From Miller Lite’s Man Law to Bud Light’s Axe and Chainsaw, here are 18Super Bowl commercials that NFL fans will never forget.
- Miller Lite’s Man Law
- Snickers’ Betty White Ad
- NFL’s 100-Year Game
- Coinbase’s QR Code
- Ram’s “God Made a Farmer”
- Doritos’ for Super Bowl 50
- Microsoft’s Ad With Katie Sowers
- FTX’s Cryptocurrency Exchange Starring Larry David
- Tide’s “It’s a Tide Ad”
- McDonald’s “The Showdown”
- Mercedes Benz’s Soul, 2013
- Volkswagen’s Darth Vader
- Jeep’s Groundhog Day, 2020
- Always’ “Like a Girl,” 2015
- Amazon’s “Alexa Loses Her Voice,” 2018
- Reebok’s Terry Tate Office Linebacker
- Master Lock’s Shot Lock
- Bud Light’s Ax and Chainsaw
Miller Lite’s Man Law
I might be a little biased growing up in Wisconsin, and everyone here drinks mainly Miller products. My favorite commercial series was the Miller Lite Man Law videos.
The first one of the series ran during the Super Bowl, and then they had a bunch more related videos aired later on. The videos always had a bunch of celebrities talking about men-related topics and discussing the best ways to do something. They were always funny but answered a question on the best ways to do something. We would always quote the commercials and come up with our own man laws.
There are no other videos that I can remember where my friends and I would have a bunch of conversations over.
Evan McCarthy, President & CEO, Sporting Smiles
Snickers’ Betty White Ad
Thirteen years ago, I saw the Betty White Snickers Super Bowl commercial, and I came away thinking that it was the best thing I saw that entire night. I don’t even remember the game; I just remember that spot when the guy says to Betty White, “You’re playing like Betty White out there,” and she retorts, “That’s not what your girlfriend says.” Her reaction and the reaction of the guys in the huddle were so perfect.
Betty White got a lot of mileage out of that TV spot, which probably led to her hosting Saturday Night Live and making appearances in other commercials and television shows. It was a great showcase for her. It was a memorable ad, and I would say it’s one of the best Super Bowl ad campaigns ever created.
Brittany Dolin, Co-Founder, Pocketbook Agency
NFL’s 100-Year Game
The 100-year game Super Bowl commercial is one I’ll never forget. The 100-Year Game features 44 of the best NFL athletes of all time at a gala to celebrate the NFL’s 100th season. Of course, little time elapses before one of them knocks a football off a cake, and it incensed all the athletes to grab the ball and begin playing.
The commercial shows legendary players like Terrell Davis, Barry Sanders, Jim Brown, and Jerry Rice, as well as current players like Antonio Brown, Rob Gronkowski, and Odell Beckham Jr. I think the 100-year game commercial is the best Super Bowl commercial of all time. The players’ reactions to the ball rolling off the cake and their competitiveness show the viewers that the NFL is more than a game, it’s a lifestyle.
Matthew Ramirez, CEO, Rephrasely
Coinbase’s QR Code
I can’t say it’s my favorite, but I don’t think any of us will ever forget the floating QR code ad created by Coinbase for the 2022 Super Bowl.
The ad lasted for 60 seconds and generated over 20 million hits to their landing page. It was a simple and impactful ad that generated a lot of buzz during and after the game.
Logan Mallory, Vice President of Marketing, Motivosity
Ram’s “God Made a Farmer”
“And on the 8th day, God made a farmer.” Those words by Paul Harvey resonated right away. When that Super Bowl ad aired 10 years ago, it made you scoot back in your seat, drop the chicken wing in your hand, and listen.
I never realized the affection I had for this country’s agricultural landscape and the people who maintain it and the livestock on it before I watched that commercial. It had a serious impact. Generally, the best-reviewed Super Bowl ads are the ones that make the audience laugh.
Oftentimes, the ones that try to tug at people’s heartstrings don’t always hit the target. This one did. It was a direct bull’s-eye. I never saw a Super Bowl commercial that quieted a room like this one.
Rachel Blank, Founder & CEO, Allara
Doritos’ Ad for Super Bowl 50
Without any doubt, my favorite Super Bowl commercial of all time was a Doritos ad run during Super Bowl 50. It starts out a simple, dumb ad with a guy teasing his unborn baby with a chip during an ultrasound.
It’s the kind of commercial that, if it ended at the 0:20 mark, would be chuckle-worthy, but not memorable. However, what the wife does in the last five seconds of the commercial left me laughing for a solid five minutes afterward. It was so funny that I still remember it to this day and always look forward to seeing what Doritos has in store for the next Super Bowl. It was genius marketing that wraps parental comedy around the deliciousness of Doritos.
John Ross, CEO, Test Prep Insight
Microsoft’s Ad With Katie Sowers
One Super Bowl commercial that I will never forget is the 2020 Microsoft ad with Katie Sowers. The commercial follows Sowers, an offensive assistant coach for the San Francisco 49ers, and her journey as a female in a male-dominated field.
I find this commercial to be especially inspiring because it celebrates what Sowers has accomplished and provides a powerful example of breaking barriers.
Aviad Faruz, CEO, Faruzo
FTX’s Cryptocurrency Exchange Starring Larry David
One Super Bowl ad I won’t forget for all the wrong reasons is the FTX cryptocurrency exchange commercial starring Larry David in 2022. As a big “Curb Your Enthusiasm” and “Seinfeld” fan, I was at first delighted seeing Larry get some laughs in such a huge spotlight, playing all these different characters throughout history and being skeptical of obvious inventions crucial to our lives today.
But then at the end, the reveal is that this ad is for FTX, and likening all these significant inventions like the wheel to crypto technology. Now that I have known friends who have lost money in the FTX fiasco less than a year later, I won’t ever forget this ad for duping the public at such a high level and high price, while making Larry David one face of it.
Trey Ferro, CEO, Spot Pet Insurance
Tide’s “It’s a Tide Ad”
This campaign was noticeable because its storylines had nothing to do with Tide, except that the actors were all wearing spotless clothes. This was a hilarious bait and switch that started with the longer ad starring David Harbour, the newly minted superstar from Stranger Things, where he shows up in different scenarios like driving a car, putting a diamond necklace around a woman’s neck, and on a farm. At the end of each scenario, he tells us, “It’s a Tide Ad,” and asks, “Does this make every Super Bowl commercial a Tide ad?”
This delighted viewers wondering which ads they would see through the night were real and which would be a bait and switch. It brought attention to the product in a very funny way and also highlighted the one thing Tide wanted to showcase: all the ads featured people in remarkably clean clothes.
Anthony Martin, Founder & CEO, Choice Mutual
McDonald’s The Showdown
One Super Bowl commercial that I’ll never forget is “The Showdown” by McDonald’s. It features a basketball game between Larry Bird and Michael Jordan, and it aired during Super Bowl XXVII in 1993.
What makes this commercial memorable is the high level of production value and the use of two iconic sports figures as the main characters. The commercial also uses humor and a catchy soundtrack, which adds to its appeal.
Will Gill, Event Entertainer, Dj Will Gill
Mercedes Benz’s Soul,2013
The Mercedes Benz 2013 Super Bowl commercial is, in my opinion, at the top of marketing creativity. Here, famed Hollywood veteran, Willem Dafoe, attempts to hoodwink a man into signing his soul over to him for a Mercedes-Benz CLA.
By first establishing the glamor that comes with the CLA (the swarms of paparazzi and admirers, the aristocratic magazine covers, rolling with Usher.), Mercedes initially establishes that the Mercedes Benz CLA is worth giving one’s life for. And just when the man is about to give his soul to Dafoe for the CLA, they unveiled the starting price at $29,900.
This shows extraordinary benevolence from Mercedes that while the CLA car is typically worth your life, they are generous enough to give it to you for a relatively meager $29,900! This nails a climactic ending to an already exhilarating story. all concisely portrayed within just 1.50 minutes! Bravo!
Lotus Felix, CEO, Lotus Brains Studio
Volkswagen’s Darth Vader
One of my favorite Super Bowl commercials has to be the one known as the Darth Vader Commercial, which aired in 2012. In it, a child is dressed as Darth Vader and tries to use the “Force” on various items in the house, all while the Star Wars theme music is playing in the background.
He attempts to start the laundry, use it on a doll, and get his plate to come to him, all to no avail. Then his father arrives home. The child rushes out, not to greet his father, but to try the “Force” on the car. As the child waves his hands, the father clicks the remote start button, and the Volkswagen Passat roars to life. The child is astonished. This commercial was about family, humor, and children’s imagination. It allowed adults to remember when they too believed in magic. It gave parents the idea that they could encourage their children to believe they could do anything—even start a car.
Caroline Duggan, Chief Brand Officer, Lumineux
Jeep’s Groundhog Day, 2020
As a Jeep enthusiast, I have to pick the Jeep Groundhog Day commercial from the 2020 Super Bowl (although I wish it was a Wrangler or Willys!). The movie is iconic, and Bill Murray was fantastic.
My favorite part is when the groundhog is strapped to Bill Murray’s chest while they are cross-country skiing and he says to the groundhog, “I don’t know where we parked. I was following you.” One of the coolest Super Bowl commercials ever, it was funny, awesome, and a great cameo all at the same time; plus, it was about Jeep!
William Varney, Product Strategist, Megaphone Marketing
Always’ “Like a Girl,” 2015
My favorite Super Bowl commercial of all time is the Always ad from 2015. It’s inspiring, empowering, and impossible to forget. What I love about the commercial is that it serves as a reminder that our gender doesn’t define us.
Gender-based stereotypes should belong to the past, as women can do anything they want and do it great. The moment I find particularly memorable is when one of the younger girls says, “Run as fast as you can,” explaining what “run as a girl” means.
Agata Szczepanek, Community Manager, LiveCareer
Amazon’s “Alexa Loses Her Voice,” 2018
“Alexa Loses Her Voice” is an underrated yet unforgettable Super Bowl commercial from 2018. The commercial centers on Alexa, a household voice assistant that loses her voice, resulting in various celebrities being called upon as replacements.
Featuring the likes of Cardi B, Gordon Ramsey, Rebel Wilson, and Sir Anthony Hopkins among others, it showcased some fantastic comedic timing and was extremely well received by NFL fans—myself included. It showed an effective use of celebrity cameos to carry the narrative and deliver laughs to viewers everywhere. “Alexa Loses Her Voice” will stay with me as one of the most memorable Super Bowl commercials for years to come.
Benjamin Okyere, Data Engineer, Stress Reliever
Reebok’s Terry Tate Office Linebacker
Super Bowl 37 in 2003 featured the Terry Tate Office Linebacker series of short commercials. This has got to be one of the funniest sets of commercials in the history of TV. Reebok was responsible for the series, and for anyone who has worked in an office, they hit the nail on the head with the type of obnoxious things that happen.
Watching Terry Tate “correct” these injustices was so satisfying. This advertising campaign ended up being one of the most successful in the history of the Super Bowl. It only aired once during that Super Bowl, but over 7 million people downloaded it from the Reebok website.
It still lives on as quite the meme in office culture. Whenever lunch food goes missing from the breakroom at your office, there’s a good chance that Terry Tate’s “Simon’s Cake” scene will be sent by someone via Slack or email. Thank you for the chance to respond.
Brian Clark, CEO & Marketing Director, United Medical Education
Master Lock’s Shot Lock
The shot lock commercial shows how Master Lock trusts its locks and how it will protect your valuables. The commercial starts with a man and a rifle shooting a big hole through the Master Lock, yet the lock stays nice and secure. Then the tagline at the end is “If You Want to Hold on to What You Got—Insist on Master Lock.”
As a digital marketer, I like the fact that Master Lock spends its entire marketing budget on this one Super Bowl ad. They keep the message clear and build trust as the leading trusted lock for your valuables. Consumers trust Master Lock so much that they don’t need to worry about it, which is what the goal of the commercial is: to give that “peace of mind” experience with the product.
Marc Werner, CEO & Founder, GhostBed
Bud Light’s Ax and Chainsaw
I’ll never forget the commercial that featured a young couple getting lost in a dark, wooded area. They came upon a shaggy-looking guy holding an ax and a six-pack of Bud Light. The shaggy-looking guy explained away the ax by calling it a “bottle opener.” The woman’s facial expression to her boyfriend saying to the guy, “Hop in,” was priceless.
The kicker to the Bud Light & Axe comercial was just as good: The car rolled up on a second guy holding a six-pack of Bud Light and a chainsaw. The shaggy-looking guy (now in the backseat) was the one shocked the guy was pulling over to pick him up, too. It was a perfectly executed 30-second advertisement.
Juan Pablo Cappello, Co-Founder & CEO, Nue Life