- Every year, several brands attempt to outwit one another with their Super Bowl commercials.
- But some ads have left an indelible impression on their audiences, carving a space out for themselves in the list of the most unforgettable Super Bowl commercials of all time.
- Here’s our list, featuring iconic Super Bowl ads from Apple and Amazon, to Pepsi and Wendy’s.
This Super Bowl Sunday, the Los Angeles Rams will take on the New England Patriots, and both teams will have their eyes set on the Lombardi trophy.
But off the field, there will be another battle on your TV screens, as brands attempt to outwit one another with their Super Bowl commercials.
While the 2019 ad winner is yet to be crowned (here are the brand winners and losers of Super Bowl 2018), it’s as good as a time as ever to take a walk down memory lane. Whether heartwarming or funny, sad or downright weird, these commercials left an indelible impression on their audiences.
Here are 12 of the most unforgettable Super Bowl commercials of all time, in no particular order.
Apple's "1984"
Apple's much-hailed yet very bizarre commercial from 1984 was technically the very first viral ad -making Super Bowl commercials a true phenomena.
The ad aired only once, but was replayed on news channels across the world for weeks, and contributed to the sale of about $150 million worth of Macintoshes in barely three months.
Talk about a return on investment.
Watch it below:
Always' "Like a girl"
By recasting a phrase often used as an insult as an empowering message, the award-winning Procter and Gamble spot won hearts everywhere.
Although a continuation of a campaign that began the previous summer, the spot stood out among a sea of hyper-masculine ads, and won heaps of praise for changing the conversation about what it means to run, throw and do pretty much anything "like a girl."
P&G is continuing to tread on the path of taking stands on important issues, with its Gillette "We Believe" ad being the latest example.
Watch it below:
Doritos "Live the Flavor"
More groundbreaking from an innovation, rather than an audience perspective, this 2007 spot was the first ever crowdsourced Super Bowl spot.
It let Doritos cut down on costs while simultaneously engaging some of its most loyal customers.
Watch it below:
Coca-Cola's "Mean Joe Greene"
This Coca-Cola ad aired in 1980 is considered to be an all-time classic.
The ad, in which Joe Greene drinks a little boy's Coca-Cola became so popular that it spurred an NBC TV movie based on the ad, and multiple international versions, such as some featuring soccer star Diego Maradona.
Watch it below:
Monster.com's "Kids"
This hard-hitting ad by agency MullenLowe in 1999 featured children sharing the gripes of unhappily employed people.
It instantly struck a chord, and cemented Monster.com's position as a job-search player.
Watch it below:
Pepsi's Cindy Crawford ad
This 1992 ad worked so well, that Pepsi brought Crawford back for last year's Super Bowl.
It capitalized on the supermodel's popularity while smartly turning viewers' attention to ultimately focus on Pepsi's newly redesigned can.
Watch it below:
Wendy's "Where's the beef?"
Turns out, Wendy's has been taking potshots at McDonald's since 1984.
This jab though was perhaps one of its most successful one, helping the fast-food brand boost its revenue by 31% that year.
Recently, Burger King has joined the McDonald's trolling camp. It pulled a successful potshot when it debuted a deal that allowed customers to get Whoppers for $0.01 if they went near a McDonald's location.
Watch the ad below:
Snickers' Betty White
This 2010 spot featuring an 88-year-old Betty White was where Snickers' now-familiar "You're not you when you're hungry" tagline was born.
It became a viral hit, and continued with other stars like the late Robin Williams in other versions.
Watch the ad below:
McDonald's "The Showdown"
This iconic 1993 ad - while ludicrous - pitted rivals Larry Bird and Michael Jordan against each other for a Big Mac and became an instant hit.
It not only popularized a basketball saying "nothing but net" during the biggest football game of the year, but has also led to many a remake.
Watch the ad here:
Volkswagen's "The Force"
This 2011 funny and heartwarming spot by Volkswagen features a kid reprising the role of Darth Vader.
It has tens of millions of views, and hit viral status pretty instantly after being released.
Watch the ad below:
Budweiser's "Puppy Love"
What do you get when you put an adorable golden retriever puppy and a majestic Clydesdale horse in one frame? A heartwarming romance.
Budweiser is a brand that has always aced the Super Bowl, but this iconic ad from 2014 was perhaps its crowning glory.
Set to the tune of Passenger's "Let Her Go," this cute story spotlighting the friendship between the two animals racked up tens of millions of views online and became instantly memorable.
Watch it below:
Amazon's "Alexa Loses Her Voice"
Amazon's star-studded 90-second spot in the 2018 Super Bowl had people buzzing days before the big game and was an instant recipe for success.
It featured a host of celebrities, including Rebel Wilson, Gordon Ramsay, Anthony Hopkins, and even Amazon's founder and CEO, Jeff Bezos.
Watch it below:
