Having become as much of an annual tradition as the game itself, Super Bowl commercials take the world by storm in the days leading up to and after the big game. As companies spend tens of millions of dollars for a 30-second spot of real estate on your big screen, only a select few are remembered for years to come, going down as the most famous and memorable Super Bowl commercials of all time.
Famous Super Bowl Commercials | Top 5
While there are great commercials every Super Bowl, these sit on top as some of the most famous Super Bowl commercials of all time.
Reebok: “Terry Tate” – Super Bowl XXXVII
Imagine walking into your office, coffee in hand, greeting Angela at the front cubical. Then, you get bulldozed by a 275-pound mountain of a man. That’s exactly what Reebok’s marketing team dreamed up in 2003 as Terry Tate, the office linebacker, came to life.
From spearing people a few minutes late from break to reminding us not to play solitaire on company time, Terry Tate was on an all-out blitz for office productivity and will forever be one of the most famous Super Bowl commercials of all time. You know, maybe this whole working from home thing is a bit safer after all.
Snickers: “Betty White” – Super Bowl XLIV
Oh, Betty White is involved? Yup, it’s going to be great. That was our thoughts as everyone’s favorite grandma stepped off the set of Golden Girls and onto the football field in 2010. In an ad for Snickers where you aren’t you when you’re hungry, they featured Betty White playing in a muddy pick-up game of tackle football.
Football, quick-witted humor, Snickers, and Betty White. It was a recipe for success. While White might no longer be around, one of the favorite actors/comedians of her generation left an indelible mark on Super Bowl commercials to come as a new bar had been set.
Coca-Cola: “Hey Kid, Catch!” – Super Bowl XIV
“Hey kid, catch!” Sure this commercial first aired 32 years ago, but we all know exactly what commercial that is from. A Super Bowl commercial’s ability to stay relevant for decades is astonishing. This one is more than worthy of a spot on our list of most famous Super Bowl commercials.
Following a game that left Pittsburgh Steelers DT “Mean” Joe Greene battered, bruised, and worse for wear, a kid asks him if he needs any help. Also, how in the hell did a kid get in the tunnel, let alone without supervision? What kind of shoddy parenting and security is this? Sorry, I digress.
After convincing Green to take his Coke, the kid goes to walk away before a now fully carbonated Greene says the famous three words, “Hey kid, catch,” and tosses his game-worn jersey to him. That kid just committed highway robbery. Do you know how many cases of Iron City beer you can get for a game-worn Greene jersey? You could fill the Monongahela River with it.
The commercial comes to a close with a shot of Greene with music playing and Coke’s slogan, “Have a Coke and a smile,” on screen. One of the all-time greats and all-time great Super Bowl commercials all wrapped up into one.
Budweiser: “Puppy Love” – Super Bowl XLVIII
Me, I tend to stay away from the emotional stuff. Just not my cup of tea. I’ve been told that’s a problem by several of my ex’s but whatever, what do they know. Well, this was one of those exceptions where all of us got a bit choked up in the middle of the Super Bowl as Budweiser tugged at our heartstrings by using the one thing that always works — puppies.
Next to the farm where the Clydesdale horses are raised, a woman is raising golden retriever puppies. One exceptionally precocious puppy digs his way out and makes his way into the stables, where he comes nose to nose with his new best friend, one of the Clydesdale horses — time after time breaking out to see his four-legged friend.
After being adopted, the puppy is shown in the back window barking and alerting the horse, who comes quickly galloping after him. The remaining horses block the car’s exit, and then we see the horses triumphantly returning, puppy in tow.
He already had his forever home and, in the end, got to stay with his best friend. Personally, there should be a warning before these kinds of commercials — “Caution: will make you cry like a little kid.” You can’t just surprise us like that, Budweiser. Regardless, it goes down as one of the most famous Super Bowl commercials of all time.
McDonald’s: “Showdown” with Michael Jordan and Larry Bird – Super Bowl XXVII
Air Jordan vs. The Hick from French Lick. Michael Jordan against Larry Bird. This time not for a ring, but a Big Mac. I’ve never had a Big Mac. Yet, I feel competing for a ring would be better, but what do I know. Bird is at the free-throw line as Jordan walks in with a bag of food and sits down. Bird asks what’s in the bag. Jordan responds with a Big Mac, fries, and a Coke. Bird throws down the challenge, “I’ll play you for it.” Under one caveat, no dunking. The first one to miss watches the other eat.
What comes next is a montage of made shots all over the gym. From behind the backboard, to one knee from half-court, a jumper from the opposite baseline, eventually with Jordan calling his shot off the expressway and nothing but net as they stand on top of Sears Tower. As with anything Jordan touches, it is an all-time great. The Big Mac commercial of 1993 is one of the most famous Super Bowl commercials of all time.