The Super Bowl is known for some of the best ads ever and ahead of the 2022 game here are the top 5 to have hit the waves
Super Bowl LVI is just a few days away as the Cincinnati Bengals face the Los Angeles Rams for the biggest NFL game of the season.
The 2022 season has seen a lot of shocking results and frankly, not many would have bet on these two teams fighting for the title.
Nevertheless, the Super Bowl isn’t just a match between the two best football teams in America, there is more to it. The match is also host to the half-time show, which is a huge event in its own right.
Then there are the Super Bowl advertisements. These ads now hold a special place for companies that try to bring up the best quirky, funny and impressive ads that catch the mind share of the millions watching around the world.
For example, Super Bowl XLIX in 2015 was watched by at least a 114.4million fans. The match is often the most-watch sporting event in America and now there is a global audience watching it too.
Brands too have picked up on this and spend lavishly to make the best ads. Celebrities make cameo appearances in the ads while other companies keep budgets that rack into millions for this small 30-second space.
The cost of these ads isn’t cheap either. Super Bowl XLVII and Super Bowl XLVIII had an average cost of $4million for a 30-second spot. NBC, which broadcasts the game made almost $75million at Super Bowl XLVI but selling ad spots.
There is a huge cultural impact from the ads too and the fact that social media is big these days ensures that some ads become cult classics that get discussed for years if not decades.
The big game has its own fans while the ads have their own section of onlookers too. With Super Bowl LVI just a few days away, here are the top 5 Super Bowl ads of all-time.
5) Volkswagen – The Force
Mixing a brand with pop culture doesn’t always work but this is one example when it did. The premise might be simple but it is executed to perfection.
It features one child, dressed up as Darth Vader, the Star Wars character, trying to use The Force. However, he fails to move anything inside the house. That all changes when a Volkswagen vehicle comes driving in.
The child, who was down, runs out and tries to use the force to no avail. The car, however, does come to life and even with a Darth Vader mask, you can understand the glee from the child.
Of course, this is all done by the father who uses his car’s key. The ad is incredible in its simplicity. No dialogues, no big actors, no special effects. But, it is a classic.
4) Old Spice – The man your man could smell like
This has got to be one of the quirkiest ads to have ever made it to Super Bowl weekend. This never aired during the Super Bowl game but it was released during that weekend and has become a cult classic.
The ad features just a model comparing himself with the man that you are with. All of it is done in one shot it seems but the transition and graphics are top-notch.
More importantly, it talks about the smell of a man, something that Old Spice can deal with. Smelling like Old Spice can make a man do almost anything while using another cologne/perfume isn’t all that great.
Old Spice also got it done without a major celebrity, but that isn’t the case for the next entry on the list.
3) McDonald’s – The Showdown
This is a classic as it combined not only one of the biggest brands in the world but also two of the greatest sportspeople ever.
Larry Bird and Michael Jordan are basketball legends and have achieved a ton over their playing years, and coaching years (in the case of Bird).
However, combining the two in a Big Mac commercial was a brilliant idea. We got the two playing a game of HORSE for the right to eat a Big Mac.
What transpires is an insane game of HORSE with both stars doing their best not to miss the shot. This includes shots from outside of the stadium and even from the topmost seats.
The ad worked a treat as everyone understood how tasty a Big Mac is. Basically, Bird and Jordan weren’t going to let go of the Mac, and well, it certainly worked a treat for McDonald’s
2) Snickers – Betty White
Getting a star like the late Betty White was a stroke of genius from Snickers for this campaign. However, that was only half the story as the ad needs to be great too.
The ad sees White playing a game of football and getting tackled for not being up to speed. It is later revealed that White is actually a youngster who is acting like the legend because of hunger.
The solution for all this? Just one Snickers bar. Eating that solved the hunger pangs and the youngster was back in action.
The premise of this ad is fantastic and this concept has been used in several countries well over a decade after White’s appearance during a Super Bowl.
While White isn’t with us anymore, such classic ads will forever be etched in memories
1) Apple – 1984
Possibly the ad that changed the game for Super Bowl advertisements. This ad from Apple for their Macintosh didn’t feature any celebrities or special graphics.
However, it perfectly captured what a dystopian world could look like for those who all were forced to think the same way.
Directed by the legendary Ridley Scott, 1984 was executed to perfection. It was a warning of what the future would be like but Apple had other ideas for this.
The ad introduced a new product into the market without even showing what the product was. Many still vouch that no other ad has had as much of an impact on advertisements as 1984 and we can see why.