Nielsen’s Top Auto Ad Awards.

From “Zoom zoom” to “Like a rock,” automotive ads have a way of resonating with consumers—and making lasting impressions. But not all creatives are created equal. Today, Nielsen announced the winners of its 7th Annual Nielsen Automotive Advertising Awards, and Volkswagen’s “Dog Strikes Back” took the top honor of Ad of the Year.

Based on the results of Nielsen’s national TV ad effectiveness surveys, the awards take into account each ad’s ability to be remembered overall, to have the brand remembered, to have the message remembered and, finally, to be liked. The winning TV ad—“Dog Strikes Back,” featuring a chubby pooch compelled to work out after being unable to fit through his doggy door—was the top ad out of nearly a thousand in the running for Nielsen’s Automotive Ad of the Year.

The spot, which demonstrates how the dog, like the new VW Beetle, is “back and better than ever,” garnered ad recall levels 95 percent higher than the average auto ad. The ad’s performance rivaled that of some of the best brands across all product categories.

“This year, we are celebrating the creative process and its power to tell riveting stories and transform the viewers’ impressions of a brand. All of our finalists and winners were highly successful in breaking through to the television viewer at significantly high rates—thanks to great creative,” said Tom Rivers, Senior Vice President and Account Director for Nielsen’s global automotive unit.

Other big winners included:

Best Green Ad: Ford “Taurus Engineers – Mazen”

Best Sales Event Campaign: Ford “Swap Your Ride”

Luxury Campaign of the Year: Mercedes-Benz “C-Class”

Spanish TV Advertiser of the Year: Toyota

The Nielsen Automotive Advertising Awards, presented at the 2013 New York International Auto Show, are the only awards measuring the effectiveness of automobile TV ads.

For more information at http://www.nielsen.com