5 Most Successful Super Bowl Commercials and Why
By Stanley Meytin
There’s a reason why half of the audience tuning into the Super Bowl each year is only interested in watching the commercials. The most successful ads seem to follow a specific recipe that comes naturally to these major brands whose television promotions are impossible to forget. They’re the advertisements we all try to emulate. These are the best Super Bowl commercials of all time.
1. Wendy’s “Where’s the Beef?” Commercial
At the 1984 Super Bowl, Wendy’s released a commercial with a phrase that continues to resurface even today. Their “Where’s the Beef?” advertisement portrays three elderly women analyzing burgers from other fast food establishments and asking where the beef is. Wendy’s found success with this Super Bowl commercial because it uses humor to show why their burgers are better than their competitors. On top of that, the slogan they used was so memorable that it became a catchphrase commonly used for decades after the commercial first aired. “Where’s the Beef?” could be found on bumper stickers, t-shirts, and even in politics. The 1984 presidential candidate Walter Mondale used the catchphrase in a debate to point out that some policies promoted by his rival, Gary Hart, were insubstantial.
2. Coca-Cola’s “Hey Kid, Catch” Commercial
Everyone knows of Coca-Cola’s best Super Bowl commercial featuring Pitsburg Steelers’ “Mean” Joe Greene enjoying a refreshing Coke before tossing his jersey to a young boy. Even though the commercial first aired in 1979, it has been parodied and recreated many times over the years in an attempt to repeat its success. In just sixty-seconds, the ad was able to tell a memorable story that pulled at the heartstrings of viewers, ensuring it would be a topic of conversation for days after the game. Additionally, their decision to use a popular NFL player in the commercial likely helped to capture the attention of their target audience instantly. Said to be one of the most successful Super Bowl commercials of all time, NBC even wrote a movie based on the storyline called The Steeler and the Pittsburgh Kid.
3. Budweiser’s Frog Commercial
The Budweiser frogs were a staple in Super Bowl commercials for a long time before the company took their brand in a different direction. Like Wendy’s catchphrase, the “bud-wei-ser” slogan quickly gained speed and made its rounds in numerous parodies including those on The Simpsons and MADtv. The success of this advertisement comes not only from the humorous aspect of the message but also the tranquil tone in which the catchphrase is said, making it far more memorable. While using animals to help promote your product or service can add to its appeal, it can also lead to backlash. Budweiser’s frogs were said to be memorable for children as well, which some people found offensive since they were selling an adult beverage. They since taken their brand in a new direction and now focus more on storytelling in their Super Bowl commercials.
4. Doritos’ “Crash the Super Bowl” Commercials
Doritos successfully started the tradition of sharing consumer-created Super Bowl commercials, and the results were incredible. The first ad of this type aired at the 2007 game and has been said to be a genius marketing move on their part. Not only were they able to save money by not paying for an ad agency to come up with these amazing concepts, but they were able to engage with their customers regularly. Doritos has since expanded their call for consumer-created marketing content with their latest campaign that allows their customers to get creative and win prizes all year round.
5. Old Spice’s “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” Commercial
Old Spice’s best Super Bowl commercial was shot in a continuous-take featuring a man telling the women in the audience that their men could smell just like him if they bought this product. The ad was perfectly designed for meme success with its quirky phrases and absurd bits that have been repeatedly parodied. What helped make this commercial go viral was the smug yet incredibly attractive male character who was unforgettable, to say the least. By switching up their target audience, they were able to find their place within the world of internet memes and trending videos.
By breaking down these Super Bowl commercials, you can get a better idea of what works and what doesn’t when creating videos for your own brand. The recipe for success may not always be the same across the board, but it certainly exists within each of these advertisements. Learning what has worked in the past is the first step towards discovering what will work to sell your products or services.
Reading Time: 3 minutes
By Stanley Meytin
There’s a reason why half of the audience tuning into the Super Bowl each year is only interested in watching the commercials. The most successful ads seem to follow a specific recipe that comes naturally to these major brands whose television promotions are impossible to forget. They’re the advertisements we all try to emulate. These are the best Super Bowl commercials of all time.
1. Wendy’s “Where’s the Beef?” Commercial
At the 1984 Super Bowl, Wendy’s released a commercial with a phrase that continues to resurface even today. Their “Where’s the Beef?” advertisement portrays three elderly women analyzing burgers from other fast food establishments and asking where the beef is. Wendy’s found success with this Super Bowl commercial because it uses humor to show why their burgers are better than their competitors. On top of that, the slogan they used was so memorable that it became a catchphrase commonly used for decades after the commercial first aired. “Where’s the Beef?” could be found on bumper stickers, t-shirts, and even in politics. The 1984 presidential candidate Walter Mondale used the catchphrase in a debate to point out that some policies promoted by his rival, Gary Hart, were insubstantial.
2. Coca-Cola’s “Hey Kid, Catch” Commercial
Everyone knows of Coca-Cola’s best Super Bowl commercial featuring Pitsburg Steelers’ “Mean” Joe Greene enjoying a refreshing Coke before tossing his jersey to a young boy. Even though the commercial first aired in 1979, it has been parodied and recreated many times over the years in an attempt to repeat its success. In just sixty-seconds, the ad was able to tell a memorable story that pulled at the heartstrings of viewers, ensuring it would be a topic of conversation for days after the game. Additionally, their decision to use a popular NFL player in the commercial likely helped to capture the attention of their target audience instantly. Said to be one of the most successful Super Bowl commercials of all time, NBC even wrote a movie based on the storyline called The Steeler and the Pittsburgh Kid.
3. Budweiser’s Frog Commercial
The Budweiser frogs were a staple in Super Bowl commercials for a long time before the company took their brand in a different direction. Like Wendy’s catchphrase, the “bud-wei-ser” slogan quickly gained speed and made its rounds in numerous parodies including those on The Simpsons and MADtv. The success of this advertisement comes not only from the humorous aspect of the message but also the tranquil tone in which the catchphrase is said, making it far more memorable. While using animals to help promote your product or service can add to its appeal, it can also lead to backlash. Budweiser’s frogs were said to be memorable for children as well, which some people found offensive since they were selling an adult beverage. They since taken their brand in a new direction and now focus more on storytelling in their Super Bowl commercials.
4. Doritos’ “Crash the Super Bowl” Commercials
Doritos successfully started the tradition of sharing consumer-created Super Bowl commercials, and the results were incredible. The first ad of this type aired at the 2007 game and has been said to be a genius marketing move on their part. Not only were they able to save money by not paying for an ad agency to come up with these amazing concepts, but they were able to engage with their customers regularly. Doritos has since expanded their call for consumer-created marketing content with their latest campaign that allows their customers to get creative and win prizes all year round.
5. Old Spice’s “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” Commercial
Old Spice’s best Super Bowl commercial was shot in a continuous-take featuring a man telling the women in the audience that their men could smell just like him if they bought this product. The ad was perfectly designed for meme success with its quirky phrases and absurd bits that have been repeatedly parodied. What helped make this commercial go viral was the smug yet incredibly attractive male character who was unforgettable, to say the least. By switching up their target audience, they were able to find their place within the world of internet memes and trending videos.
By breaking down these Super Bowl commercials, you can get a better idea of what works and what doesn’t when creating videos for your own brand. The recipe for success may not always be the same across the board, but it certainly exists within each of these advertisements. Learning what has worked in the past is the first step towards discovering what will work to sell your products or services.
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