• by Teresa Buyikian , April 24, 2025

The combination of “emotionally resonant creative, strong product visuals and strategic placement” are key components in creating high-performing QSR advertising campaigns.

That’s according to the Quick Serve Restaurant (QSR) Outcomes Ranker report published this week by cross-platform TV ad measurement company iSpot.

The report “offers a look at the top-performing QSR creatives, genres and dayparts on linear TV from Q1 2025 from top QSR brands.”

While sports was acknowledged (it did account for 65% of spend and 31% of reach in Q1), the report focuses on what other categories helped drive successful advertising in the QSR category.

These campaigns resulted in more than 11.6 million incremental visits and measurable returns on media investment, per iSpot.

The top performing ads were Starbuck’s :15 “We’re on Summertime, Shake it”; “Micro-Storm” by Chick-fil-A ; and a Subway’s 20% off deal spot. These top performers focused on humor, along with extensive food product shots.

Key finding on media placement: Ads performed best during the early morning, Mon-Fri from 6 A.M. to 10 P.M., and overnight from Mon-Sun 2 A.M. to 6 A.M. at 24%. Prime time (Sun 7 P.M. to 11 P.M.) followed both at 23.97%.

QSR Insider spoke with iSpot’s Chief Commercial Officer Mark Myers about the results.

QSR Insider: How do you define “emotionally resonant” creative, and why do you think these spots increase a QSR’s traffic?

Myers: Emotionally resonant creatives are ads that generate strong, memorable emotional reactions from viewers -- whether it’s humor, craving, nostalgia or excitement. Our tool captures nearly 60 emotions indicated by our 500+ person survey panel.

In Q1 this year, we saw ads that sparked emotions like “thirsty,” “funny,” or “value-driven” consistently delivered the highest foot traffic lift. These feelings aren’t just fleeting. They trigger cravings, reinforce brand recognition, and nudge consumers to take real-world action, like visiting a QSR.

QSR Insider: What about Starbuck’s  “Shake it” spot exemplifies emotional resonance and strategic placement?

Myers: The creative’s upbeat, feel-good music paired with vibrant summer visuals tapped into the “thirsty” emotion — the strongest emotional driver we measured — while keeping the product front and center.

Strategically, Starbucks’ campaign thrived in the news magazine program genre, where it outperformed the brand’s campaign average by 6.5x. Those placements aligned the message with an attentive, early-day audience likely to be in a “purchase-now” mindset, especially for Starbucks’ morning beverages.

QSR Insider: What about early mornings and overnight buys make spots so effective for QSR? 

Myers: These timeframes offer less ad clutter and can find an attentive audience for QSR messaging -- moments of food decision-making like grabbing breakfast, a late-night snack, or planning meals. Ads in these slots often coincide with hunger cues, making it the perfect window to immediately turn attention into action.

QSR Insider: Looking forward, what can QSRs do to maximize their media investments for 2025?

Myers: QSRs should take a dual approach when considering their media investment this year by dialing in ad creatives that connect emotionally (especially through sensory cues like food visuals and humor), and prioritize underutilized but high-performing media opportunities. That means looking beyond sports to genres like travel, DIY, or music, and continuing to invest in optimal dayparts where performance outpaces reach.