Top ten Super Bowl ads of all time

The 2013 Super Bowl is almost here and with it some of the world’s biggest brands are looking to leave their mark. To celebrate, Marketing Week picks out ten of the most memorable Super Bowl TV adverts of all time.

Reebok – Terry Tate, Office Linebacker (2003)

What do you get when you take an NFL player off the field and stick him in an alien environment? Terry Tate office linebacker, that’s what. The result, a smooth running office environment made from fear and dread and enforced by the fictional NFL star. No, it does not tell us anything about the Reebok brand, but it does make an impact.

Honda – Matthew’s Day Off (2012)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhkDdayA4iA

Hollywood star Matthew Broderick plays homage to his classic 80s movie ‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off’ in the Japanese car manufacturer’s advert from last year. The ad cleverly updates the film with Broderick in similar situations his character had more than 25 years ago.

E-Trade – Dancing Monkey spot (2000)

By trying to be one of the worst Super Bowl adverts in 2000, the financial firm’s dancing monkey spot turned out to be one of the most memorable. It features two men in a garage doing a monkey dance to music and makes light of the absurdity of the situation, concluding with the line. “Well, we just wasted $2,000,000. What are you doing with your money?”

Budweiser – Wassup (2000)

The American beer brand has produced some of the most memorable Super Bowl adverts over the years but it is arguable that none have had as greater impact on the public consciousness as its Wassup advert. You could not go anywhere for months after the advert aired without hearing someone ask you “Wasuuuuuuup”. It definitely made people fond of the beer outside its domestic market.

Diet Pepsi – Micahael J.Fox (1986)

This vintage spot combined two Super Bowl staples: celebrities and fast food. Pepsi’s TV spot follows the Back to the Future star as he tracks down a Diet Pepsi for a gorgeous neighbour.

Volkswagen – The Force (2011)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R55e-uHQna0

The German brand’s advert dominated online chatter in the run up to the 2011 Super Bowl thanks to a clever decision to launch the spot on YouTube. The unexpected hit is yet to be surpassed by the car brand and has even spawned several parody videos.

MasterCard – Errands (2004)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ws_dSfsu5ig

The financial firm’s fun TV spot ran as part of its long-running ‘Priceless’ campaign. It follows Homer Simpson as he goes around Springfield running errands using his Mastercard. So successful was the union that Coca-Cola signed up the animated family to star in its spot six years later.

Apple – 1984 (1984)

The Super Bowl TV spot that everybody thinks of when asked to recall iconic spots.

Nike – Hare Jordan (1992)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3oK7PAvKHqc

Nike’s marketers partnered brand ambassador and basketball legend Michael Jordan with Bugs Bunny to promote its Air Jordan range. The advert sees the two join forces to take on a rival team. The premise was so popular that movie executives made an entire movie out of it four years later: Space Jam.

Old Spice – “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” (2010)

Procter & Gamble’s advert is often credited with starting the trend of seeding Super Bowl adverts to generate interest ahead of the its debut on TV.

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