It’s that time! In anticipation of this weekend’s Super Bowl and the commercials we all wait to watch, let’s take a look back at the best Super Bowl commercials of all time. The landscape has changed quite a bit over the past several years. Some Super Bowl commercials have been seen millions of times before the first kick off due to the popularity of brands pre-promoting their Super Bowl spots on YouTube. Additionally, in addition to watching commercials, brands have also capitalized on Twitter to engage with consumers during the game. Last year, JC Penny unintentionally gained quite a bit of attention due to, “Tweeting with Mittens.” Several consumers and brands were quick to chime in.
Here are a eleven top Super Bowl commercials of all time. I ‘m looking forward to seeing what 2015 brings.
1. Radio Shack back to the 80’s – 2014
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Xph-FV04jo
Kudos to Radio Shack for poking fun at itself while raising awareness about their new store concepts. The ad, titled “The ’80s Called: They Want Their Store Back,” poked fun at RadioShack’s outdated brand with old celebrities like Hulk Hogan, Mary Lou Retton, and Erik Estrada stealing the store’s outdated merchandise. The ad was self-deprecating and hysterical. The ad resulted in a temporary 7% jump in stock for the aging brand.
2. GoldieBlox intuit small business – 2014
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVCC83cDch0
Congrats to GoldieBlox, an innovative toy company inspiring girls interest in STEM for winning Intuit’s Small Business competition. After tens of thousands of entries and millions of votes, GoldieBlox won the grand-prize: a-paid commercial for the company that aired during the third quarter of the 2014 Super Bowl. GoldieBlox is no stranger to creating winning videos. Check out their Youtube channel. I had the pleasure of interviewing Debbie Sterling, GoldieBlox founder for a video series about powerful women in business.
3. Budweiser, “Brotherhood” 2013
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0HI4DAmVDo
Budweiser knows how to pull our heartstrings! Budweiser’s 2013 Super Bowl commercial featured a man and his horse as we watch one of the Clydesdales from birth to being part of the iconic Budweiser team of horses.
4. Chrysler narrated by Clint Eastwood, “Its Half Time America” 2012
It was a tough run for the auto industry, and Chrysler was sure to celebrate Detroit as they emerged from one of the most difficult times in the industries history in this emotional spot narrated by Clint Eastwood.
5. Chrysler Eminem, “Imported From Detroit” 2011
The ad starring Detroit rap star Eminem was part of Chrysler’s masterful “Imported from Detroit” campaign. It aired as the Super Bowl’s first two-minute spot, and was filmed in Detroit using a local cast and crew.
6. Volkswagen, “The Force” 2011
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R55e-uHQna0
Absolutely adorable spot that says nothing about the quality or safety of a Volkeswagen but it’s memorable and still makes me giggle every time I watch it.
7. Old Spice, “Smell Like A Man, Man” 2010
This commercial is pure brilliance. Since launching at the Super Bowl, Smell Like a Man had a viral success which Old Spice capitalized on thanks to their agency, Wieden + Kennedy. According to Ad Week, Neilson data shows that Old Spice’s sales increased 55% over a three month period as a result of the campaigns. In addition to the commercial, Old Spice created a live response campaign where they interacted with social media influncers on Twitter as well as a sharp with an exchange with Taco Bell.
8. Google, “Parisian Love” 2010
Cute commercial from Google that humanized their search engine, making a connection between the online world and the real world we all live in. In this touching spot, we see how Google takes someone from a dream of going to Paris to meeting their true love – without even seeing a single soul.
9. Monster.com, “When I Grow Up” 1999
This black-and-white ad, featuring cute kids and choral music, poked a little bit of fun at adults with a reality check on where most are today in the business world vs. what they wanted to be growing up.
10. Wendy’s, “Where’s The Beef?” 1984
They just don’t make ‘em like they used to. Burgers or commercials that is. Who could forget Clara Peller and her infamous line, Where’s’ the Beef?
11. Coke, “Mean Joe Greene” — 1980
A standard for all athletes to live up to, Mean Joe Green shows the perfect mix of grit and compassion.
Well these are my favorites. What did I miss? Do you have any favorites that aren’t on the list? Feel free to post them below. The digital Megaphone team will be watching this weekend for the best of 2015!