Every month, YouGov identifies the brands generating the strongest surge in Ad Awareness scores in the United States.

Using data from YouGov BrandIndex, our daily brand tracking solution, we measure Ad Awareness, the percentage of consumers who have seen an advertisement for a brand in the past two weeks. The brands featured here recorded the largest increase in Ad Awareness in the latest month compared to the previous month.

Top 10 U.S. Advertisers of the month: August 2026

  1. ChatGPT – 5.0 point increase (from 26.6% in July to 31.6% in August)
  2. Dawn – 4.6 point increase (from 26.0% in July to 30.6% in August)
  3. Starbucks – 4.5 point increase (from 35.1% in July to 39.6% in August)
  4. Lexus – 4.2 point increase (from 10.7% in July to 14.9% in August)
  5. Meta – 3.6 point increase (from 16.8% in July to 20.4% in August)
  6. Skechers – 3.4 point increase (from 29.4% in July to 32.8% in August)
  7. Olive Garden – 3.4 point increase (from 27.5% in July to 30.9% in August)
  8. Crate & Barrel – 3.4 point increase (from 3.3% in July to 6.7% in August)
  9. Tesla – 3.3 point increase (from 11.4% in July to 14.7% in August)
  10. NFL+ – 3.3 point increase (from 5.3% in July to 8.6% in August)

Dawn gains amid fresh TV advertising

Dawn’s Ad Awareness increased from 26.0% in July to 30.6% in August, a 4.6-point rise. The increase aligns with the late-July introduction of a Dawn Platinum “Closer Look” television commercial, featuring the brand’s familiar duck imagery. With the spot launching on July 20, continued exposure during the following weeks offers a plausible explanation for stronger advertising recall in August.

Starbucks rises as Pumpkin Spice advertising signals fall

Starbucks’ Ad Awareness climbed from 35.1% to 39.6%, up 4.5 points. The increase coincides with extensive promotion surrounding the August 25 return of the Pumpkin Spice Latte. Starbucks announced the fall range earlier in August before launching a Martha Stewart and Belmont Cameli-led campaign and TV creative. The combination of seasonal anticipation, advertising and social attention likely strengthened recall late in the month.

Lexus advances alongside new TX advertising

Lexus’ Ad Awareness rose from 10.7% in July to 14.9% in August, a 4.2-point increase. The movement aligns closely with new advertising for the 2026 Lexus TX: the 30-second “Solo” commercial was published on August 3 and showcased multiple versions of the three-row SUV. Its timing at the beginning of the reporting month suggests fresh model-focused TV exposure may have lifted advertising recall.

Meta rises amid sustained AI-glasses promotion

Meta’s Ad Awareness increased from 16.8% to 20.4%, a 3.6-point gain. August brought continued promotion of Meta’s expanding AI-glasses range, including fashion-focused short films, while the company also launched late-month billboard advertising explaining the glasses’ recording indicator amid privacy concerns. This combination of paid creative and substantial earned-media attention appears consistent with greater visibility for Meta-related advertising.

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Top 10 U.S. Advertisers of the month: July 2026

  1. Telemundo – 4.8 point increase (from 4.6% in June to 9.4% in July)
  2. DraftKings – 4.7 point increase (from 24.6% in June to 29.3% in July)
  3. Airbnb – 4.4 point increase (from 20.0% in June to 24.4% in July)
  4. ASPCA – 4.4 point increase (from 13.4% in June to 17.8% in July)
  5. Temu – 4.3 point increase (from 30.4% in June to 34.7% in July)
  6. Apple Watch – 4.3 point increase (from 27.3% in June to 31.6% in July)
  7. Tide – 4.3 point increase (from 26.2% in June to 30.5% in July)
  8. Bank of America – 4.3 point increase (from 18.3% in June to 22.6% in July)
  9. Snickers – 4.3 point increase (from 17.9% in June to 22.2% in July)
  10. LG – 4.1 point increase (from 18.0% in June to 22.1% in July)

Telemundo likely gains from FIFA World Cup coverage

Telemundo’s Ad Awareness rose from 4.6% in June to 9.4% in July, a 4.8-point increase. The gain coincides with the FIFA World Cup’s knockout rounds and final, when its “El Mundial Es Nuestro” platform, official song and extensive tournament coverage were at peak visibility.

World Cup campaign sustains DraftKings visibility

DraftKings’ Ad Awareness increased from 24.6% in June to 29.3% in July, up 4.7 points. The rise aligns with its World Cup campaign, which combined “Covering the Cup” with Alex Morgan, Chicharito-led creative, platform promotions and watch events running into July. Together, the campaign creative and live activations likely kept the brand visible through the tournament’s decisive stages.

Airbnb gets a lift during FIFA World Cup media and promotions

Airbnb’s Ad Awareness climbed from 20.0% in June to 24.4% in July, a 4.4-point rise. The movement coincides with sustained FIFA World Cup advertising, while July booking windows offered free match tickets with selected stays and promoted exclusive fan experiences. Paid media and promotional publicity provide a strong, closely timed correlation with the uplift.

Bank of America stays visible with FIFA World Cup sponsorship

Bank of America’s Ad Awareness increased from 18.3% in June to 22.6% in July, up 4.3 points. The rise closely matches its FIFA World Cup sponsorship activity, including Fan Bands, a July Rockefeller Center fan experience and the release of “Street of Dreams” with David Beckham and U2. These connected physical and video activations likely created sustained visibility through the tournament’s final stages.

Top 10 U.S. Advertisers of the month: June 2026

  1. Grand Theft Auto – 6.3 point increase (from 6.5% in May to 12.8% in June)
  2. Coca-Cola – 5.8 point increase (from 37.0% in May to 42.8% in June)
  3. CeraVe – 5.0 point increase (from 16.8% in May to 21.8% in June)
  4. Amazon Prime – 4.7 point increase (from 39.5% in May to 44.2% in June)
  5. Heineken – 4.7 point increase (from 15.7% in May to 20.4% in June)
  6. Amazon Alexa – 4.7 point increase (from 13.1% in May to 17.8% in June)
  7. Kalshi – 4.6 point increase (from 12.1% in May to 16.7% in June)
  8. Pepsi – 4.5 point increase (from 25.8% in May to 30.3% in June)
  9. Juicy Juice – 4.5 point increase (from 2.4% in May to 6.9% in June)
  10. One A Day – 4.3 point increase (from 10.3% in May to 14.6% in June)
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Top 10 U.S. Advertisers of the Month: May 2026

  1. Fox – 4.7 point increase (from 17.3% in April to 22.0% in May)
  2. Oscar Mayer – 4.2 point increase (from 12.2% in April to 16.4% in May)
  3. Hawaiian Punch – 4.2 point increase (from 2.9% in April to 7.1% in May)
  4. Michelob ULTRA – 4.1 point increase (from 12.5% in April to 16.6% in May)
  5. Kool-Aid – 3.8 point increase (from 6.0% in April to 9.8% in May)
  6. Baskin Robbins – 3.8 point increase (from 4.7% in April to 8.5% in May)
  7. ChatGPT – 3.6 point increase (from 27.0% in April to 30.6% in May)
  8. Crown Royal – 3.6 point increase (from 9.8% in April to 13.4% in May)
  9. Raid – 3.6 point increase (from 6.7% in April to 10.3% in May)
  10. Johnson & Johnson – 3.5 point increase (from 23.9% in April to 27.4% in May)
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Methodology:

YouGov BrandIndex collects data on thousands of brands every day. Ad Awareness is based on the question: “Which of the following consumer brands have you seen an advertisement for in the past two weeks?"

Rankings in this article are based on change in Ad Awareness. To qualify as top improvers, a minimum base size of 300 (n) is required. In cases where the change in scores is the same between two brands, the current scores are used as a secondary metric to determine their ranking.

Brands tracked across multiple sectors are ranked based on their highest-performing sector. Both parent and child brands, such as Google and YouTube, are included to allow for greater granularity in performance tracking.

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The data analysis in this article was created with the assistance of AI.

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