In the chill and dim days of February, there's always one event we collectively anticipate: the Super Bowl. It's America's ultimate day for feasting, halftime spectacles, and standout ads – with the football game itself as a bonus, even if your team has never clinched victory. Yet in today's era, a lot of excitement lies in the top-notch Super Bowl commercials.
Brands and corporations dedicate themselves throughout the year to craft ads that stand out in the crowd of high-quality advertising. It's akin to the Super Bowl of commercials. Undoubtedly, the world's largest companies are currently fine-tuning their Super Bowl ads. To prepare, let's reminisce about some favorites. Continue reading for a glimpse at a few of the greatest Super Bowl commercials ever aired.
How We Selected The Top Super Bowl commercials
The standout Super Bowl commercials span a spectrum from uproarious to tear-jerking to downright absurd. Regardless of the approach a company takes for their ad concept, the ultimate goal is to leave a lasting impression on viewers long after the game concludes.
Thanks to the internet, crafting a memorable commercial has become somewhat more manageable, as effective ads find their way onto social media platforms and persist beyond the broadcast. However, with a plethora of exceptional commercials to sift through, breaking through the noise remains a formidable task.
With that in mind, the "best" Super Bowl commercials are essentially synonymous with the most memorable ones. After all, the essence of advertising lies in establishing brand recognition. We collaborated to recall the commercials that left the strongest impact, compiling a hand full of the top Super Bowl commercials.
"The Showdown" - McDonald's (1993)
Featuring: Larry Bird & Michael Jordan
Larry Bird and Michael Jordan – ring any bells? Rumor has it these two were quite the basketball phenoms in their prime. McDonald's struck gold by enlisting them to star in an ad for the Big Mac meal, setting the stage for one final showdown between the two legends as it aired following Bird's farewell season.
Cindy Crawford - Pepsi (1992)
Featuring: Cindy Crawford
There's little to add about this Pepsi commercial except that it's iconic. Cindy Crawford is an icon in her own right, and this Pepsi ad achieved its goal: making us yearn for an ice-cold Pepsi so we can channel our inner Cindy Crawford.
"1984" - Apple Macintosh (1984)
Featuring: N/A
Apple's "1984" commercial remains etched in memory forever. While extravagant ads are now commonplace in modern society, such a groundbreaking commercial was truly revolutionary in the 1980s – perfectly in line with Apple's brand ethos.
"Wazzup" - Budweiser (2000)
Featuring: N/A
Yes, it's hard to imagine, but there was a time when we found "Wazzup!" genuinely amusing and not remotely irritating. That phase lasted all of about five days after this ad debuted during the 2000 Super Bowl.
"Alexa Loses Her Voice"
Featuring: Jeff Bezos, Gordon Ramsay, Cardi B, Rebel Wilson, Sir Anthony Hopkins
Credit where it's due, Amazon nailed it with this commercial. Gordon Ramsay's delivery of the "its name is the recipe" line always gets a chuckle out of someone.
*curated one37pm article