Super Bowl LI (51) is set for this Sunday (February 4) with the New England Patriots squaring off against the Atlanta Falcons. While the talking heads, Vegas odd makers and sports diehards will be focusing on the final score, come Monday morning, everyone else will be talking about what took place between each timeout: the commercials.
At this stage, the game has become almost secondary to the entertainment spectacle of advertising. The Super Bowl not only declares the best team in football, but it also determines the fates of companies looking to score big with expensive ad campaigns. Companies like Apple have built their brands on 60 second spots seen by millions.
In anticipation of the new crop of commercials that we’ll see on Sunday, we take a look back and spotlight the 15 most memorable Super Bowl commercials ever.
“1984” – Apple (1984)
We start things off with that Apple “1984” spot, which is regarded as the most controversial and talked about Super Bowl commercial ever. Debuting in 1984, the timely ad, inspired by George Orwell’s dystopian novel, casts IBM as “Big Brother” and Apple as the “rebel/game-changer” bringing down the system. Airing only once during the Super Bowl, the piece was dark in tone and style, directed by visionary director Ridley Scott.
Cindy Crawford – Pepsi (1992)
Here’s a little secret: get Cindy Crawford to seductively drink a Pepsi while wearing tiny shorts and a tank top, and you’ll have a legion of boys/men switching from Coke to Pepsi. Back in 1992 that was Pepsi’s plan as they harnessed Crawford’s sexy supermodel powers to sell their drink during their Super Bowl spot.
Next to Michael Jackson’s hair catching fire, the buzz Pepsi got out of this commercial was priceless for the company, helping create an ad classic.
“Where’s The Beef?” – Wendy’s (1984)
“Where’s the beef?” is the question asked by an annoyed granny (played by Clara Peller).
It seems like 1984 was a major year for iconic ad campaigns as this one took the nation by storm — “Where’s the beef?” became a popular catchphrase used in media, songs and by Walter Mondale during the 1984 presidential primaries. Anytime a complaint was to be made, the slogan was thrown out much to the delight of Wendy’s, which won this battle in the burger wars.
“The Showdown” – McDonald’s (1993)
All that this commercial is missing is Magic Johnson. As it stands, it’s pretty amazing to see Michael Jordan and Larry Bird squaring off in an ultimate game of Horse.
The two NBA legends are playing for a bag of McDonald’s Big Mac and fries, as they start on the court, then in the rafters, until finally taking their trick shots to the top of the John Hancock Center. Money well spent on McDonald’s part!
The Budweiser Frogs (1995)
Budweiser took a big risk having some frogs in a swamp be the center of their Super Bowl advertising campaign. That gamble paid off for the Anheuser-Busch brand, as the frogs croaking “Bud”, “Weis” and “Er” became an instant hit and one of the best ad’s ever.
From shirts to hats and collectibles, the frogs became a merchandise machine for the beer company, giving them ad icon status right next to Joe Camel and Spuds Mackenzie.
“Darth Vader Kid” – Volkswagen (2011)
Nothing but good can come out of combining the menace and power of Darth Vader with the adorableness of a playful boy. That was Volkswagen’s winning formula back in 2011 with their Super Bowl spot featuring a pint-sized Dark Lord of the Sith, rambling around the house trying to wield “The Force.”
Eventually with the help of his father, he powers up the family’s Passat, causing all Star Wars fans to smile and let out: Awww.
“Wassup?” – Budweiser (1999)
People may not like the taste of the beer, but they sure do love a Budweiser Super Bowl commercial. Every year viewers can count on Bud delivering something clever and funny, and that’s what we got in 1999 with the “Wassup?” guys.
Based on short films created by Charles Stone III, the commercial shows guys in the natural habitat: lounging around, watching football and drinking a beer. At first it was funny but quickly became annoying once everyone and their mother started using the greeting.
Ray Charles – Diet Pepsi (1991)
“You got the right one baby, uh huh” is what Ray Charles and his backup singers belted out in this cool and catchy commercial.
That line became Diet Pepsi’s slogan in the early 1990s, which had had the soulful singer appearing in a series of ads for the soft drink. Urban legend had it that Prince wrote the jingle for Pepsi, but it turns out that he just recorded the ‘Uh Huh’ verse for the spot.
Mean Joe Green – Coca-Cola (1979)
“Mean” Joe Green had a Hall-of-Fame NFL career as a bruising defensive player, but what most people remember him for is this Coca-Cola commercial. While most commercials today barely reference football at all in their spots, this commercial, which some consider the most memorable ever, paired the sport with a product, beautifully.
The famous “Hey kid, catch” piece was actually a bit of a Super Bowl cheat, as the ad premiered a few months before the 1980 Super Bowl. Joe and the kid created a moment loved by millions.
“Nissan Pigeons” – Nissan (1997)
Super Bowl commercials, for the most part, are outrageous and weird, with over-the-top concepts and ridiculous characters. While many misfire using this formula, some leave a lasting impression on viewers, like this Nissan spot that has Top Gun themed pigeons trying to crap on cars.
The spot is funny and relatable not because there’s talking pigeons but because we’ve all fallen victim to the birds using our cars as their bathrooms.
Ali Landry – Doritos 3D (1998)
As we saw with the Cindy Crawford commercial, sex sells and there’s no better place for advertising firms to showcase their goods than on the biggest stage of them all. Back in 1998, the pretty girl trying to get our attention was Ali Landry, who seductively (and athletically) ate Doritos 3D much to the delight of two admirers.
The funny and ironic thing is that one of the two men was a then-unknown Sean Hayes who uttered the line: “Ay, Chihuahua!”
“Separated at Birth” – Budweiser (1999)
You can’t have a best of Super Bowl commercials list without mentioning the Budweiser Clydesdales. The Clydesdales started their Super Bowl connection back in 1986, but their most beloved ad occurred in 1999.
The commercial follows the lives of two sibling Dalmatians who are separated and then reunited as one goes to be with the fire department, while the other serves with the Budweiser Clydesdales. Creating a cute moment with dogs and horses, makes it much easier to down a Bud.
“The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” – Old Spice (2010)
Sex isn’t only used to entice male viewers. Advertisers know the power of female consumers and tailored this cool ad for their enjoyment. Isaiah Amir Mustafa serves as the eye candy as he’s whisked through several backdrops, which were actually shot on a beach, flowing smoothly with the help of amazing editing.
The majority of men may not look as appealing as the shirtless Mustafa on a horse, but your significant other might give you points for smelling good!
Betty White – Snickers (2010)
Mixing Betty White with football and Snickers is about as Americana as you can get.
On top of that we got to hear Betty say: “Come on man, you’ve been riding me all day” and if that’s not enough to get you hungry for a Snickers, then we don’t know what is! Part of the “You’re not you when you’re hungry” campaign, the series has gone on to include others funny commercials with the likes Danny Trejo and Steve Buscemi.
“Hare Jordan” – Nike (1992)
Michael Jordan scores another appearance on this list, as this time he’s paired with fellow icon Bugs Bunny. This commercial was so good that it inspired the 1996 feature film, Space Jam.
The collaboration was the start of a highly successful campaign/merchandise blitz for Nike and Warner Bros. that revived interest in the Looney Tunes characters. While people today like Lebron James, he’s nowhere near the marketing draw that Air Jordan was/is.
Want to see more lists? Check out our Everybody Loves a List! page.
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