USA TODAY Launches 29th Annual Ad Meter

This year’s competition features early voting and new Facebook Live Series

USA TODAY, part of Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI), announced the launch of the 29th annual Super Bowl Ad Meter, sponsored by Adobe and WordPress.com. The defining barometer of Super Bowl advertising, Ad Meter returns with an industry-first Facebook Live series, Ad Meter Today, hosted by sports personality Ron Burke and USA TODAY Senior Editor Laura Petrecca, along with a rotating lineup of special guests.

Fans can sign up to join the Ad Meter Panel to cast their votes for the best Super Bowl LI commercials. Voting will officially open on the Wednesday, February 1st at noon ET before the big game and will close at 1:00 a.m. ET Monday, February 6th after the Vince Lombardi trophy is hoisted by the new champions.

In addition to the traditional panel voting, USA TODAY will be hosting Ad Meter Today, sponsored by Adobe via Facebook Live in the days leading up to the big game, on game day, and the Monday following the game. USA TODAY Sports will host the second-screen experience beginning Thursday, February 2 through Monday, February 6, 2017 at 12:00 p.m. ET on its USA TODAY Sport’s Facebook page, with in-studio guests as follows:

• 2/2/17; History of Super Bowl commercials with Gina Grillo, President/CEO The Advertising Club of NY
• 2/3/17; How brands benefit from their Super Bowl investment with Rob Baiocco, Chief Creative Officer The BAM Connection
• 2/4/17; Why Super Bowl commercials resonate with viewers with Barbara Lippert, Editor at Large, MediaPost
• 2/5/17; How social media magnifies Super Bowl ads with Mike Mikho, CMO, Laundry Service
• 2/6/17; These commercials dominated this year’s Super Bowl with Jeanine Poggi, TV and media reporter, Advertising Age; and Matt Miller, President /CEO, Association of Independent Commercial Producers

“USA TODAY’s Ad Meter has long been the defining measurement of each year’s Super Bowl advertising winners and losers as voted by the consumers brands strive to reach,” said Dave Morgan, President of USA TODAY Sports Media Group. “This year we are excited to launch an industry-first, socially-interactive Facebook Live series that will discuss the intersection of Madison Avenue, sports and Hollywood stars with witty and insightful Super Bowl commercial analysis from a panel of experts.”

"WordPress.com is thrilled to be a sponsor of USA TODAY's Ad Meter," said Chris Taylor, CMO of WordPress.com. "WordPress powers more than 27% of sites on the web, including the Ad Meter, so they're the perfect partner for America's second biggest pastime -- judging commercials during the big game."

The winners of the 2017 Super Bowl Ad Meter will be announced in the morning of Monday, February 6. All of the Super Bowl ads, as well as complete results and analysis, can be seen at admeter.usatoday.com.

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