These days, the Super Bowl is often considered the mecca of advertisement. With rates at a record- $4.5 million for a 30-second spot, brands spend big money to showcase themselves during the big game, with the hopes of capturing the attention of the 100 million plus viewers who tune in for the game (and the commercials) each year.

But despite this audience size, the question still remains: is the Super Bowl really an effective way to reach your audience? We decided to take a closer look at the potential impact of running a Super Bowl ad, with a particular focus on the auto industry. Car makers have long dominated the advertisements during the game, but this year, many chose to forgo buying air time.

Using data provided from Polk Retail Registrations, a division of IHS Automotive, the Rhiza Ratio looked at annual market share of new car sales for four auto makers that advertised consistently during the Super Bowl games between the years of 2010 and 2014 (Audi, Kia, Hyundai, Volkswagen). This information was cross referenced with viewership of the Super Bowl game by DMA nationwide, provided by Simmons Local, a division of Experian.

Three out of the four auto makers (Kia, Hyundai and Volkswagen) all saw an overall decline in market share of new car sales between 2012 and 2014, despite having advertised during the Super Bowl during each of those years.

Perhaps even more interesting was that when broken down by DMA, the major market share of new car sales was concentrated in areas that had a smaller market share of those who planned to watch the Super Bowl and had the intention of purchasing a new car.

So what does this suggest? Targeted data can uncover storylines unseen through a national lens. In this instance, the data suggest that perhaps just going after the 100 million “eyeballs” watching the Super Bowl was not the best way to reach potential customers. In fact, the DMAs with the largest market share were more likely to have not been watching the game.

What can the auto industry deduce from all this? Each car manufacturer has its own recipe for advertising success. For some, a Super Bowl advertisement is worth the investment. But for others, what may seem like a great investment may actually not be the case once you take a closer look.

This guest article was written by Josh Knauer, CEO of Rhiza, a marketing analytics firm and developer of the Rhiza Ratio.

Let’s just get right into it and start with this:

“We are incredibly excited about the opportunity to bring Adam & Eve to the public this way. We are encouraging drivers who run across our trucks along I85, I95, I75 and I77 to send us pictures (via twitter @adamandeve and Facebook) of the trucks to track their effectiveness and possibly win prizes.”

Yes, that’s Adam & Eve Marketing Director Chad Davis encouraging people to take their eyes off the road, drool over a bikini-clad Bree Olsen and take a picture of her. Selfishly, Davis wants people to do this to help measure the campaign but only possibly offer people the chance to win prizes.

Now through March, four 18-wheelers emblazoned with the bikini-clad Olsen will head from Atlanta to Baltimore, Atlanta to Ohio, and possibly (damn, Davis loves that word) Louisiana and North Florida offering “50% off” when customers use the code “rig” at checkout at adamandeve.com.

Geez. Not only do drivers have to take their eyes off the road to take a picture, but they also have to look for and remember a code.

Fail.