Around the Super Bowl, America's biggest sporting holiday, one of the biggest advertising holidays has grown up. Every year, millions of people sit in front of their screens waiting to find out who decided to buy a record-breakingly expensive TV spot and what they want to say in it.
Watch them all:
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#10: Joe Namath — Noxzema (1973)
Super Bowl VII
January 14, 1973
Score: Miami Dolphins defeated Washington Redskins 14-7
Joe Namath — Noxzema (1973)
American football player Joe Namath can't wait to get "creamed" with shaving foam by actress Farrah Fawcett (Charlie's Angels)
"You’ve got a great pair of hands," Joe sums up the whole procedure.
#9: Security Camera — Pepsi (1996)
Super Bowl XXVII
January 28, 1996
Score: Dallas Cowboys defeated Pittsburgh Steelers 27-17
Pepsi attacks from hiding
The war between Coca-Cola and Pepsi has probably been going on forever. In the ad, through security camera footage we see a Coca-Cola delivery man restocking the cans in the fridge. He's about to leave. But he looks around, checks whether anyone is watching, and reaches into the neighboring Pepsi fridge. He pulls out a can, and dozens of cans spill out of the fridge, making a huge racket. Which humiliates the Coca-Cola delivery man.
The ad focuses on the rivalry between the two top brands. The thirst for the drink wins out here. The spot is meant to make you want to reach for a can, to convince you which one to reach for when you have a choice. Unfortunately, the ad doesn't appeal to the values represented by the brand, nor does it say much about the product. But isn't this a product everyone knows, and isn't the theme of war between brands much more interesting than an ordinary ad?
#8: The Showdown — McDonald’s (1993)
Super Bowl XXVII
January 31, 1993
Score: Dallas Cowboys defeated Buffalo Bills 52-17
When stars play for fries
Larry Bird and Michael Jordan bet a Big Mac on who will be the first to miss a basketball shot, and the winner watches the loser eat the sandwich. A simple premise becomes the basis for a two-part comedy of the absurd, where the players keep raising the stakes and the bar of the challenge.
#7: Wise Guy — Diet Pepsi (1990)
Super Bowl XXIV
January 28, 1990
Score: San Francisco 49ers defeated Denver Broncos 55-10
Why it's entertaining: After the great Ray Charles sings praises about his favorite soda, he pauses for a swig of it. Except that stagehands have placed that other brand in front of him.
The war between Coke and Pepsi entered the mainstream and became a certain element of pop culture. Ray Charles sings about the best carbonated drink, someone hands him a Coca-Cola, after the first sip Ray realizes it's not the right drink. In the background you can hear the crew laughing. Diet Pepsi appears on screen and "that’s the right one"
"Hmmm. All right, now who’s the wise guy?"
"Now that’s the right one, baby!"
Interestingly, Charles called this campaign one of the more important moments of his career.
#6: Frogs — Budweiser (1995)
Super Bowl XXIX
January 29, 1995
Score: San Francisco 49ers defeated San Diego Chargers 49-26
By the lake sit three frogs, each of them uttering a single syllable: "Bud," "Weis," "Er." At first the syllables are chaotic, but over time they arrange themselves into "Budweiser." Finally, the camera turns to follow the frogs' gaze and we see a Budweiser neon sign.
In the ad, it's worth noting the excellent synchronization of the frogs' mouths with the syllables being pronounced — and this is 1995. Here we're dealing with another of Budweiser's animal ads; previously it became famous for dogs, lizards, and lobsters.
#5: Betty White — Snickers (2010)
Super Bowl XLIV
February 7, 2010
Score: New Orleans Saints defeated Indianapolis Colts 31-17
A loud Snickers ad. A backyard football game, and among the group of friends playing is 88-year-old Betty White. She gets the ball, but is immediately tackled by an opponent into a mud puddle. An exchange follows:
"Mike, you’re playing like Betty White out there!"
"That’s not what your girlfriend says"
Then Mike's girlfriend comes to the rescue with a Snickers, and he can return to his original form.
The slogan "You're not you when you're hungry" has survived to this day and is still associated with Snickers.
#4: Where's the Beef? — Wendy’s (1984)
Super Bowl XVIII
January 22, 1984
Score: Oakland Raiders defeated Washington Redskins 38-9
This is a 30-second ad that influenced American culture, and its effects can still be heard today.
Three elderly ladies marvel at the size of the bun, and finally one of them decides to lift the top half. It turns out there's a disproportionately small amount of meat. Then comes the famous line "Where’s the beef?"
#3: It's Halftime in America — Chrysler, 2012
Super Bowl XLVI
February 5, 2012
Score: New York Giants defeated New England Patriots 21-17
Probably no ad would have grabbed Americans' attention like Chrysler's spot beginning with the words "It's Halftime in America." With the ad's strong social message and appeal to roots, it was clear this ad would be talked about. On top of that, the narration is delivered by the most American person who could speak to the people — Clint Eastwood himself.
The two-minute spot was the longest in Super Bowl history, and even required special NFL approval to extend the 90-second limit.
#2: Early Showers — Coca-Cola (1980)
Super Bowl XIV
January 20, 1980
Score: Pittsburgh Steelers defeated Los Angeles Rams 31-19
An exhausted Joe Greene limps down to the locker room injured, definitely not in a good mood, and in the tunnel a boy stops him and offers help. The boy doesn't give up when the player brushes him off and continues, "You're best ever." Finally, he gives him his Coca-Cola. The player drinks it and in return gives the boy his jersey. The ad is based on a simple story that stirs emotions. It's a spot about reconciliation and friendship. Coca-Cola connects this story with the values it wants to embody in its product.
"Hey, kid — catch!"
"Wow! Thanks, Mean Joe!"
#1: 1984 — Apple (1984)
Super Bowl XVIII
January 22, 1984
Score: Oakland Raiders defeated Washington Redskins 38-9
We have fairly clear symbolism here: a young, bright female athlete runs through dark "space" corridors. She reaches a hall with a huge talking screen and smashes it by throwing a hammer at it. The woman is Apple, more specifically the upcoming Mac. The dark figures are IBM.
"And you’ll see why 1984 won’t be like '1984'" The slogan that heralded Apple's computer revolution. Here we're shown the battle between dominant brands, but definitely a more subtle one. The ad is intriguing and mysterious; it shows the values and ideology with which Apple wanted to enter the market. Multidimensionality is the key to this ad's success.
Summary
The ranking of the best Super Bowl ads includes iconic spots from 1973, when Joe Namath advertised Noxzema shaving foam, up to Apple's groundbreaking "1984" campaign. The list is not short of wars between Coca-Cola and Pepsi, Budweiser's animal heroes, or stars such as Michael Jordan, Ray Charles, and Clint Eastwood.
These ads didn't just sell products — they also entered pop culture, like Wendy's "Where’s the Beef?" slogan, which is still in use today. Chrysler's two-minute 2012 spot required special NFL approval to exceed the standard broadcast limit.
