Volkswagen’s Little Darth Vader ad, where a small boy is stunned by his powers, was not only a standout commercial in this year’s Super Bowl, but it also took the top spot among Most Liked new ads of the entire first quarter 2011.

In demographic analysis of Super Bowl ads, Nielsen uncovers which brands performed best with male and female audiences.

The majority of Super Bowl viewers enjoy the game’s ads more than the action on the field, according to results of a recent survey by The Nielsen Company.

Last year’s matchup between the Patriots and the Giants was viewed by a record 97.5 million people in the U.S. As expected, the Super Bowl was the most-watched TV broadcast in 2008. Networks broadcasting the Super Bowl often use the game as a lead-in for one of their regular shows. This year, NBC will broadcast a one-hour episode of The Office. Last year, 29.1 million viewers stuck around after the game to watch an episode of House on FOX.

Year
Super Bowl
Avg. viewers
in millions
Show After Game
Avg. viewers
in millions

2008
FOX – …