What is an EEG Brain Movie?
Each video on this page is an EEG Brain Movie — a real-time visualization of human neural activity recorded while viewers watched a television commercial. Developed by Dr. Stephen F. Sands and Sands Research, Inc., the brain movie overlays a cortical source reconstruction of EEG slow potentials directly onto the advertisement as it plays, second by second.
Using Curry source analysis software (Compumedics Neuroscan), the recorded scalp EEG is mathematically projected onto the cortical surface, estimating the underlying neural generators of the slow-wave activity. Warm colors (red, orange) indicate high cortical activation — moments when deeper neural sources are strongly engaged. Cool colors (blue, white) reflect lower activation or emotional neutrality. The result is a frame-by-frame record of what the brain actually responds to, independent of what viewers consciously report.
Sands Research applied this methodology to Super Bowl commercials each year from 2008 to 2013, ranking every ad by its Neuro Engagement Factor (NEF) score — a proprietary composite of attention, emotional response, and memory encoding derived from the raw EEG signal. The findings regularly made national headlines, offering the first objective, brain-based ranking of the most-watched ads in America.
The videos on this page are provided for entertainment and educational purposes only. All brain movie content is the intellectual property of Sands Research, Inc. The EEG data, visualizations, and analyses presented are not intended for clinical, diagnostic, or professional use. Unauthorized reproduction or commercial use of this content is prohibited. All rights reserved © Sands Research, Inc.
Super Bowl XLII · 2008
Pepsi "Bob's House"
Filmed entirely in American Sign Language with no spoken dialogue, this groundbreaking ad drove the highest neural engagement of all 2008 Super Bowl commercials — proof that silence and storytelling can outperform the loudest ads on the biggest stage.
Coca-Cola "It's Mine"
Underdog, Stewie Griffin, and Charlie Brown battle over a giant Coke balloon above New York City. Rich CG animation drove strong visual cortex activation throughout.
Audi R8 "Godfather"
Opens on a darkened bedroom in cinematic black-and-white — a direct homage to The Godfather. A man wakes to find something at the foot of his bed and slowly pulls back the sheets to reveal the severed front end of a luxury car. The gag: it belonged to the competition. As he recoils in horror, the camera cuts to a gleaming Audi R8, bathed in light, engine purring. The tagline lands — "The godfather of all sports cars." Cultural recognition, dramatic build, and payoff humor drove strong neural engagement, ranking it fourth overall in Sands Research's 2008 Super Bowl study.
Verizon "Voyager"
Verizon's 2008 Super Bowl debut for the Voyager phone put the iPhone on notice. Rapid-fire comparisons of Voyager's touch screen against competitors drove high frontal engagement — the brain's novelty response in full effect. Ranked fifth in Sands Research's inaugural Super Bowl neuromarketing study.
Super Bowl XLIII · 2009
Bridgestone "Taters"
Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head on a mountain road. Topped all 72 Super Bowl XLIII commercials in neural engagement — humor, surprise, and strong visual storytelling at their best.
Coca‑Cola "Heist"
Insects work together in an elaborate heist to steal a bottle of Coke. Consistent parietal engagement and three distinct neural peaks — won the Emmy for Outstanding Commercial.
Pixar "Up"
Pixar's trailer for Up ranked third overall, with its emotional storytelling generating strong sustained neural engagement across the full runtime.
CareerBuilder "Tips"
Office workers share brutally honest job-hunting tips while suffering through absurd workplace indignities — koala attacks, giant cats, and oblivious managers. The relatable workplace humor generated steady parietal engagement, ranking fourth with a NEF score of 4.40 and earning an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Commercial.
Super Bowl XLIV · 2010
Vizio "Forge"
Featuring Beyoncé, Vizio's 2010 Super Bowl spot ranked second in Sands Research's analysis of 60+ commercials with a NEF score of 3.96.
Bridgestone "Whale of a Tail"
A humpback whale is stranded on a country road — tail impaled on a fence post — and a Bridgestone-shod truck arrives just in time to pull it free. The unexpected scenario, emotional resolution, and satisfying product integration drove strong engagement, marking Bridgestone's second consecutive top-5 finish in Sands Research's Super Bowl rankings.
Budweiser "Fly"
A young man discovers he can fly — and immediately puts it to use grabbing a Budweiser. Light, playful, and visually inventive, the ad's wish-fulfillment premise kept sustained frontal and occipital engagement throughout, measured by Sands Research EEG cortical source analysis.
Super Bowl XLVI · 2012
Pepsi "King's Court"
Elton John presides over a medieval court where Pepsi is the ultimate prize — and a surprise cameo from Melanie Amaro turns the tables. The dramatic storytelling and musical energy drove the highest neural engagement of all 2012 Super Bowl commercials, sweeping Pepsi into both the #1 and #2 spots — a Sands Research first.
Stella Artois "Crying Jean"
Featuring Sebastián Silva and the voice of Willem Dafoe, Stella Artois' cinematic 2012 Super Bowl spot weaves a melancholy narrative around the perfect pour — measured by Sands Research EEG brain response analysis.
JetBlue "Laptop"
A passenger discovers the joys of JetBlue's in-flight Wi-Fi by video-chatting with his dog, annoying a seatmate, and essentially turning his laptop into a window to home. The relatable travel humor and warm payoff drove consistent neural engagement, measured by Sands Research EEG cortical source analysis.
Doritos "Message from the Heart"
A fan-created Doritos spot featuring an unexpected romantic gesture powered entirely by chip cravings. Part of Doritos' celebrated "Crash the Super Bowl" campaign, measured by Sands Research EEG brain response analysis.
Hyundai "All For One"
Hyundai's 2012 Big Game spot celebrated the collective passion of sports fans — showing that regardless of who you root for, the drive there is half the fun. The community-driven narrative and upbeat energy generated strong temporal engagement, measured by Sands Research EEG cortical source analysis.
Honda "Matthew's Day Off"
A clever Ferris Bueller homage starring Matthew Broderick reprising his iconic role — but skipping work to drive the new Honda CR-V instead. The nostalgia-driven storytelling and cultural recognition generated strong neural engagement, measured by Sands Research EEG analysis.
Pepsi Max "Love Hurts"
A couple's rivalry over Pepsi Max plays out in a string of escalating slapstick injuries. Paired with Pepsi's King's Court at #1, this spot swept both top positions for Pepsi in Sands Research's 2012 Super Bowl study — the first time any brand claimed the top two spots.
H-E-B "Trainee"
H-E-B's beloved Texas grocery brand introduced a hapless new employee stumbling through his first day — knocking over displays, misreading signs, and charming customers along the way. The underdog humor and local brand loyalty drove strong engagement among Texas viewers, measured by Sands Research EEG cortical source analysis.
H-E-B "Fiesta"
H-E-B's second Super Bowl entry celebrated the vibrant flavors and communal spirit of Texas cuisine — a festive showcase of fresh ingredients, family tables, and Tex-Mex tradition. The warm cultural resonance and appetitive imagery drove strong occipital and limbic engagement, measured by Sands Research EEG cortical source analysis.
Glade "Sense & Spray"
Glade's whimsical spot showed a husband secretly swapping out the air freshener and then watching his wife blissfully credit herself for the home's wonderful scent. The light domestic comedy and satisfying revelation drove moderate frontal engagement, measured by Sands Research EEG cortical source analysis.
Salesforce "Chatter"
Salesforce's first Super Bowl appearance introduced Chatter — their enterprise social network — by drawing a direct parallel to how social media transformed personal communication. The concept-driven narrative targeted business decision-makers, with measured prefrontal engagement reflecting active information processing, analyzed by Sands Research EEG cortical source analysis.
Budweiser "I Can Fly"
Budweiser's 2012 entry leaned into the carefree spirit of the Big Game — a playful fantasy of freedom and celebration set to an infectious track. The aspirational imagery and upbeat pacing generated sustained visual cortex and frontal engagement, measured by Sands Research EEG cortical source analysis.
Land Rover "Range Rover Evoque"
Land Rover's Super Bowl debut paired sweeping cinematic landscapes with the compact luxury of the new Evoque — a vehicle that looked equally at home on a mountain pass as a city street. The dramatic scenery and aspirational framing drove strong visual cortex engagement, measured by Sands Research EEG cortical source analysis.
Volkswagen "Dog Strikes Back"
A chubby dog gets in shape to chase the new VW Passat — then dreams of joining the Star Wars cantina band. VW's fourth consecutive top-5 finish in Sands Research Super Bowl rankings, continuing their remarkable run of neurologically effective ads.
Chrysler "Dr. Z Crash"
The eccentric Dr. Z — Chrysler's unconventional German engineering spokesman — returns with another straight-faced pitch for German-American engineering, this time with an unexpected twist. The deadpan humor and brand-character familiarity generated moderate frontal engagement, measured by Sands Research EEG cortical source analysis.
Ford "Shelby GT500"
Ford's 2012 Super Bowl spot put the thunderous 650-horsepower Shelby GT500 Mustang center stage — all raw power, sculpted bodylines, and open road. The visceral visual spectacle and engine audio drove strong occipital and auditory cortex engagement, measured by Sands Research EEG cortical source analysis.
Oreo "Magnetism"
Scientists discover that Oreo cookies generate a powerful magnetic field — pulling metal objects, laboratory equipment, and unsuspecting colleagues across the room. The absurdist premise and sharp comedic payoff generated strong frontal engagement and memory encoding spikes, measured by Sands Research EEG cortical source analysis.
Super Bowl XLVII · 2013
Budweiser "Brotherhood"
The Clydesdales' emotional reunion story tied for #1 — the first tie in Sands Research Super Bowl history. One of the most emotionally powerful ads ever measured.
Bud Light "Journey"
Stevie Wonder steals the show as a limousine driver who takes a group of Bud Light fans on an unforgettable detour. The warmth of Wonder's presence, the comedic escalation, and a satisfying musical payoff drove the third-highest neural engagement of all 2013 Super Bowl ads in Sands Research's study.
Kia "Space Babies"
A father invents an elaborate cosmic mythology to explain where babies come from — sending his son's imagination soaring through a galaxy of floating infants, all arriving in a Kia Sorento. The visual invention and parental warmth drove strong sustained engagement, ranking fourth in the 2013 Sands Research Super Bowl study.
Taco Bell "Viva Young"
Elderly residents break out of their retirement home for a wild night — sneaking out, dancing, getting tattoos, and ending at Taco Bell at 2 a.m. Set to a Spanish-language rendition of "We Are Young," the role-reversal premise and joyful energy drove strong limbic and frontal engagement, rounding out the top 5 in the 2013 Sands Research Super Bowl study.
Super Bowl Ad Rankings Archive
- #1Pepsi — "Bob's House"
- #2Coke — "Balloons" (It's Mine)
- #3Bud Light — "Power to Fly"
- #4Audi — "R8" (Godfather)
- #5Verizon — "Voyager"
Sands Research's first Super Bowl study. 59 ads ranked total.
- #1Bridgestone — "Taters"5.04
- #2Coke — "Heist" ★ Emmy4.62
- #3Pixar — "Up"4.40
- #4CareerBuilder — "Tips"4.40
- #5Budweiser — "Clydesdale Circus"4.39
72 ads ranked. 3 of the top 5 received Emmy nominations. Coke "Heist" won the Emmy for Outstanding Commercial.
- #1Volkswagen — "Punch Dub"4.71
- #2Vizio — "Forge"3.96
- #3Google — "Parisian Love"
- #4Budweiser — "Clydesdale"
- #5Bridgestone — "Whale of a Tail"
63 ads ranked. VW's score of 4.71 was significantly higher than any other ad — turning viewers into "Volkswagen detectors."
- #1VW — "The Force" (Darth Vader) ★ Record
- #2Chrysler — "Imported from Detroit"
- #3Budweiser — "Wild West"
- #4NFL — "Best Fans"
- #5Chevy — "Camaro"
70 ads ranked. VW's Darth Vader ad achieved the highest Neuro Engagement Score ever recorded by Sands Research at the time.
- #1Pepsi — "King's Court"
- #2Pepsi — "Pepsi Max Checkout"
- #3Budweiser — "Prohibition"
- #4Volkswagen — "Dog Strikes Back"
- #5Chrysler — "Halftime in America"
Pepsi swept the top two spots — a first. VW's "Dog Strikes Back" continued their strong run of top-5 finishes.
- #1Coca-Cola — "Security Camera" ★ Tie
- #1Budweiser — "Clydesdale" ★ Tie
- #3Bud Light — "Journey"
- #4Kia Sorento — "Space Babies"
- #5Taco Bell — "Viva Young"
The first-ever tie for #1 in Sands Research history. All top ads told emotional stories with the product revealed near the end.