | Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Humans | 3.47 | 5 |
| Minds | 3.3064 | 14 |
Absolute gap: 4.09%
Xfinity · Jurassic Park ... Works
The official upload is longer than the aired spot. Minds rated the 60-second version that aired.
Xfinity · Jurassic Park ... Works
Average liking on a 1 to 5 scale. Humans: USA TODAY Ad Meter 2026. Minds: 100 grounded Minds.
- Humans3.43
- Minds3.45
| Score | Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Humans | 3.43 | 6 |
| Minds | 3.4535 | 6 |
Absolute gap: 0.59%
Novartis · Relax Your Tight End
Novartis · Relax Your Tight End
Average liking on a 1 to 5 scale. Humans: USA TODAY Ad Meter 2026. Minds: 100 grounded Minds.
- Humans3.39
- Minds3.18
| Score | Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Humans | 3.39 | 7 |
| Minds | 3.1815 | 25 |
Absolute gap: 5.21%
NFL · Champion
The owner does not allow this video to play on other websites. Open the cover or the YouTube link to watch it.
NFL · Champion
Average liking on a 1 to 5 scale. Humans: USA TODAY Ad Meter 2026. Minds: 100 grounded Minds.
- Humans3.38
- Minds3.15
| Score | Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Humans | 3.38 | 8 |
| Minds | 3.1526 | 27 |
Absolute gap: 5.68%
Bud Light · Keg
Archive upload by Campaign Unpacked. No official upload is publicly available.
Bud Light · Keg
Average liking on a 1 to 5 scale. Humans: USA TODAY Ad Meter 2026. Minds: 100 grounded Minds.
- Humans3.35
- Minds3.32
| Score | Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Humans | 3.35 | 9 |
| Minds | 3.3240 | 12 |
Absolute gap: 0.65%
Amazon Alexa · Alexaaaa+
Amazon Alexa · Alexaaaa+
Average liking on a 1 to 5 scale. Humans: USA TODAY Ad Meter 2026. Minds: 100 grounded Minds.
- Humans3.33
- Minds3.16
| Score | Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Humans | 3.33 | 10 |
| Minds | 3.1615 | 26 |
Absolute gap: 4.21%
Ring · Be A Hero In Your Neighborhood
Ring · Be A Hero In Your Neighborhood
Average liking on a 1 to 5 scale. Humans: USA TODAY Ad Meter 2026. Minds: 100 grounded Minds.
- Humans3.33
- Minds3.37
| Score | Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Humans | 3.33 | 10 |
| Minds | 3.3748 | 9 |
Absolute gap: 1.12%
Rocket and Redfin · America Needs Neighbors Like You
Rocket and Redfin · America Needs Neighbors Like You
Average liking on a 1 to 5 scale. Humans: USA TODAY Ad Meter 2026. Minds: 100 grounded Minds.
- Humans3.27
- Minds3.27
| Score | Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Humans | 3.27 | 12 |
| Minds | 3.2668 | 17 |
Absolute gap: 0.08%
State Farm · Stop Livin' on a Prayer
Archive upload by Commercial Archivist. No official upload is publicly available.
State Farm · Stop Livin' on a Prayer
Average liking on a 1 to 5 scale. Humans: USA TODAY Ad Meter 2026. Minds: 100 grounded Minds.
- Humans3.26
- Minds3.22
| Score | Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Humans | 3.26 | 13 |
| Minds | 3.2156 | 22 |
Absolute gap: 1.11%
Dove · The Game is Ours
Dove · The Game is Ours
Average liking on a 1 to 5 scale. Humans: USA TODAY Ad Meter 2026. Minds: 100 grounded Minds.
- Humans3.25
- Minds3.23
| Score | Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Humans | 3.25 | 14 |
| Minds | 3.2270 | 21 |
Absolute gap: 0.58%
Uber Eats · Hungry for the Truth
Archive upload by Commercial Archivist. No official upload is publicly available.
Uber Eats · Hungry for the Truth
Average liking on a 1 to 5 scale. Humans: USA TODAY Ad Meter 2026. Minds: 100 grounded Minds.
- Humans3.25
- Minds3.41
| Score | Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Humans | 3.25 | 14 |
| Minds | 3.4065 | 7 |
Absolute gap: 3.91%
NFL · You Are Special
The owner does not allow this video to play on other websites. Open the cover or the YouTube link to watch it.
NFL · You Are Special
Average liking on a 1 to 5 scale. Humans: USA TODAY Ad Meter 2026. Minds: 100 grounded Minds.
- Humans3.23
- Minds3.24
| Score | Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Humans | 3.23 | 16 |
| Minds | 3.2394 | 19 |
Absolute gap: 0.23%
Blue Square Alliance Against Hate · Sticky Note
Blue Square Alliance Against Hate · Sticky Note
Average liking on a 1 to 5 scale. Humans: USA TODAY Ad Meter 2026. Minds: 100 grounded Minds.
- Humans3.22
- Minds3.30
| Score | Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Humans | 3.22 | 17 |
| Minds | 3.3023 | 15 |
Absolute gap: 2.06%
Bosch · Justaguy
Bosch · Justaguy
Average liking on a 1 to 5 scale. Humans: USA TODAY Ad Meter 2026. Minds: 100 grounded Minds.
- Humans3.12
- Minds3.37
| Score | Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Humans | 3.12 | 18 |
| Minds | 3.3650 | 10 |
Absolute gap: 6.12%
Universal Orlando Resort · Lil' Bro'
Universal Orlando Resort · Lil' Bro'
Average liking on a 1 to 5 scale. Humans: USA TODAY Ad Meter 2026. Minds: 100 grounded Minds.
- Humans3.09
- Minds3.45
| Score | Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Humans | 3.09 | 19 |
| Minds | 3.4536 | 5 |
Absolute gap: 9.09%
Toyota · Superhero Belt
Toyota · Superhero Belt
Average liking on a 1 to 5 scale. Humans: USA TODAY Ad Meter 2026. Minds: 100 grounded Minds.
- Humans3.04
- Minds3.51
| Score | Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Humans | 3.04 | 20 |
| Minds | 3.5118 | 3 |
Absolute gap: 11.79%
Levi's · Backstory
Levi's · Backstory
Average liking on a 1 to 5 scale. Humans: USA TODAY Ad Meter 2026. Minds: 100 grounded Minds.
- Humans3.02
- Minds3.03
| Score | Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Humans | 3.02 | 21 |
| Minds | 3.0296 | 35 |
Absolute gap: 0.24%
Pringles · Pringleleo
Pringles · Pringleleo
Average liking on a 1 to 5 scale. Humans: USA TODAY Ad Meter 2026. Minds: 100 grounded Minds.
- Humans2.97
- Minds3.24
| Score | Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Humans | 2.97 | 22 |
| Minds | 3.2406 | 18 |
Absolute gap: 6.76%
Google · New Home
Google · New Home
Average liking on a 1 to 5 scale. Humans: USA TODAY Ad Meter 2026. Minds: 100 grounded Minds.
- Humans2.94
- Minds3.23
| Score | Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Humans | 2.94 | 23 |
| Minds | 3.2339 | 20 |
Absolute gap: 7.35%
Toyota · Where Dreams Began
Toyota · Where Dreams Began
Average liking on a 1 to 5 scale. Humans: USA TODAY Ad Meter 2026. Minds: 100 grounded Minds.
- Humans2.94
- Minds3.28
| Score | Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Humans | 2.94 | 23 |
| Minds | 3.2815 | 16 |
Absolute gap: 8.54%
Hellmann's · Sweet Sandwich Time
Hellmann's · Sweet Sandwich Time
Average liking on a 1 to 5 scale. Humans: USA TODAY Ad Meter 2026. Minds: 100 grounded Minds.
- Humans2.92
- Minds3.07
| Score | Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Humans | 2.92 | 25 |
| Minds | 3.0743 | 31 |
Absolute gap: 3.86%
T-Mobile · Tell Me Why (T-Mobile's Version)
Archive upload by VCU Brandcenter. No official upload is publicly available.
T-Mobile · Tell Me Why (T-Mobile's Version)
Average liking on a 1 to 5 scale. Humans: USA TODAY Ad Meter 2026. Minds: 100 grounded Minds.
- Humans2.85
- Minds3.04
| Score | Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Humans | 2.85 | 26 |
| Minds | 3.0390 | 33 |
Absolute gap: 4.72%
Liquid I.V. · Take A Look
Liquid I.V. · Take A Look
Average liking on a 1 to 5 scale. Humans: USA TODAY Ad Meter 2026. Minds: 100 grounded Minds.
- Humans2.77
- Minds2.95
| Score | Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Humans | 2.77 | 27 |
| Minds | 2.9539 | 40 |
Absolute gap: 4.60%
TurboTax · The Expert
TurboTax · The Expert
Average liking on a 1 to 5 scale. Humans: USA TODAY Ad Meter 2026. Minds: 100 grounded Minds.
- Humans2.77
- Minds3.31
| Score | Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Humans | 2.77 | 27 |
| Minds | 3.3138 | 13 |
Absolute gap: 13.59%
Kinder Bueno · Yes Bueno 2026
Kinder Bueno · Yes Bueno 2026
Average liking on a 1 to 5 scale. Humans: USA TODAY Ad Meter 2026. Minds: 100 grounded Minds.
- Humans2.75
- Minds3.01
| Score | Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Humans | 2.75 | 29 |
| Minds | 3.0059 | 36 |
Absolute gap: 6.40%
Instacart · Bananas
Instacart · Bananas
Average liking on a 1 to 5 scale. Humans: USA TODAY Ad Meter 2026. Minds: 100 grounded Minds.
- Humans2.74
- Minds2.89
| Score | Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Humans | 2.74 | 30 |
| Minds | 2.8943 | 42 |
Absolute gap: 3.86%
Ritz · RITZ Island
Ritz · RITZ Island
Average liking on a 1 to 5 scale. Humans: USA TODAY Ad Meter 2026. Minds: 100 grounded Minds.
- Humans2.74
- Minds3.05
| Score | Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Humans | 2.74 | 30 |
| Minds | 3.0482 | 32 |
Absolute gap: 7.70%
Grubhub · The Feest
Grubhub · The Feest
Average liking on a 1 to 5 scale. Humans: USA TODAY Ad Meter 2026. Minds: 100 grounded Minds.
- Humans2.71
- Minds3.08
| Score | Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Humans | 2.71 | 32 |
| Minds | 3.0757 | 29 |
Absolute gap: 9.14%
He Gets Us · More
He Gets Us · More
Average liking on a 1 to 5 scale. Humans: USA TODAY Ad Meter 2026. Minds: 100 grounded Minds.
- Humans2.70
- Minds2.77
| Score | Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Humans | 2.70 | 33 |
| Minds | 2.7679 | 47 |
Absolute gap: 1.70%
Boehringer Ingelheim · Mission: Detect the SOS
Boehringer Ingelheim · Mission: Detect the SOS
Average liking on a 1 to 5 scale. Humans: USA TODAY Ad Meter 2026. Minds: 100 grounded Minds.
- Humans2.64
- Minds3.11
| Score | Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Humans | 2.64 | 34 |
| Minds | 3.1144 | 28 |
Absolute gap: 11.86%
MAHA Center Inc. · MAHA Real Food by Mike Tyson
MAHA Center Inc. · MAHA Real Food by Mike Tyson
Average liking on a 1 to 5 scale. Humans: USA TODAY Ad Meter 2026. Minds: 100 grounded Minds.
- Humans2.64
- Minds3.04
| Score | Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Humans | 2.64 | 34 |
| Minds | 3.0375 | 34 |
Absolute gap: 9.94%
Apartments.com and Homes.com · Can't Live There
Apartments.com and Homes.com · Can't Live There
Average liking on a 1 to 5 scale. Humans: USA TODAY Ad Meter 2026. Minds: 100 grounded Minds.
- Humans2.63
- Minds3.40
| Score | Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Humans | 2.63 | 36 |
| Minds | 3.4002 | 8 |
Absolute gap: 19.25%
Volkswagen · The Great Invitation: Drivers Wanted
Volkswagen · The Great Invitation: Drivers Wanted
Average liking on a 1 to 5 scale. Humans: USA TODAY Ad Meter 2026. Minds: 100 grounded Minds.
- Humans2.63
- Minds2.93
| Score | Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Humans | 2.63 | 36 |
| Minds | 2.9250 | 41 |
Absolute gap: 7.37%
Cadillac Formula 1 · The Mission Begins
The official upload is longer than the aired spot. Minds rated the 30-second version that aired.
Cadillac Formula 1 · The Mission Begins
Average liking on a 1 to 5 scale. Humans: USA TODAY Ad Meter 2026. Minds: 100 grounded Minds.
- Humans2.62
- Minds3.08
| Score | Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Humans | 2.62 | 38 |
| Minds | 3.0752 | 30 |
Absolute gap: 11.38%
Squarespace · Unavailable
The official upload is longer than the aired spot. Minds rated the 30-second version that aired.
Squarespace · Unavailable
Average liking on a 1 to 5 scale. Humans: USA TODAY Ad Meter 2026. Minds: 100 grounded Minds.
- Humans2.59
- Minds2.98
| Score | Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Humans | 2.59 | 39 |
| Minds | 2.9823 | 39 |
Absolute gap: 9.81%
Fanatics Sportsbook · Bet On Kendall
Fanatics Sportsbook · Bet On Kendall
Average liking on a 1 to 5 scale. Humans: USA TODAY Ad Meter 2026. Minds: 100 grounded Minds.
- Humans2.55
- Minds2.57
| Score | Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Humans | 2.55 | 40 |
| Minds | 2.5748 | 50 |
Absolute gap: 0.62%
Hims & Hers · Rich People Live Longer
Hims & Hers · Rich People Live Longer
Average liking on a 1 to 5 scale. Humans: USA TODAY Ad Meter 2026. Minds: 100 grounded Minds.
- Humans2.51
- Minds2.86
| Score | Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Humans | 2.51 | 41 |
| Minds | 2.8617 | 43 |
Absolute gap: 8.79%
Nerds · Taste Buds
Nerds · Taste Buds
Average liking on a 1 to 5 scale. Humans: USA TODAY Ad Meter 2026. Minds: 100 grounded Minds.
- Humans2.51
- Minds2.86
| Score | Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Humans | 2.51 | 41 |
| Minds | 2.8572 | 44 |
Absolute gap: 8.68%
DraftKings · DraftKings Live-ish Super Bowl LX
Archive upload by beastlycharizard13. No official upload is publicly available.
DraftKings · DraftKings Live-ish Super Bowl LX
Average liking on a 1 to 5 scale. Humans: USA TODAY Ad Meter 2026. Minds: 100 grounded Minds.
- Humans2.50
- Minds2.76
| Score | Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Humans | 2.50 | 43 |
| Minds | 2.7638 | 48 |
Absolute gap: 6.59%
Oakley Meta · Athletic Intelligence is Here - Part Two
Archive upload by Bull N Bear. No official upload is publicly available.
Oakley Meta · Athletic Intelligence is Here - Part Two
Average liking on a 1 to 5 scale. Humans: USA TODAY Ad Meter 2026. Minds: 100 grounded Minds.
- Humans2.49
- Minds2.81
| Score | Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Humans | 2.49 | 44 |
| Minds | 2.8104 | 46 |
Absolute gap: 8.01%
OpenAI · You Can Just Build Things
OpenAI · You Can Just Build Things
Average liking on a 1 to 5 scale. Humans: USA TODAY Ad Meter 2026. Minds: 100 grounded Minds.
- Humans2.48
- Minds2.99
| Score | Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Humans | 2.48 | 45 |
| Minds | 2.9892 | 38 |
Absolute gap: 12.73%
Anthropic · Can I get a six pack quickly?
The official upload is longer than the aired spot. Minds rated the 30-second version that aired.
Anthropic · Can I get a six pack quickly?
Average liking on a 1 to 5 scale. Humans: USA TODAY Ad Meter 2026. Minds: 100 grounded Minds.
- Humans2.45
- Minds3.20
| Score | Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Humans | 2.45 | 46 |
| Minds | 3.2016 | 23 |
Absolute gap: 18.79%
Novo Nordisk · A New Way to Wegovy
Archive upload by Commercial Archivist. No official upload is publicly available.
Novo Nordisk · A New Way to Wegovy
Average liking on a 1 to 5 scale. Humans: USA TODAY Ad Meter 2026. Minds: 100 grounded Minds.
- Humans2.45
- Minds2.84
| Score | Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Humans | 2.45 | 46 |
| Minds | 2.8432 | 45 |
Absolute gap: 9.83%
Oakley Meta · Athletic Intelligence is Here - Part One
Archive upload by J’aime les startups. No official upload is publicly available.
Oakley Meta · Athletic Intelligence is Here - Part One
Average liking on a 1 to 5 scale. Humans: USA TODAY Ad Meter 2026. Minds: 100 grounded Minds.
- Humans2.45
- Minds2.99
| Score | Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Humans | 2.45 | 46 |
| Minds | 2.9907 | 37 |
Absolute gap: 13.52%
Poppi · Make it poppi
Archive upload by Commercial Archivist. No official upload is publicly available.
Poppi · Make it poppi
Average liking on a 1 to 5 scale. Humans: USA TODAY Ad Meter 2026. Minds: 100 grounded Minds.
- Humans2.44
- Minds2.35
| Score | Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Humans | 2.44 | 49 |
| Minds | 2.3529 | 54 |
Absolute gap: 2.18%
Wix · Wix Harmony: The New Way to Create
Wix · Wix Harmony: The New Way to Create
Average liking on a 1 to 5 scale. Humans: USA TODAY Ad Meter 2026. Minds: 100 grounded Minds.
- Humans2.38
- Minds3.20
| Score | Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Humans | 2.38 | 50 |
| Minds | 3.1961 | 24 |
Absolute gap: 20.40%
SalesForce · @MrBeast's Vault
SalesForce · @MrBeast's Vault
Average liking on a 1 to 5 scale. Humans: USA TODAY Ad Meter 2026. Minds: 100 grounded Minds.
- Humans2.32
- Minds2.37
| Score | Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Humans | 2.32 | 51 |
| Minds | 2.3738 | 53 |
Absolute gap: 1.35%
Ro · Healthier on Ro
Ro · Healthier on Ro
Average liking on a 1 to 5 scale. Humans: USA TODAY Ad Meter 2026. Minds: 100 grounded Minds.
- Humans2.23
- Minds2.60
| Score | Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Humans | 2.23 | 52 |
| Minds | 2.5955 | 49 |
Absolute gap: 9.14%
Svedka · Shake Your Bots Off
Svedka · Shake Your Bots Off
Average liking on a 1 to 5 scale. Humans: USA TODAY Ad Meter 2026. Minds: 100 grounded Minds.
- Humans2.18
- Minds2.50
| Score | Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Humans | 2.18 | 53 |
| Minds | 2.5036 | 51 |
Absolute gap: 8.09%
Coinbase · Everybody Coinbase
Coinbase · Everybody Coinbase
Average liking on a 1 to 5 scale. Humans: USA TODAY Ad Meter 2026. Minds: 100 grounded Minds.
- Humans2.06
- Minds2.49
| Score | Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Humans | 2.06 | 54 |
| Minds | 2.4904 | 52 |
Absolute gap: 10.76%
Data and sources
- Data: all 54 comparisons as CSV, with human and Minds scores, ranks, gaps and the video used for each ad.
- Human results: USA TODAY's Ad Meter 2026 announcement and the full 2026 ranking.
- Method: 100 grounded Minds, one survey, 54 full videos, one question, 5,400 answers. Human scores held back until the answers were sealed. Preregistered results: rank correlation and average score gap.
- Videos: embedded from YouTube, from the advertiser's own upload where it is public, otherwise from an archive upload of the aired spot. Covers are stills from those videos.
USA TODAY, the Ad Meter and all brands are named only to identify the ads and the human benchmark. Minds is not affiliated with, sponsored or endorsed by USA TODAY or any advertiser, and all ads remain the property of their owners.
The overview of our validation studies puts this result next to our other public benchmarks, and the methodology explains how Minds audiences are built.
