50 Of The Best Ads Companies Have Ever Run

While we all know the importance of great advertising, it seems to be one of those things that is easier said than done. Many billboards are simply passed by without being noticed at all, and plenty of ads on YouTube are skipped as soon as possible. But when an ad does stand out, you might want to snap a photo and share it online with fellow ad-enthusiasts. This subreddit, dedicated to “high quality images of advertisements,” has amassed an impressive 465k members over the last 12 years through sharing simply static images of brilliant ads.

We’ve also taken a trip to this subreddit, which is a bit smaller but shares a similar goal. “Only the most creative and mind-blowing marketing ideas and concepts belong here,” the group’s About Community states. And as it turns out, anything can be marketed in a fabulous way, from McDonald’s burgers to job opportunities to luxury cars. So whether you need an IKEA pillow or a reminder not to smoke cigarettes, you’re sure to find something on this list that will catch your eye.   

While advertising may seem simple to those of us who have only ever come across ads, rather than created them ourselves, it can actually be quite complex. According to Indeed, there are three main types of advertising: above the line, below the line and through the line. Above the line ads are not specifically targeted towards any group of people, but rather large, wide audiences. These include TV, radio and magazine ads which are sure to reach a wide variety of people.

Below the line ads have a target audience. These can include mailing lists, in-store ads and commercials created for specific programs where they’ll know their audience. And finally, through the line advertisements use a combination of both above and below the line techniques, often for brand-building campaigns. These are typically widely distributed and use cookies or digital data to give customers a personalized experience. 

Indeed notes that it’s important for companies to focus on creating great advertising because it increases sales, informs customers, helps introduce new products, informs advertisers about their own competition, retains customers, increases employee morale, differentiates brands, increases customer trust, can help reach target customers, and explains company values. As crucial as it is to provide excellent service and products as well, advertising cannot be overlooked. And to keep your company from being overlooked, ads must be geared to attracting customers’ attention. It can be helpful to use “bright colors, jingles, sketches or clever taglines,” Indeed recommends, but anything out of the ordinary might be a great choice.

A great ad not only captivates audiences but also advocates for a product. It can be helpful to detail why exactly this brand is superior to competitors and what the advantages are of supporting this company. Advertisers should also focus on their target audience, and establish a consistent image. “Identify your target audience by reviewing sales history or demographic information about your customers or by distributing customer surveys,” Indeed explains. “Then design advertising that appeals to them using research and focus groups.” Consistent colors, fonts, logos, etc. can also help your brand become instantly recognizable by your customers.

While it’s important for companies to pump energy and resources into great, creative ads, advertising is so powerful that it can have positive or negative effects. So companies must be wary of running any ads that will hurt their businesses. According to Amped, bad advertising can alienate your customer base, ruin your brand image and sometimes even lead to lawsuits. In fact, one third of Americans say they refuse to purchase from brands who have previously released bad advertisements, even if the ads were later changed or removed. 

One example of bad advertising that companies must steer clear of is false advertising. “This is when a business uses baseless, misleading, or dishonest content to market or promote products/services,” Amped explains. “No marketing team is perfect and mistakes can occur, but when paired with deliberate ignorance and possible intent to appear clever in the eyes of the public, the result is false advertising. Some advertisements miss the point by misleading their audience and in turn leaving a sour taste in the mouths of consumers. Over time, negative ads can lead to biases about brands by everyday people.”

According to Inkbot Design, some of the best advertising campaigns of all time include Nike’s “Just Do It,” Coca-Cola’s “Share a Coke,” and Dos Equis’ “The Most Interesting Man In The World.” It’s likely you can already picture these taglines or ads in your mind, as they were, and maybe still are, seemingly everywhere. They were simple, catchy, clever and encouraged people to quote them to keep the conversation going. They’re feel good ads that make customers want to support these companies, and they’ve been massively successful.   

Another one of the most popular advertisements the world has ever seen was Old Spice launching “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like,” which starred Isaiah Mustafa and quickly became a viral hit with over 51 million views. “Old Spice’s social media campaign included personalized video responses from Mustafa to comments from fans on various social media platforms, including Facebook and Twitter,” Inkbot Design explained. “In just two days, the company produced 186 funny, personalized videos viewed almost 11 million times. The campaign also helped Old Spice gain over 29,000 new Facebook fans and 58,000 new Twitter followers.”

Have you been inspired to create the next brilliant ad campaign for your own companies, pandas? As with anything else in life, there are no limits to advertising! We hope you’re enjoying these clever pics and feel free to share any more brilliant ads you’ve stumbled across in the comments section. Then, if you’re interested in checking out even more amazing ads that we’ve featured on Bored Panda before, we recommend checking out another list right here!

When exploring the world of unforgettable marketing efforts, one might recall the creative genius behind campaigns like the one Norwegian Airlines launched, which adeptly tied a cultural moment into their advertising strategy.

If you're eager to uncover more examples of how savvy marketers capitalize on real-world events, be sure to explore a dynamic advertising campaign that captures the essence of such pivotal marketing tactics.