Food Delivery Ads: Attention-Driven Creative Boosts Sales by 13.5%

Every day, consumers globally decide whether to make their own meals or order takeout or delivery from an area restaurant or ghost kitchen. Delivery aggregators and marketplaces need to remain top of mind for consumers, so they are the de facto place they go when they don’t want to cook.  A study of ad creatives from three leading UK food delivery services reveals which strategies best capture audience attention. 

Key Takeaways 

• End on a High
  Ads with powerful audio and visual branding achieved Attention Potential scores up to 74 
• Reduce Focal Points
  High frequency edits, split screens and multiple characters reduced attention, with the lowest-scoring ad reaching only 29 on the Attention Potential scale 
• Tell a Compelling Story
  Just Eat's "Grocery Grab" scored highest with 74 Attention Potential 
• People Beat Graphics
  Uber Eats' "Football is Food" campaign ads held three of the top four spots individually

 
Methodology 
Realeyes Synthetic AI analyzed emotional responses to campaigns from Deliveroo, Just Eat, and Uber Eats. Based on 18 million participant sessions and 90K+ ads tested, the AI model determines Attention Potential on a scale of 1-100, with each point gained driving +0.3% campaign sales lift.

 
Key Findings 
Just Eat achieved the highest Attention Potential across campaigns at 58, slightly ahead of Uber Eats at 57. 

Just Eat's "Grocery Grab" featuring cartoon squirrels discussing food ordering earned the highest single ad score at 74 Attention Potential. 

Uber Eats' celebrity-focused campaigns showed mixed results. Their "Football is Food" performed strongly, while their Robert De Niro campaign received middling scores. 

Graphics based animations, a characteristic of one of Deiveroo's campaigns tended to score lower than those featuring live action or characters.   

The lowest-performing ad scored 29 on the Attention Potential scale, due to fast edits from the start and a visually complex scene for the main body of the ad.  

Business Impact 
The 45-point gap between the highest performing ad (74) and lowest (29) represents a potential 13.5% increase in campaign sales lift. On a $10 million campaign, this translates to $3.87m more in sales, assuming Nielsen's calculation of $2.87 in additional sales per $1 ad spend.

Ads crafted for attention can significantly impact food delivery companies' performance, driving brand loyalty and market share through data-driven creative decisions.