It all comes down to quality, explained Marcy Greenberger, chief investment officer at UM.

“Based on the various published scorecards and trackers rating this year’s ads, a mix of 30 and 60-second spots ranked highest,” Greenberger said. “With a 30-second ad costing upwards of a reported $8 million, a brand willing to pay two to three times that to air a longer spot should feel confident that it’s created an engaging, entertaining, and/or meaningful ad that will resonate with audiences.”

How to get a 30-second ad to resonate

Schwartz said, in order to get the right story across for a shorter spot, more brands have been preparing their creative for years in advance.

“The conversations are starting so much earlier in terms of how people want to approach the Super Bowl, and it’s so competitive from a category standpoint,” Schwartz said. “No one has bought or sold anything yet for next year, but there have been some preliminary conversations depending on the branded category, and that didn’t happen 10 years ago—or it was a very rare occasion.”

While celebrities have always been a big part of Super Bowl ads, Schwartz said he’s noticed an even bigger increase in advertisers using celebrities in their game day spots as companies look to make an impact.

The Hollywood Reporter reported that the number of Super Bowl ads featuring celebrities has increased over the years. Sunday’s game saw a record number, with 57 of 94 product ads starring big-name celebrities, while many had more than one, up 22% from last year.

Brands are also bringing in famous directors and movie producers to create a more theatrical effect.

For instance, WeatherTech, which has been advertising in the Super Bowl for 12 years, took an unexpected route this year and hired Grammy Award-winning filmmaker Joseph Kahn—who has worked with the likes of Taylor Swift, Britney Spears, and Beyoncé—to create a music video-inspired commercial.

Regardless of length or talent, time and time again, marketers repeated that the storytelling is what matters.

“Super Bowl ads live and die by their storytelling,” Martin Blich, executive director, sports and live investment, GroupM US, said. “It’s all about being situated in the right context and making every second count.”