Unpacking Brand Emotion Appeal in Super Bowl Car Commercial Using AI
Automakers invest millions in Super Bowl advertising to create a strong brand emotion appeal. These high-budget car commercials do more than highlight sleek designs or powerful engines—they strategically evoke emotions that shape consumer perception and influence purchasing decisions. AI-powered emotion analysis helps brands decode these emotional responses, uncovering patterns in consumer sentiment, engagement, and storytelling effectiveness. By analyzing video, audio, and text, Emotion AI provides data-driven insights that help brands refine their messaging and craft emotionally resonant narratives that maximize impact.
Ram Truck’s return to the Super Bowl LIX advertising lineup with their Glen Powell-starring “Goldilocks and the Three Trucks” commercial provides an excellent opportunity to examine how emotion advertising drives consumer engagement. By applying Imentiv AI’s multimodal emotion recognition technology to analyze this advertisement, we can uncover the emotional strategies that make this Super Bowl car commercial so effective.
Multimodal Emotion Analysis in the Ram Trucks Ad
Our multimodal emotion analysis helps brands to assess the emotional depth of an advertisement by analyzing various components of the content itself.
- Facial Emotion Analysis: AI-driven video analysis detects valence (positive or negative emotions) and arousal (intensity of emotion), providing insights into how emotional cues in an ad influence viewers.
- Vocal Emotion Analysis: Tone and pitch variations reveal underlying emotions such as excitement, sincerity, or tension, helping brands gauge the intended emotional impact of their audio elements.
- Text Emotion Analysis: AI evaluates transcripts and dialogue to categorize emotions while minimizing bias, ensuring a more objective understanding of the narrative's emotional tone.
Brands looking to fine-tune their ads before release can use the audience panel feature to test and analyze emotional reactions across different viewer groups. This ensures their messaging resonates effectively before reaching millions of Super Bowl viewers.
Imentiv AI’s Psychological Analysis of Ram Trucks Ad
Advertisement Narrative Overview
The Ram Trucks advertisement reimagines the classic Goldilocks fairy tale with actor Glen Powell, creating a narrative that engages viewers through both nostalgia and novelty. This aligns with Ram’s brand identity, which emphasizes strength, versatility, and individuality.
The car commercial features Powell as a modern-day Goldilocks who, instead of sampling porridge and beds, test-drives three different Ram trucks.
The ad employs fantasy and adventure to craft a compelling narrative that resonates with audiences seeking autonomy and excitement in vehicle choices.
Facial Emotion Analysis (Visual Cues)
Facial emotion analysis reveals a dominant presence of sadness (29.2%), which serves as an essential narrative device. This emotion reflects a sense of longing and dissatisfaction, symbolizing the protagonist’s search for the perfect match, whether in lifestyle, adventure, or a vehicle. The high percentage of neutral expressions (23.57%) suggests an ongoing journey of exploration and contemplation, where emotions are measured rather than extreme.
Moments of happiness (16.32%) appear strategically during joyrides and artistic expressions, reinforcing the satisfaction derived from self-discovery and personal choice. The presence of fear (15.38%) and anger (10.93%) underscores themes of risk-taking and rebellion, key elements in crafting the brand’s adventurous identity. Fear may arise in high-stakes driving sequences, while anger can signify defiance against conventional choices.
Additionally, the inclusion of surprise (5.89%) punctuates narrative twists, keeping viewers engaged. More subtle emotions such as disgust (2.01%) and contempt (1.84%) subtly convey dissatisfaction with mediocrity, reinforcing the message that only something exceptional, like a Ram Truck, can satisfy the protagonist’s needs.
Our video emotion recognition technology tracks facial expressions throughout the advertisement, identifying micro-expressions that indicate emotional responses. For each frame, the system detects the eight primary emotions (joy, surprise, fear, anger, disgust, sadness, neutral, and contempt) along with their intensity levels.
Audio Emotion Analysis (Vocal Tone)
The vocal tone in the advertisement is predominantly characterized by surprise (39.74%), which enhances the feeling of spontaneity and unpredictability. This aligns with the ad’s narrative shifts and adventurous theme, as the protagonist encounters unexpected challenges and thrills.
Disgust (25.4%) plays a humorous role, rejecting the mundane and reinforcing the protagonist’s determination to find something that truly fits their adventurous spirit. Anger (22.92%) further amplifies the rebellious undertones of the ad, rejecting traditional expectations and embracing self-determined choices.
Happiness (9.21%) emerges at pivotal moments of triumph and satisfaction, serving as a payoff for the protagonist’s persistence. Lastly, subtle fear (2.73%) enhances the tension in high-stakes driving scenes, ensuring the audience remains engaged with the unfolding adventure.
This screenshot shows the Imentiv Audio Summary of the Ram Trucks video ad
Our advanced Audio Emotion Recognition technology analyzes voice tonality, pitch variations, speech segments, and other vocal characteristics to identify emotional cues in speech and soundtrack elements. This is particularly relevant for advertisements like Ram’s that feature both dialogue and emotionally evocative music.
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Text Emotion Analysis (Script & Dialogue)
The script maintains a predominantly neutral tone (78.37%), inviting the audience to immerse themselves in the unconventional narrative without overt emotional manipulation. This neutrality allows viewers to project their own experiences onto the story, making it more personally resonant.
This screenshot shows the Imentiv Text Emotion Data of the Ram Trucks video ad
Curiosity (8.13%) is strategically woven into the dialogue, prompting viewers to stay engaged and anticipate the protagonist’s next move. Joy (5.80%) and approval (5.61%) reinforce the self-directed journey, encouraging the audience to embrace personal empowerment and exploration.
Moments of confusion (0.48%) add a layer of humor, challenging viewers to embrace the unexpected twists in the storyline, further emphasizing the brand’s unconventional, adventurous messaging.
Our Text Emotion Recognition technology examines linguistic patterns and emotions across 28 categories to determine emotional intent and impact. This includes analysis of narration and dialogue.
Video Personality Traits
The advertisement strongly conveys high openness, reflecting the protagonist’s willingness to explore new terrains and rewrite traditional narratives. This aligns with the adventurous spirit of the Ram brand, appealing to consumers who value innovation and personal freedom.
Moderate neuroticism is also present, subtly expressed through the protagonist’s dissatisfaction and ongoing search for something "just right." This emotional undertone makes the journey feel relatable, as many consumers experience similar struggles in their quest for the perfect product or lifestyle fit.
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Symbolism & Psychological Principles
The ad leverages the Self-Determination Theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985) by emphasizing autonomy, competence, and self-expression. The protagonist’s journey embodies the need for autonomy, and making independent choices, while competence is demonstrated through the ability to navigate challenges and find the ideal fit. The narrative also champions self-expression, showcasing how personal preferences drive fulfillment.
Additionally, the ad aligns with Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs by addressing multiple levels:
- Safety: The reliability and ruggedness of Ram Trucks provide security for adventurous journeys.
- Esteem: The protagonist’s artistic and adventurous pursuits affirm their sense of achievement and individuality.
- Self-actualization: The ability to rewrite one’s own story represents the highest form of personal fulfillment.
Overall Psychological Impact
The advertisement effectively combines humor, rebellion, and self-expression to craft an emotionally resonant narrative. It begins with a sense of dissatisfaction and longing but gradually transitions into fulfillment through self-determined choices. By positioning the Ram Truck as a vehicle for personal freedom, the brand taps into the psychological appeal of autonomy and self-empowerment.
Ultimately, the ad encourages viewers to rethink conventional paths and embrace their unique journeys, mirroring the adventurous, self-reliant spirit of the Ram brand. The emotional layers embedded in facial expressions, vocal tones, and script nuances ensure that the audience not only remembers the ad but also connects with it on a deeper psychological level.
Our in-house psychology expert reviews the AI’s interpretations to ensure accuracy and provide deeper insights into the emotional strategies at work. The above analysis reflects the expert-reviewed insights, adding a human layer to our advanced AI-driven approach.
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Super Bowl Advertisements and Emotional Impact
Super Bowl ads benefit from heightened audience attention, a shared viewing experience, and cultural expectations that make viewers more receptive to emotional storytelling. Unlike everyday brand commercials, these ads capitalize on communal engagement, amplifying emotional responses and strengthening brand recall. Ram strategically balances tradition and innovation by appealing to both truck enthusiasts and eco-conscious consumers.
As advertising continues to evolve, the brands that succeed will be those that most effectively understand and leverage emotional connections with their audiences. Multimodal emotion analysis provides the insights needed to create these connections consistently and measurably.
By applying this Multimodal AI technology to high-stakes advertising like Super Bowl commercials, brands can ensure their significant investments generate the emotional engagement needed to drive business results.
Want to learn how our emotion AI technology can help analyze your brand’s advertising effectiveness? Contact us for a demonstration of our multimodal emotion recognition platform.