20 Memorable Super Bowl Commercials

One subject I spent a good deal of time on the last several months was commercials. However there is one special category I have yet to address-Super Bowl commercials! And since some of the ad’s I touched on last time were Super Bowl ads, and we’re a week away from the big game, this feels like this logical follow up.

It’s not a big secret that Super Bowl ads are a special breed. Since the big game is the biggest TV event of the year, the cost for an ad during that event is quite incredible. And since they’re spending so much money, and have such a large audience, usually advertisers go above and beyond to make an ad that is really special and memorable. Heck, there are people who watch the game JUST to see the ads! Well, and the half time shows. Do they always work? No sometimes the ads are either lame or just plain silly. But when it does hit the mark, you have an ad that people talk about the next day and never forget or tire of seeing.


Normally I would do my favorite ads, but  I’ve been watching these games since the 80’s, assuming I watched at all,  so I’m not going to pretend I really remember these ads (with some exceptions). Plus it’s tough to find clips on YouTube that aren’t spliced half hour blocks (and feel free to check those out if you want to see more). So, here are some examples of great Super Bowl ads I did find in no particular order and organized by the companies that created the ad.



Budweiser
This beer company set a standard for these ads, from the Clydesdale’s to the silliness of the Bud Bowl to the absurdity of those “wassap” ads. This is one that was very popular, though I don’t get why. Who remembers these?

Coke
Mean Green giving the kid a towel, this one is a classic, some would say it was the inspiration for ads that came later on. Coming around in 1979, it’s a simple but effective ad when a kid offers a hurting Joe Green a Coke. Is there anyone in the world who hasn’t seen this?

And since people will kill me f I don’t mention it, here’s a much more recent Coke ad with The Avengers

Apple Macintosh
Here’s another classic I bet we all know. To get the attention of people about a new product called Macintosh (are they still around?) we get this Orwellian future which even for today is sort of messed up. Way to get people’s attention Apple!

Nike
Ah, when Bugs Bunny and Michael Jordan would make ads. To be honest there was one point I got really sick of them advertising anything from MCI long distance to Air Nike’s like this one. And I have a confession to make…I liked Space Jam.

McDonald’s
Speaking of Michael Jordan, we also got a series of ads with him squaring off against Larry Bird. These were awesome.

and I’d be remiss if I didn’t show the follow up years later with Lebron and and Dwight Howard. Featuring a callback cameo at the end I hoped was coming!

Met Life
Here’s one I remember, how could I not since it had every cartoon character I ever liked in one ad??

Pepsi
Since I already talked about the Britney Spears Pepsi Super Bowl ad, here is another ad from the early 90’s. If there is one company that went nuts for Super Bowl ads this was it. This was a simple one, but very memorable.

Here’s an earlier one featuring Michael J. Fox

and this one which was quiet an effect at the time!

Doritos
This on was simply brilliant. After the demise of his horrible talk show, Chevy Chase had some fun with that failure in this Doritos ad.

Snickers
Snickers had a neat ad campaign going where they use a celebrity to simulate what hunger can do, and how a Snickers can help. Yeah the Brady Bunch one was ok and I loced the Robin Williams one, but I prefer the Betty White one over them all.

Volkswagen
Everyone was talking about this the next day, the adorably simple ad is so much fun

Radio Shack
Ah, retro ads. Radio Shack wanted to say that their stores aren’t like the 80’s anymore and threw every 80’s icon they could muster into it! I gotta say, this one was impressive

EDS
It seems like this makes everyone’s list of best Super Bowl ads. And it isn’t bad, yoiu gotta respect a memorable as ad for this from a company that I have no idea who they are or what they do

David Letterman Promo
This one is a little out there but I has to mention it. This one shocked me, when Jay Leno appeared in the same ad as David Letterman. Wow.

Rold Gold
Here’s one i honestly remember from 1995, I didn’t have to look it up first! Jason Alexander back in his pretzel shilling days. After McDLT’s but before KFC

Honda CRV
If you’re gonna do a Ferris Bueller parody, may as well have Matthew Broderick actually do it. Unlike those idiotic Domino’s ads they did last year.

Finally, wanted to end with a big production one  so here is the follow up Brittney Spears Pepsi ad that ran that next year. I love it because of how retro it is. It’s almost as if I like nostalgia or something.

To say the least, there are tons more out there. Super Bowl commercials don’t seem to be as exciting as they used to be, but once in awhile we can still get a really cool one.  If I missed your favorite comment and let me know. And since I am a Pats fan, I think we know who I’ll be routing for this Sunday.