Nobody likes watching commercials…Unless it’s Super Bowl time! This is when the best ad agencies in the world get big budgets to build the perfect Super Bowl ad. The following 10 commercials are worth re-watching ahead of this season’s Super Bowl. Spread the word.
Coca-Cola: Hey Kid, Catch
In the ‘70s, the Pittsburgh Steelers were in the midst of their dynasty on the back of a punishing defensive unit nicknamed the “Steel Curtain.” Defensive tackle “Mean” Joe Greene, one of the greatest linebackers in the sport, was known for his fierce competitive nature.
Coco-Cola used that iconic callous character as the central figure in their ad that played at Super Bowl XIV in 1980. Almost as if it was planned, this was the year the Steelers beat the Rams 31-19, with Greene on the field.
In the ad, we see a disgruntled Greene limp off the field, only to be approached by a helpful nine-year-old boy, played by Tommy Okun. The boy expresses his respect and adoration for Greene who rebuffs him. The boy offers Greene his Coke, and although resistant at first, Greene concedes, drinks the Coke and is visibly refreshed. Greene cheers up and tosses the boy his jersey, saying “Hey kid, catch!”
Apple: 1984
Back before the internet age, IBM ruled the corporate computer market. To force its way in, Apple needed a new angle, the personal computer market. To introduce their product to the masses, they aired a George Orwell-themed Super Bowl add in 1984 when the Raiders faced and dominated the Redskins.
The ad has an army of anonymous skinheads marching to an underground room where they sit in rows and receive directions on a large screen. A woman, played by Anya Major, a discus-throwing athlete, comes running through the underground tunnel, chased by Thought Police. She walks into the room yielding a sledgehammer and chucks it at the screen. The words: “On January 24th, Apple Computer will introduce Macintosh. And you’ll see why 1984 won’t be like “1984.”
The Super Bowl took place on January 22, which was perfect timing. The ad was a huge success, with Apple breaking into the market and eventually taking over.
McDonald’s: The Showdown: Bird vs. Jordan
“The Showdown” came out for Super Bowl XXVII and featured NBA legends Larry Bird and Michael Jordan in a faceoff. They compete for Jordan’s McDonald’s lunch, challenging each other to more and more outrageous shots. By the end, Jordan challenges Bird while the two stand at the top of a skyscraper, saying “off the expressway, over the river, off the billboard, through the window, off the wall, nothing but net.”
The ad capitalizes on the Jordan frenzy of the ‘90s. No other basketball player has ever reached Jordan status as a global icon; pairing him with Bird, another legendary player of the era was the perfect recipe for sports fans watching the Dallas Cowboys and Buffalo Bills face off. It’s gone down as one of the greatest Super Bowl commercials of all-time.
Budweiser: Frogs
In the classic Budweiser commercial that aired at Super Bowl XXIX, the iconic image of three frogs were forever ingrained with the brand. The ad starts with the biggest frog in a pond repeating “Bud” before panning out to see a secondary frog that repeats “Weis.” Eventually, a third frog appears and repeats “Er.” The trio bellow back and forth rhythmically to each other, until the shot pans out, and reveals a Budweiser pub at the foot of the pond.
It was a simple, memorable, and rhythmic ad that proved to be the most successful beer ad of all time. This was a memorable Super Bowl for 49ers fans, as they beat the Chargers 49-26 with QB Steve Young at the helm.
Reebok: Terry Tate: Office Linebacker
Reebok’s ad for Super Bowl XXXVII featuring Terry Tate: the Office Linebacker is just as hilarious now as it was in 2003. Reebok sends Tate, played by Lester Speight, to Fletcher & Sons to help increase employee productivity. Anytime an employee fails to follow policy, Tate delivers pain, tackling them and verbally accosting them.
Some memorable lines include “You know you need a cover sheet on your TPS reports, Richard. That ain’t new, baby!”, a line delivered while office employee “Janice” strolls by and has a pleasant exchange with Tate.
While not everyone was aware this was a Reebok commercial, it did draw in several million views after the original airing during the Super Bowl where the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ defensive unit had a field day with the Oakland Raiders, leading to a 48-21 Bucs victory.
Fed-Ex: Desert Island
FedEx had an ad in every Super Bowl until 2009, and they’ve had some really good ones over the years. Perhaps their parody of Tom Hanks in Cast Away, aired at Super Bowl XXXVII (Raiders-Buccaneers), was best of all.
This ad came out in 2006, six years after Cast Away was released to much fanfare. In it, the dishevelled Chuck Noland character brings the unopened FedEx package from the movie to the recipient. When a woman answers the door, he says “I was marooned on an island for five years with this package, and I swore I would deliver it to you because I work for FedEx.”
Just before the man leaves, he asks what’s in the package—something everyone who’s seen the movie has wondered. The woman opens it and says “a satellite phone, a GPS locator, a fishing rod, water purifier and some seeds. Just silly stuff.” Too bad he didn’t open it while stuck on the desert island.
Google: Parisian Love
Google put out this heart wrencher in 2010 for Super Bowl XLIV. Before they became the most-popular search engine in the world, they had to separate themselves from other platforms. This clever ad tells a compelling emotional story all from words being typed into a Google search engine. It accomplishes this by using the following sequence of Google searches:
study abroad paris France
cafes near the louvre
translate tu es tres mignon
impress a French girl
chocolate shops paris France
what are truffles
who is Truffaut
long distance relationship advice
jobs in paris
AA120 (flight number)
churches in paris
how to assemble a crib
The timing, soundtrack and typing style create a very human experience out of search engine queries. The minimalist approach set it apart from conventional Super Bowl ads.
Snickers: Betty White
Betty White, whose impressive career spanned from the late ‘40s onward, and included playing Sue Ann Niven on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” and Rose Nylund in “Golden Girls,” reminded everyone how great she is when she appeared on a Snickers commercial that aired at Super Bowl XLIV.
White is tackled into the mud in a rough football game as someone yells to her “Mike, come on!” The team starts grilling her about her on-field performance, throwing hilarious lines such as “Mike, you’re playing like Betty White out there” to which she responds “That’s not what your girlfriend says.”
At that point, Mike’s girlfriend realizes he’s just hungry, and runs over with a Snickers bar. Then the real Mike appears.
Snickers’ Betty White ad is one of the all-time greats and was good entertainment in between watching the New Orleans Saints’ victory over the Colts. Oh, and Snickers are a great snack to have around when hosting a Super Bowl party!
The Farmer’s Dog: Forever
Released at Super Bowl LVII (Chiefs beat Eagles 38-35), this ode to dogs follows a puppy’s unshakable bond with his girl. As they both grow up together, the chocolate lab stays by her side and helps her through all of life’s milestones. The final clip takes us into the dog’s perspective as he looks back at his life with his family. It’s a real tear jerker, which sets it apart from the celebrity-filled comedies that make up most of the Super Bowl ad space.
Hellmann’s: Mayo Kitty
Speaking of celebrity-filled comedies, this gem from Super Bowl LVIII—when the Chiefs won their third Super Bowl in five years—featured Saturday Night Live’s Kate McKinnon. The actress/comedian nailed a Cat Lady character who stares at some uninspiring leftovers in her fridge. McKinnon rhetorically asks what she’s supposed to do with it when her cat looks at her and meows “may-ow.” McKinnon loses her mind because her cat can talk.
Things quickly escalate as the furry feline becomes the spokesperson for Hellmann’s mayo, prompting a buying frenzy world-wide. Everything Mayo Kitty does goes viral. She eventually dates a high-profile boyfriend, played by actor/comedian Pete Davidson, before ending it and having the breakup splashed over the tabloids. Davidson is a carry-over from Hellmann’s “Who’s in the Fridge?” commercial that played at Super Bowl LVII.
Bet on the Super Bowl
It’s never too early to bet on the Super Bowl. While NFL Super Bowl odds and Super Bowl prop bets don’t get released until closer to February, the futures market is open year-round for betting.