This past Sunday contained one of the most hyped events of the entire year: Super Bowl commercial day! I’ve been told there was also a game in between those ads, but I can’t confirm or deny that.
There have been thousands of Super Bowl commercials over the decades. Some are immortalized forever in pop culture, some are forgotten or live in complete infamy and some companies don’t come up with anything remotely creative and just air their generic ad spots.
There are probably a few Super Bowl commercials that are near and dear to your heart, and there are many that are near and dear to mine. Here are 11 of my favorites in no particular order:
E-Trade — “Wasted” (2000)
What do you get when you combine a dancing monkey, a confused old man, a really goofy dude and some conga music? You get one of the most iconic Super Bowl ads that was ever published. In many ways, this commercial from 2000 (along with another that will be featured later) was the first of the outside-of-the-box contemporary commercials that we see today, and we can thank E-Trade for “wasting” $2 million on it.
Hyundai — “Smaht Pahk” (2020)
“It’s got Smaht Pahk!” This love letter to the Boston accent premiered during 2020’s Super Bowl, and its absurd premise immediately took hold of my mind. This ad goes 100 percent into its main joke, and I love every second of it. It is only aided by a star-studded cast and of course the legendary Big Papi.
Volkswagen — “The Force” (2011)
“Cute” is the adjective that best describes this 2011 entry. This is perhaps one of the most wholesome Super Bowl ads ever constructed, featuring a little Darth Vader and their attempts to use “the force.” It all comes to a head when the dad gives the child a little assist. Volkswagen’s “The Force” ad can’t help but warm the heart a little bit.
Google — “Loretta” (2020)
One of the most powerful Super Bowl ads of the last few years, Google’s “Loretta” strikes a very powerful note, as the audience follows a man reminiscing about his wife to a Google Home device. What really gets me on this one is the last message that the Google screen shows toward the end, which I will let you see on your own.
Doritos — “Casket” (2010)
On the completely opposite end of the spectrum, we have the first entry from Doritos onto the list. This hilarious commercial features a man having faked his own death all for the love of everyone’s favorite processed tortilla chip. This ad just keeps building on the joke until those final few moments where it all pays off and leaves me laughing harder than I’d like to admit.
E-Trade — “Baby” (2008)
E-Trade struck again in 2008 with their iconic ad “Baby.” Way before babies became the boss, E-Trade’s adorable infant was trading stocks with the click of a button. Perhaps my favorite aspect of this ad, however, is how sensitive the baby is over his possible age. Overall, a true classic.
Mountain Dew — “Puppy Monkey Baby” (2016)
Most of the ads are on here because they are, well, just really good ads. “Puppy Monkey Baby” is on here because in 2016 this abomination lived inside of my head rent-free for months. Now that is back inside your head, I hope that it does the same for you.
Amazon — “Alexa Loses Her Voice” (2018)
2018 was a very good year for Super Bowl ads, and one of the most iconic is definitely Amazon’s “Alexa Loses Her Voice.” Based around the premise that its title suggests, every single celebrity voice sprinkled into this commercial adds another layer of comedy. My favorite is Gordon Ramsay, but that’s honestly my answer for most things.
Budweiser — “Wassup?” (2000)
WASSUP!! That’s all I have to say. Well, I guess I should add some more context. This iconic Budweiser ad featured one word which took over the hearts and minds of people across America. While Budweiser’s horse ads may get more play today, “Wassup?” will live in the pop culture lexicon forever.
Doritos — “Ultrasound” (2016)
I vividly remember watching this one for the first time, and its ending caught me completely off guard and had me falling out of my chair laughing. If you have not seen this one already, I implore you to click the link above.
Tide — “It’s a Tide Ad” (2018)
While I haven’t made any possible attempt to rank these advertisements, I saved this one for the end because it is the greatest series of ads in the history of the Super Bowl. In the far-off year of 2018, every ad had the potential to be a Tide ad, and no one was safe. Without question, this was the single greatest Super Bowl campaign ever.
This is all, of course, my own opinion. All ads can mean something to someone, and we all have our own memories of not wanting to miss a commercial minute during the Super Bowl. But remember, it could always be a Tide ad.