If an ad is going to interrupt someone’s hours-long binge of their favorite TV show, it better be worth their time.
Lucky for Levi’s, Noom, and Red Lobster, their ads were just that, at least according to EDO, which found in a report that the brands produced some of the most effective TV ads of 2025 so far.
To evaluate effectiveness, the measurement platform looked at national spots that aired across convergent TV in 15 categories and ranked them by strongest consumer engagement in online activity like branded search and site visits. EDO says that kind of engagement is proven to predict future sales—and seemingly, might make the media spend, which hit an estimated $22 billion in the first six months of the year, all worth it.
Here’s a closer look at what made these spots the most effective TV marketing plays, according to EDO.
To the rodeo: As Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter tour hit stadiums across the world, fans have shown up in their best Levi’s jeans, as instructed by Queen Bey in both her hit song and official collab with the denim brand itself. “Pool Hall,” an ad that put a new twist on an iconic 1991 advertisement from the brand, pulled in 113 million impressions and a 373% engagement rate over 93 total airings in the apparel category, meaning that the ad was seen as being that percentage more effective at driving consumer engagement compared to the category average.
That score landed Levi’s the No. 1 spot in the apparel category, EDO found.
It was the only celebrity-boosted spot to earn high marks. Skechers landed in the top 10 of the same category with an ad featuring Snoop Dogg, while beauty brands No7 and Lancome called on Elizabeth Banks and Julia Roberts, respectively, to convince customers to engage.
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Oh-oh-oh, Ozempic: Ads for GLP-1s dominated the diabetes- and weight-management category with eight of the top 10 most effective ads. Seven of those eight were from Noom, while the No. 1 slot went to Hims for an ad boasting the confidence effects of GLP-1s. It’s not the first time that Hims has put its pennies behind weight-loss drugs: the brand also dedicated its Super Bowl spot to a PSA-like ad highlighting America’s obesity crisis and positioning GLP-1 drugs as a potential solution.
Confidence-as-marketing wasn’t limited to pharmaceutical ads, either. In the beauty category, EDO found that Dove had four of the most effective ads, including the No. 1 position for its “One Small Drop” spot, which shows off its newest body-wash formula. The No. 2 spot in the category, Dove’s “Keep Her Confident,” which promotes the brand’s Body Confident Sport program, saw a 248% engagement rate and 448 million impressions across 773 airings.
Go, team! Across several categories, sports and athletes were well represented. New Balance’s two versions of “Hoops,” featuring NBA and WNBA stars Kawhi Leonard, Tyrese Maxey, and Cameron Brink, and No. 1 NBA draft pick Cooper Flagg, performed well, EDO found, while Red Lobster had the top five most effective ads in the casual dining category, including a spot promoting Lobsterfest that features former NBA star Blake Griffin.
When it came to effective credit-card ads, athletes were all but essential. Capital One nabbed six of the top 10 spots and the top three most effective ads in the category, with its best performer airing during March Madness and featuring Samuel L. Jackson, Spike Lee, and Charles Barkley. American Express and Discover got their heads in the game too, with their most effective ads calling upon the NBA sports fan experience and NHL legend Wayne Gretzky, respectively.