Bosch is evolving its advertising strategy with the launch of the “Impressive Innovation” brand platform, moving from celebrity-led Super Bowl spots to a narrative-driven focus on precision and performance. Created in partnership with Bailey Lauerman, their new work shifts the spotlight to the windshield wiper category, utilizing anthropomorphized robots to demonstrate technical excellence with heart and humor.
The campaign includes a :30 hero spot, :15-second cutdowns and various short-form executions, and is designed to bridge the gap between category enthusiasts and passive audience segments by highlighting a “moment of clarity” in a research lab setting.
Here’s what iSpot’s Creative Assessment platform revealed on actual viewer response to the campaign.
The Details:
- The :15 “Impressive Innovation” outperformed the auto parts category in overall viewer response (Ace Score) by +70 pts. This performance places the ad in the category’s top decile — a meaningful signal that the creative is working well above baseline across key effectiveness dimensions:
- The ad successfully broke through the clutter, demonstrating strong Attention (+55 pts over benchmark) and Likeability (+55 pts). This success was heavily driven by the product itself, cited as the Single Best Thing about the ad by 22% (a +4 pt above-norm strength) and the characters (13%, an +8 pt advantage over norm), as the core visual elements successfully anchored viewer engagement.
- The ad’s most exceptional component was Change landing at a +100-point delta. At the 98th percentile, this is a genuine creative strength, suggesting the ad conveyed something new and/or innovative as intended, with Relevance also outpacing norms.
- While some Curiosity and Green (sustainability, technology) was sparked at lower signal levels, the ad’s success was primarily rooted in rational persuasion rather than deep emotional connection.
- The ad achieved the objective of broad appeal, earning above-norm response across age/gender — and top decile response among younger males 18-49 and women 50+.
- A healthy 78% recalled the Bosch brand (unaided) after a single view and 52% reported increased consideration; the former outpaced the benchmark rate by +14 pts while consumer intent met, but did not exceed, auto parts norm levels.
- The ad successfully broke through the clutter, demonstrating strong Attention (+55 pts over benchmark) and Likeability (+55 pts). This success was heavily driven by the product itself, cited as the Single Best Thing about the ad by 22% (a +4 pt above-norm strength) and the characters (13%, an +8 pt advantage over norm), as the core visual elements successfully anchored viewer engagement.
- Second-by-second trace results show a bump in engagement at the introduction of some of the Bosch benefits, while the extended :30 creative saw a very flat to declining level of viewer interest following the halfway point:
- Viewer sentiment on the :15 “Impressive Innovation” indicates that the robot character was a genuine asset generating emotional engagement and memorability. Multiple comparisons to beloved characters (Wall-E, R2-D2) were seen, and the robot’s “peace sign” moment and “heart eyes” were specifically called out.
- However, the ad currently prioritizes entertainment over education, leaving the audience charmed but somewhat uninformed. Multiple viewers explicitly stated confusion about the robot’s connection to wiper blades pointing to opportunity for greater clarity in the messaging and/or execution.
- The new :15 successfully conveyed a “high-tech,” “futuristic,” and “innovative” brand image, and viewers associated Bosch with quality engineering and advanced technology. The lab setting and robotic elements reinforced premium positioning.
- Still, many wanted more concrete product details and differentiation (Information) which could have boosted consumer intent to an above-norm level.
- The delayed brand/product reveal, while creating intrigue, left some confused about what they were watching. Given the 15-second format where every second counts, establishing the brand earlier could make a difference.
- Viewer sentiment on the :15 “Impressive Innovation” indicates that the robot character was a genuine asset generating emotional engagement and memorability. Multiple comparisons to beloved characters (Wall-E, R2-D2) were seen, and the robot’s “peace sign” moment and “heart eyes” were specifically called out.
Sample comments on the “Impressive Innovation” :15
“I liked it overall. The robots used fit into the ‘helpful and friendly robot’ image (like Pixar’s WALL-E or R2-D2 from Star Wars). That was a good contrast to the high tech and cold lab setting.”
Male 36-49
“That Bosch wiper blades are superior to others and have new technology that makes them great for long rides in the rain.”
Female 50+
“I liked it, especially the visuals. I thought it was good to see the effectiveness of the wiper blades, and the robots were really cute.”
Female 18-35
“It comes across as practical and reliable, emphasizing clear visibility and quality performance, which makes the product feel trustworthy and worth considering.”
Male 18-35
“It’s a good ad. It just makes me think and wonder how Bosch compares to other brands of windshield wipers and things.”
Male 36-49
“I liked the robot character in the ad, but I was also confused as to why it was there. I think the direct message about what the Bosch wipers do is good though.”
Female 18-35
“It showed too fast and it was a little boring. The robot was kind of cute and got my attention. I didn’t know what it had to do with wiper blades though.”
Female 36-49
“Can’t lie, this is the first time I’m hearing of such a product from Bosch.”
Male 36-49
“I thought the ad was amusing. The robot was adorable to me. It did distract a little from what the brand was trying to show and describe about their product in the ad.”
Female 50+
“I thought the ad was simple in getting my attention. I just wish they explained more about the product than the character in the commercial. I feel I did not learn anything from it.”
Male 36-49
“It took a while to identify what the ad was about; would have preferred to learn more details about the product advertised.”
Female 50+
“I thought it was cute. I like the robots. It reminded me of the movie WALL-E.”
Female 36-49
“The ad made me interested in the technology and performance of the blades.”
Male 50+
“I thought the advertisement was boring and every person driving needs wipers and Bosch makes great wipers, but the only thing in this advertisement was the robot.”
Male 50+
“Very clear in understanding. Great promotion and video of the robot Bosch wiper blades.”
Male 36-49
- Although the :30 cut sparked a bit higher (+2 pts vs the :15) purchase intent, the overall response to the longer format trailed that of the :15:
- Given the higher costs associated with running the :30 version, results suggest optimizing for reach and ROI by shifting the vast majority of media weight to the :15. The shorter length was more efficient at holding Attention, delivering Information, and driving Relevance across a much broader demographic base.
- WeatherTech’s Super Bowl LX spot achieved both broad, positive resonance and high persuasive ability, as 57% in the audience reported increased likelihood of purchase:
- The most impressive aspects of the ad to viewers were the Information and Change conveyed, with a strong focus on the product.
Ineffective creative, even if delivered to the right audience, results in missed opportunity and performance shortfalls. Great creative delivered poorly also results in failed campaigns.
Schedule a demo to find out how your brand can partner with iSpot to quickly solve both challenges simultaneously, delivering high-performing creative while boosting the effectiveness of planning and in-market execution to achieve—and outperform—campaign objectives.
Creative Agency: Bailey Lauerman