From Rom-Com to Mayo-Com: Decoding Hellmann’s Super Bowl Play

Technology Used

Predictive AI

Predictive artificial intelligence (AI) refers to the use of machine learning to identify patterns in past events and make predictions about future events

To Measure Attention

Heatmaps

These visualize areas of the image or video that are likely to capture the most attention and areas that may receive less attention using a VIBGYOR color gradient.

Fog maps are visual representations that highlight areas of a visual field or image where viewers experience low clarity or comprehension, indicating regions that may be confusing or unclear.

Fog Maps

It quantifies the level of attention drawn by an image or video, indicating the consensus on its most captivating elements. Images/videos with numerous intriguing components tend to score lower as attention disperses. Conversely, assets with fewer focal points garner higher scores as viewer gazes converge on specific areas.

Focus Score

Saliency Maps

Saliency Maps highlight sections that are likely to be viewed by your audience; this map will only show the areas which are viewed by the users.

Attention Score

It quantifies the overall interest the stimuli has received. It is calculated based on the intensity of heat maps. If there are more intense regions, the attention value will be higher.

To Measure Clarity & Engagement

Clarity Score

It tells you if your customers will easily understand your stuff or not. It helps you see how clear your message or visuals are, so you can make them better for your audience.

Area of Interest

Define specific regions within your content for an even deeper analysis of viewer engagement.

Second by Second Analysis

This offers users deeper insights, elevating research to a new level of advanced data analysis.

Detailed Analysis of the Ad

Overall Score

48.7/100

Highest Focus: The ad achieved its highest focus score of 86.49 at the 57-second mark, when the Hellmann’s Mayo bottle was prominently placed at the end, marking the peak moment of audience engagement.

Lowest Focus: The focus score hit its lowest point at 33.75 at the 1-second mark, as the wide camera angle captured multiple characters at once, causing a loss of visual focus and making it harder for viewers to immediately engage with the commercial.

Highest Clarity: Clarity peaked at 66.08 at the 12-second mark, when Meg Ryan took a bite of her sandwich, her expression subtly suggesting that something was missing.

Lowest Clarity: Clarity dropped to its lowest point of 52.2 at the 10-second mark, as the rapid camera shift between two angles momentarily disrupted visual coherence.

Highest Attention: Viewer attention peaked at 77.28 at the 18-second mark when Meg Ryan sighed in response to a question about her sandwich, teasing that something was missing—but refusing to reveal what.

Lowest Attention: Attention dropped to its lowest point (16.35) at the 57-second mark, when the CTA appeared alongside a static Hellmann’s Mayo bottle. The lack of movement in this scene led to a dip in engagement, causing viewers' attention to wane.

Summary Analysis

Hellmann’s Super Bowl ad blends nostalgia and humor, reuniting Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal to recreate the When Harry Met Sally diner scene—this time, with a turkey sandwich stealing the spotlight. A dramatic squeeze of Hellmann’s mayo triggers a deli-wide reaction, leading to Sydney Sweeney delivering the legendary line: “I’ll have what she’s having.” The ad’s highest focus score (86.49) came during this iconic moment, while clarity peaked at 66.08 due to strong storytelling. However, attention dipped to 16.35 when the brand elements lingered too long, and a low percentage seen (31.36%) suggests some drop-off before the payoff. Despite this, the campaign cleverly celebrates the film’s 35th anniversary while reinforcing Hellmann’s as a sandwich essential.

Suggestions for Improvement

Increase Early Engagement: With a low percentage seen (31.36%), many viewers dropped off before the iconic punchline. A stronger hook in the first few seconds—perhaps a teaser or quicker buildup—could help retain attention