Maserati Ghibli's Super Bowl® XLVIII Commercial Garners Highest Consumer Interest, According to Kelley Blue Book

IRVINE, Calif., Feb. 3, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Maserati Ghibli increased 4,250 percent in new-car searches on KBB.com, the most of any advertised model during Super Bowl XLVIII, according to Kelley Blue Book www.kbb.com, the leading provider of new and used car information. Other luxury models Jaguar F-Type, Hyundai Genesis and Audi A3 increased 1,733 percent, 838 percent and 813 percent in search activity on the site after the ads aired, respectively.

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"Maserati, not a name that you would associate with your average household luxury brand, stepped into the foyer in a major fashion. In an ad that was reminiscent of a movie trailer, the Ghibli was introduced to the general public, Maserati's first car selling under $100K (base $66,900)," said Arthur Henry, senior analyst for Kelley Blue Book.  "There are less luxury shoppers than there are non-luxury shoppers in the marketplace today, and it takes much to move the needle.  This year was different in which luxury shoppers responded in a big way.  In years past when shoppers where tighter with their wallets, the luxury brands didn't have the impact on shoppers as they did this year.  As the economy and shopper confidence improves, luxury looks to be the hot ticket item for 2014."

Not only did luxury cars Ghibli, F-Type, Genesis and A3 have effective advertising, but the Ford Fusion Hybrid was the most searched non-luxury model on KBB.com after its ad aired.

"Ford, like Wonderful Pistachios, ran two back-to-back ads for its product. Ford was able to captivate viewers with its high action commercials to influence them to research the model on KBB.com," said Henry.  "Ford was the only automaker to advertise a hybrid model, and it was able to amplify its message for the Fusion Hybrid as class leading in fuel economy, which is a very attractive selling point."

Percent Increase of KBB.com Searches for Big Game Advertised Models¹

Increasing 700 percent, surprise advertiser Maserati saw the biggest lift in searches on KBB.com than any other automaker who marketed in the Big Game this year. Followed by Maserati, Audi was the No. 2 brand most searched on the site with its "doberhuahua" commercial.

"Jeep experienced the highest search activity on KBB.com of all non-luxury brands that advertised in the Big Game after the ad aired.  The automaker resonated well with the audience with its "Built Free" campaign, further carving itself as the brand with the most rugged sport utility vehicles," said Henry.

Percent Increase of KBB.com Searches for Big Game Automaker Advertisers²

For more information and news from Kelley Blue Book's KBB.com, visit www.kbb.com/media/, follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/kelleybluebook (or @kelleybluebook), like our page on Facebook at www.facebook.com/kbb, and get updates on Google+ at https://plus.google.com/+kbb.

¹The percent increase of the model's new-car searches on KBB.com during the hour the ad aired compared to the hour before the ad aired
²The percent increase of the brand's new-car searches on KBB.com during the hour the ad aired compared to the hour before the ad aired.

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About Kelley Blue Book (www.kbb.com)
Founded in 1926, Kelley Blue Book, The Trusted Resource®, is the only vehicle valuation and information source trusted and relied upon by both consumers and the automotive industry.  Each week the company provides the most market-reflective values in the industry on its top-rated website KBB.com, including its famous Blue Book® Trade-In and Suggested Retail Values, and Fair Purchase Price, which reports what others are paying for new cars this week.  The company also provides vehicle pricing and values through various products and services available to car dealers, auto manufacturers, finance and insurance companies, and governmental agencies.  For two years running, Kelley Blue Book's KBB.com ranked highest in its category for brand equity and was named Online Auto Shopping Brand of the Year in the 2012 and 2013 Harris Poll EquiTrend^® study.  Kelley Blue Book Co., Inc. is a subsidiary of AutoTrader Group, which includes AutoTrader.com, vAuto, VinSolutions and HomeNet Automotive.  AutoTrader Group is a majority-owned subsidiary of Cox Enterprises.

SOURCE Kelley Blue Book