From underdog to top dog.

Bear was the star of the show during the 2023 Super Bowl commercial rush, a good boy on life’s journey that culminated with an Ad Meter ratings win.

Which brand will follow in those paws in 2024?

That question is probably on the minds of many — from the advertisers to the agencies to the panelists who will be weighing in and rating the Super Bowl 58 commercials.

With that, welcome to the 36th USA TODAY Ad Meter!

If you’d like to have your opinion on this year’s Super Bowl commercials heard, registration to be an Ad Meter panelist is officially open.

Have questions? The 2024 FAQs are here to help.

There’s already been plenty of buzz as the Big Game nears and the ratings open on Feb. 7, so let’s get to it!

AD METER 2024: Register to rate this year's commercials

Inventory is virtually sold out

The $7 million price tag hasn’t kept advertisers from jumping into the national lineup that will air on CBS. While the inventory has teetered on full at this point in past years, the 2024 space reportedly sold out in November of 2023.

Which leaves one popular question…

Who’s in, who’s out?

One thing is certain: Snacks are back! Brands such as Reese’s, Doritos, M&Ms, Oreo, and Pringles have teased Super Bowl campaigns, with a few more whispers coming from the first-time advertisers.

DoorDash and Uber Eats are both in the national lineup, joining Super Bowl ad veterans TurboTax, Booking.com, Squarespace and Hellmann’s.

From the beer aisle, Michelob Ultra, Coors Light, Bud Light, and Budweiser will be part of brew battle on Sunday, the latter of which is bringing back the famous Clydesdales for this year’s spot.

And last but not least, the automotive world isn’t staying in the garage for the 2024 road to Ad Meter ratings glory, with Kia back in the game, BMW returning after a year off, and Volkswagen pulling up for the first time since 2014.

However, GM is sitting out this year, along with the other three top American automakers, Ford, Toyota and Chrysler.

New to the game

BetMGM made a splash with its teaser starring Tom Brady and Vince Vaughn, as did Drumstick with Eric André, with both leading a group of first-time brands that have created excitement ahead of the Super Bowl creative.

Following along on the inaugural journey are Nerds, PepsiCo’s lemon-lime soda brand Starry, Popeyes, and Kawasaki, which also packs the star power (and mullets).

Speaking of …

Any A-list celebrities?

At this point, it’s almost easier to name the celebrities who won’t be appearing in a Super Bowl ad.

Fans have been treated to top talents like Kris Jenner (for Oreo), Chris Pratt (for Pringles), Jenna Ortega (for Doritos), Lionel Messi (for Mich Ultra), Ken Jeong (for Popeyes), Kate McKinnon (for Hellmann’s), and Stone Cold Steve Austin (for Kawasaki).

And that’s only the beginning of the proverbial red carpet that will roll on toward February 11 in Vegas.

Stay tuned!

Could an animal star create another upset?

Farmer’s Dog topped a list of commercials that all had world-class celebrity talent in 2023,  joining memorable stars like Bugs Bunny, the Budweiser Dalmatians, and Punxsutawney Phil in the Animal Wing of the Ad Meter vault.

Are we looking at a repeat?

Besides the iconic Budweiser Clydesdales, Hellmann’s Mayo Cat has the type of claw-power to possibly shake things up in 2024.

The halftimes show has created buzz worthy of Vegas

Usher is set to perform. While that warrants a ton of excitement, especially on a stage with Las Vegas in the background, fans’ collective curiosity about which acts might join the singer continues a grand tradition of rumors and gossip that is equally enjoyable.

(He joined the Black Eyed Peas’ Super Bowl performance in 2011, so Usher is certainly no stranger to coordinating surprises.)

Let’s keep the social discussion rolling in 2024

We want to hear your opinions about the latest spots that go live, so make sure to use #admeter and #usatodayadmeter when taking to social media to talk all-things Ad Meter commercials.

The voice of the next generation

USA TODAY Ad Meter’s first participating colleges and universities in the marketing spotlight are ready to rate. As part of the collaboration, students from the selected schools will not only rate this year’s ads but also release their top 5 and bottom 5 the following week.

It’s an exciting addition to the ratings fun, which aims to provide feedback from the talent who will be working on future Big Game commercials.

Looking ahead: Rate it again!

There’s so much to come leading up to Super Bowl Sunday, but it’s also worth looking ahead to the following week. Besides the announcement of the 2024 Ad Meter winner on Monday, February 12., fans will have a chance to keep the commercial fun going with the Replay Ratings, which will take top ads (excluding the overall winner) in several categories like Most Comedic and Heartwarming/Inspirational.

Note: You must be a registered panelist to participate and cast your superlative votes.

That’s all for now. We’ll see you back here on Feb. 7 when the ratings open!