This year's Super Bowl may have brought the spotlight to the championship-winning Seattle Seahawks, but the commercials that aired during the big game garnered plenty of attention for different brands as well. Automakers were among the big winners from the event, and a few manufacturers managed to see immediate bumps in publicity thanks to their catchy ads. 

AutoTrader.com conducted a survey to determine which companies made the biggest impact with their ads. Ford and Chevrolet had the most memorable commercials of the night, but that did not necessarily translate to searches. In that regard, Maserati emerged as the winner, as more than one-fifth of viewers recalled its ad and it saw a big jump in Internet searches in the hours after the Super Bowl. 

There were a few other brands whose ads inspired some prospective car shoppers to consider different makes and models. Toyota was on top in that category, as 44 percent of viewers said they were much more or somewhat more likely to look into purchasing a Toyota in the future. Audi, Jeep and Honda also scored well with drivers. 

"While generating a significant amount of buzz leading up to and during the game is the primary opportunity for Super Bowl advertisers, our research shows that impact doesn't end one the final whistle is blown," said Rick Wainschel, the vice president of automotive insights for AutoTrader.com. "Creating a spot that consumers remember and that drives lifts in brand consideration is the ultimate goal for automakers …" 

Anytime a commercial piques your interest about a vehicle, you may want to dig deeper into your options. This process can start at NJ State Auto, which has hundreds of Carfax-certified cars, trucks and vans that may be just the right fit for you.