71 Of TV’s Most Famous Commercials That Still Pack A Punch

A commercial from 1984 called "Fluffy Bun" starred Clara Peller, a manicurist from Chicago, Illinois. In the ad, when Peller's character orders a burger from an unnamed Wendy's rival restaurant, she is given a tiny patty on a large bun. "Where's the beef?" exclaims Peller, outraged at the injustice. Thanks to her, "Where's the Beef?" became an instant 1980s catchphrase.

With a memorable Snickers commercial, beloved late comedian Betty White captured hearts at the 2010 Superbowl. She portrays the alter ego of a football player with the worst luck. After devouring a Snickers bar, he changes back into himself, but not before hurling some funny jabs at his teammates. "You're not yourself when you're hungry," the ad's message is effectively conveyed while also making people chuckle. 13 years later, this is still the best Snickers ad.

If we had to give an example of an epic ad — it's this one. Volvo presumably considered various ways to show off the stability and accuracy of the dynamic steering in their trucks. However, there is undoubtedly no better approach than to show Jean-Claude Van Damme performing his famous splits while delivering a speech while Enya plays in the background. 9 years later, this commercial is still legendary.

How many licks does it take to get to the lolly's center? With this iconic campaign, Tootsie Pop completely changed how effective advertising might be. After all these years, TV stations are still airing this simple line-drawing animation. In fact, the “How Many Licks?” commercial is one of the longest-running ads to date.

Here is evidence that even serious messages can be successfully conveyed through humor. Melbourne Metro used animation to spread the word about its 2012 rail safety campaign. The video emphasizes that railroad fatalities are entirely preventable by using bright, blob-like figures and a funny tune. It's the opposite of what you'd anticipate from a public service announcement (PSA) promoting railway safety, which may be why it's so memorable and still so liked today.

The humorous, self-aware commercial rapidly won over the viewers. And arguably the hearts of many women. In the advertisement, Isaiah Mustafa, a former American football star, is depicted claiming to be better than their lovers because he smells incredible with Old Spice. The advertising agency Weiden & Kennedy developed the idea after finding that 60% of body wash purchases are made by women. Thanks to this, Old Spice sales upped by 11%. Clearly, there is potency in smelling like the man your boyfriend might smell like!

This PSA from the 1970s is one of the most recognizable advertisements. In it, a Native American man expresses his sorrow about the environmental damage brought on by modern culture. One tear may be seen falling down Iron Eyes Cody's cheek as the camera pans in on his face. After the initial airing of the advertisement, Cody's visage was associated by many Americans with environmental idealism.

This commercial deftly manipulates viewers' emotions. With a heartwarming montage of priceless moments that all dog owners would recognize, it gives us a false sense of security before ending with a blow to the stomach. Still, the ad ends positively, saving our hearts from heartache. This is the ideal technique to convey a message that is so vital and make sure it is remembered long after the advertisement has ended. Don't drink and drive because "Friends are Waiting," both the two and four-legged ones.

You can tell the holiday season is coming if you see this famous advertisement on television! M&M's commercial features the red and yellow mascots skulking around on Christmas Eve with a bowl of M&M's for Santa. When they accidentally run upon old St. Nick, they both experience astonishment upon discovering the other. In fact, this ad has been re-aired every year for more than 25 years, and there aren't many TV commercials that remain relevant after all these years!

The best commercials are ones that people can relate to. The star of these well-known TV commercials for Life Cereal, Mikey, was a reflection of millions of viewers or their children. Life Cereal is continuing in business even though John Gilchrist, who played Mikey, resigned from acting after appearing in more than 250 ads. If Mikey likes it, it must be good!

Since the beginning, raisins have been either loved or hated by those looking for a quick snack. If you were a child during the 1980s or 1990s, you would likely recall when raisins moved from the opening act to the main stage, thanks to an advertisement featuring the fictional rock band California Raisins. Those cartoony R&B raisins gained so much fame that they soon starred in their own TV specials and series while also selling merchandise.

One of the most excellent car advertisements ever was made possible by pop culture allusions, a cute child, and intelligent marketing decisions. In a break from tradition, the automaker uploaded a more extended version of the commercial to YouTube a few days before its costly Super Bowl broadcast. The risk turned out profitable. The Super Bowl ad with the most social media shares is still "The Force." May the force be with you...

This tale of a young kid's unbreakable bond with his loved pet dog will soften the most rock-solid of hearts. The idea is universally relatable to all animal lovers and pet owners, making it the ideal way to reach the pet food company's target market. A foolproof way to make a commercial that will appeal to everyone — just include a cute dog. Cue instant success.

One of the most popular "Super Bowl commercials" was also among the first big ones. Many remakes and parodies have come from it, and viewers frequently list it as their all-time favorite. In the commercial, a young boy offers Joe Greene, a legendary defensive tackle with the Pittsburgh Steelers at the time, his bottle of Coke when he is obviously upset following a tough game. Greene is moved by this offer and throws the child his jersey with the classic phrase, "Hey kid, catch!” After its release, this moving 60-second story became an immediate hit.

This Apple advertisement, directed by Ridley Scott, was modeled around George Orwell's iconic dystopian novel "1984" and featured a woman battling a brainwashing machine. This Apple commercial depicted how depressing life would be if the fictional book had become a reality. Whether or not one had read the novel, this famous ad was brilliant, unique, and, most importantly, daring.

Um... Fancy a crisp?

For its 2018 "Make Google Do It" campaign to advertise its product Google Home, Google drew on nostalgia for the '90s. In addition to having actor Macaulay Culkin return as Kevin McCallister from the iconic 1990 movie Home Alone, it even went so far as to build an almost exact copy of the McCallister family residence. And at last, 28 years later, Kevin finally ate his mac & cheese. Still, the most relatable thing in this ad is him briefly jumping on the bed and then having his back hurt.

Long-in-the-tooth sayings like "stop whining like a girl" back the stereotype that women are weaker than men. The feminine sanitary product company Always believes it needs to change. The company's "Like a Girl" commercial aired during the Super Bowl XLIX. In the ad, "What does it mean to do X like a girl?" and other similar questions are posed to a group of children and teenagers. Viewers were forced to reevaluate their beliefs and behaviors due to the campaign's compelling message. Also, it was a bold decision for Always to run the advertisement on a mostly male-dominated event.

Many commercials were produced that year. Coca-Cola's anthem (“I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing”) about bringing about world peace through soda by the pop group New Seekers gained huge success. The studio made a remake in 1990 with the original actors and their offspring as a tribute to the legacy. "Hilltop" is regarded as one of the most famous advertisements ever made and transmits a message of tolerance and hope.

The short story "Pastoralia" by George Saunders, which centers on a man and a woman who work as "cave-people" at a failing theme park, served as the campaign's point of inspiration. This was before the advertising became intrusive and annoying. And honestly, this commercial will still be funny a hundred years from now.

How many of you are familiar with this song's lyrics? Richard Trentlage, a lifelong jingle writer, penned these simple words in just one hour, and the result is one of the most enduring and well-liked jingles in American history. Despite Trentlage's passing in September 2016, his songwriting legacy will persist. There is a considerable probability that this joyful jingle will endure even if you were not around during the 1960s.

This advertisement for the British canning company John West begins with a narration that sounds like David Attenborough in a mock nature documentary. The already bizarre setting becomes even weirder when we witness a John West employee fighting a grizzly to steal some fresh salmon. The punchline that unites it all, "John West endures the worst to bring you the best," drives home the message. You can tell the creativity back then was pure gold. 

This humorous sight gag continued the history of outrageously expensive Super Bowl commercials. Ironically, most viewers did not understand what was being advertised. However, there are several reasons why this advertisement is so brilliant: the unknown actors' incredible performance, the scenes, the overall vibe, and the musical score are all spot-on. All these small details, like the yarn ball, sneeze, and hair roller, are just puuurrfect! Get it?

Disney used its excellent storytelling abilities to create this endearing story about a fluffy little duck who falls in love with Donald Duck after seeing him on a comic book page. In addition to tugging at our emotions, in just under 75 seconds, this commercial eloquently conveys the magic one can encounter at Disneyland. Congratulations, Disney. You've managed to create the cutest commercial ever. So ducking cute.

Speedy, the baby-faced mascot of Alka-Seltzer, first used the now-famous phrase, "Plop, plop, fizz, fizz. Oh, what a relief it is!” in the 1960s. The tune served as an instant earworm in addition to changing how customers used antacids by stressing the use of two dosages (rather than one) at once to provide almost instant relief from heartburn and acid indigestion.

Despite being from the 1970s, this advertisement has the feel of a viral internet video. Even though it’s only one line, this jingle is guaranteed to stick in your head. Never before had we heard a cat breathe in to continue meowing. We want to thank whoever came up with this idea for making us all laugh. Sheer genius.

There was one to rule them all even before the frenzy of Christmas commercials. It really is not Christmas until the Coca-Cola ad is on TV. This advertisement's enduring popularity is primarily due to nostalgia. Still, it is a fantastic example of the adage, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." Still gives us goosebumps watching it.

This advertisement from 2002 has truly gone down in commercial history. Its genius rests in quickly forging an emotional bond between the audience and a lamp before switching gears to provide a witty conclusion. But don't feel sorry for the lamp. It got a job at Pixar.

Although "Wassup?!" was ridiculed in the first Scary Movie, its effects should not be taken lightly. Apparently, in the year following the ad's airing, Budweiser's sales increased from 2.4 million to 99.2 million barrels. This commercial's simple yet powerful premise is just buddies having fun while watching a game over cold drinks. After it aired, parodies appeared online, and talk show presenters and DJs started joking about it. Even in countries where Budweiser wasn't sold (just yet), people began using the now-famous catchphrase. If "great ad" was a term, this ad would be the definition.

The inspiration for the cult classic movie Space Jam (1996) came from this 60-second Nike Super Bowl commercial. At the time, it was entertaining and unique and spoke to both parents and kids. Although "Hare Jordan" cost Nike $1 million to make, it was an overall win-win for Nike. The incorporation of iconic Looney Tunes props, scenarios, and the famous line "That's all, folks!" captured the attention of both children and adults.

At lunchtime, the agency's art director wandered around Central Park while brainstorming ideas for an advertisement to increase public awareness of Aflac. He quickly came up with the idea of the duck after realizing how much the company's name sounded like a duck's quack. Apparently, that's how breakdancing duck was born! And yes, that's the source of the dancing duck meme.

Larry Bird and Michael Jordan, some of the greatest players in NBA history, compete in a game of HORSE for a Big Mac and fries. They begin with easy shots and progressively get more challenging. This clever premise was sufficient to prove the advertisement as one of the best in pop culture history.

This heartwarming advertisement from Ogilvy & Mather is a masterclass in emotive marketing. It depicts the story of a young man who discreetly does good deeds. Only at the very end of the advertisement can people figure out why he does them. Probably one of the most endearing advertisements ever created; it's no wonder this ad went viral online. Tear-jerker advertising it is.

Sadly, the lonely elderly relative is a common motif in holiday promotions. And things were starting to feel a little routine until this EDEKA advertisement astounded everyone. When the German supermarket aired this advertisement in 2015, it attracted notice worldwide. It caused quite a stir among viewers and news organizations. Whatever your opinion of the ad, it provoked discussion, and that's the desired commerce outcome. Also, it can make you want to call a loved one immediately.

Milk is known to aid in the development of strong, healthy bones. But it wasn't until this infamous opening line of the iconic Got Milk? campaign that we started to realize the more serious repercussions of not drinking milk. The future Transformers filmmaker Michael Bay was the head behind creating this commercial, which is a part of the ongoing "Got Milk?" campaign.

For its 2018 "Make Google Do It" campaign to advertise its product Google Home, Google drew on nostalgia for the '90s. In addition to having actor Macaulay Culkin return as Kevin McCallister from the iconic 1990 movie Home Alone, it even went so far as to build an almost exact copy of the McCallister family residence. And at last, 28 years later, Kevin finally ate his mac & cheese. Still, the most relatable thing in this ad is him briefly jumping on the bed and then having his back hurt.

One of the most well-known commercials of all time is this one. In fact, the British people chose it as their favorite advertisement for the nation. "In the Air Tonight" by Phil Collins is played by a man dressed as a gorilla in the ad. Nothing to do with chocolate, right? And yet, it was so well-liked (and is still enjoyed today) that it increased Cadbury’s sales by 9%. Also, this ad was Cadbury’s big comeback after a salmonella outbreak.

Honestly, this commercial alone should’ve saved Kmart. In this humorous commercial, former retail giant K-Mart promotes its Ship to Home service, which provides customers with free delivery on any item they can't locate in stores. This is a fantastic illustration of how humor and wordplay can be used without offending anyone. The phrase, "I can't wait to ship my pants, dad,” gets you every time!

Poo Pourri is a rather peculiar name for a product, so you're immediately off to an odd start. Including that quirkiness in your video marketing strategies is only logical. The "Girls Don't Poop" video ad immediately became viral. The main character was finely attired and well-spoken, and viewers appreciated the strange juxtaposition between that and the subject she was discussing. After watching this ad, you may think they made this product just to make this commercial. Either way, while that's not the case, it worked flushingly well.

John Lewis is a big proponent of video marketing. They consistently produce distinctive advertisements that engage viewers. In this video, which serves as their Christmas promotion for 2015, a young girl discovers a lonesome elderly man on the Moon. She makes the decision to give him a telescope for Christmas since she can't stop thinking about him and wants to be able to see him. It's a heartwarming tale with a simple message — this Christmas, show someone you care about them. It would have been brilliant if it was their Christmas advert for 2020.

It's tempting to imagine that marketing and selling through television advertising is easy because most people own a TV. However, the question now is: How can you distinguish your product? Sony made the decision to focus on color. They also executed it in a unique and original style that brought a lot of attention to their company. Who would have imagined that watching bouncing balls fly down a street could stir up so many emotions?

With a Super Bowl commercial, the stakes are extremely high. Brands wait all year for it since it is so expensive and there is so much competition. Even if you believe your advertisement to be the best ever, all it takes is for another brand's video to be funnier, more touching, or more original for it to surpass yours. As Tide learned, one way to avert that from happening is to parody every sort of advertisement that might possibly exist. This amusing commercial features all of the clichés we've seen before. And the end result is a hilarious and catchy Tide advertisement. Arguably the best Super Bowl commercial to this day.

This advertisement is a masterpiece in exploiting emotional cues to connect with consumers. It is set to a slowed-down version of Elvis Presley's timeless hit "Can't Help Falling in Love With You." Also, it's almost ridiculously incredible that a 2-minute ad for chewing gum blows away most Hollywood love stories. We said what we said.

This advertisement doesn't seem funny at first. But the wait is totally worth it for the punchline. This humorous and original advertisement for the language-learning company Berlitz pushes its message. Because it is unexpected and realistic, this advertisement is hilarious. However, we may never find out what the people over the radio were sinking about...

In this short clip, Bodyform explores the womb stories — stories that are often never told — in a stunning, imaginative, and unforgettable manner. Bodyform has a reputation for going where other companies won't; this video is no exception. The topics of endometriosis, menopausal hot flashes, and miscarriage are all addressed carefully here with a wide range of animation styles in a way that relates to the female audience that Bodyform is trying to reach. We needed to see the female reproductive system as a human and, let us stress this, a normal system integrally linked to a woman herself. Huge kudos to everyone involved in the making of this one.

The marketing team at Burger King is well known in the industry for their ability to continually come up with innovative and imaginative ideas that frequently parody their primary rival: you guessed it, McDonald's. This advertisement, which has a menacing clown who resembles Ronald McDonald, is no exception. Also, the concept is quite original. The call-to-action urges viewers to visit Burger King in clown attire for a free Whopper. Unfortunately, the deal is no longer on.

To coincide with the 2014 World Cup, Nike released this stunning 3D animated commercial. Although it's slightly over 5 minutes long, it's relatively short for an advertisement with such a compelling plot, well-known characters, and stunning images. This advertisement actually looks and feels more like a short film. It has almost become a tradition to revisit this one every now and then.

This ad is just one long take of someone running with an emotional narration as the soundtrack. Nothing fancy. Nike could have easily chosen to run a campaign spotlighting famous athletes (and they did in the past). Still, instead, they decided to put an ordinary person in this advertisement. The everyday people who want to start moving more and improve their health. And it is what makes this advertisement fantastic, unforgettable, and inspirational.

Skittles' long-running and well-known tagline is "Taste the rainbow," much like Maybelline's "Maybe it's Maybelline" or Nike's "Just do it." Since the early 1990s, this has been the Skittles slogan, but in recent years, the company has been experimenting with "strange advertising" to see how far it can take it. One of their odder commercials is this one, which features a character sweating Skittles while another person collects and eats them. Not sure about the hygiene part, but it's quirky and gets people talking. In our books, that's an ad done right.

Barbie dolls were first made famous by Mattel in 1959 with the help of airing the ad on The Mickey Mouse Club, the "hottest" show for kids at the time. This one-minute long, all-black-and-white commercial features the original Barbie dolls with ponytails, clothing, and accessories. "Barbie, you're beautiful, you make me feel, my Barbie doll is really real!" plays in the background.

The Nissan "Enjoy the Ride" campaign was developed by TBWA Chiat-Day for an estimated $200 million. These featured toy dolls were eerily similar to GI Joe, Barbie, and Ken. The identities were so plainly clear, in fact, that Mattel Toys sued, claiming "irreparable damage." (The dispute was resolved amicably.) Either way, this one-minute commercial has a fantastic script, excellent animation, and, of course, perfect Van Halen music.

Which part of an Oreo is the best? Cream or cookies? With the help of a social media campaign and this Super Bowl advertisement, Oreo decided to try and find a solution to this problem. With this commercial, you simply can't decide which part of it is funnier. The fact that they're all whispering, or just how quickly the situation escalates in a matter of seconds. This ad is the definition of “that escalated quickly.”

They say it's not Christmas in Scotland until this ad comes on the TV. During the holiday season, Scotland feels about IRN-BRU pretty much how England feels about Coca-Cola. This commercial is a parody of the well-known winter movie The Snowman (1982). In addition to bringing back memories, the effort, the regard for the source material, and the humor were all fantastic.

This is an excellent illustration of making a witty yet clever commercial without sacrificing the message you want to get across. It stars actor Anthony Anderson and his real-life mother, Doris. This commercial excels because it establishes a positive brand impression with entertaining and relatable content that keeps you interested while emphasizing the important features of T Mobile's 5G network.

Art-house cinema and Ingmar Bergman's films influenced Calvin Klein's "Obsession" series of ads from the 1980s. The end product is highly styled, fascinating, but really confusing footage. It may be argued that this was a deliberate allusion to the way the world of haute couture is seen. Still, we want to believe that some 80s marketing genius thought this strangeness was a fantastic idea. And well, if it made people talk and make parodies of it, we call it a big success.

Dollar Shave Club was a small, mostly unknown start-up when this advertisement went live. It's reasonable to say that this video launched Dollar Shave Club to fame. From the erratic speech to the odd props, this clip has hilarity in every single second. Over 10 years later, this is still hilarious! This is how you stop YouTube users from clicking the "skip Ad" button.

This odd Jammie Dodgers advertisement indeed resembles the Cadbury "Gorilla" commercial. Also, it may be argued that it impacted Mountain Dew's "Puppy Monkey Baby." Still, this video's hilarity is enhanced by the corny setup of the music video and its memorable song. We love the "it feels amazing in your tummy" part.

This heartfelt John Lewis advertisement shows us meaningful and relatable life experiences in a woman's life, which can't help but touch the heart. The commercial combines a recognizable tune with clever camera movement to give the impression that everything is happening in one continuous motion. This advertisement certainly makes a statement.

This ad, which felt almost like a short film and was released in conjunction with the 2010 Winter Olympics, highlights the efforts and sacrifices moms make daily for their children. Everyone can relate to this film, regardless of whether they are a parent or a child. It elicits a full range of feelings. Simply fantastic script. Probably the best tribute to motherhood even seen in advertising.

What happens when a snack-loving pet owner and his goat butt heads? This hilarious advertisement is the outcome. It was one of the winning entries in Doritos' yearly contest, in which participants had to create an ad that would air during the Super Bowl. This entry stood out thanks to absurdity, slapstick humor, and an unusual premise. The goat scream is impressive, but the simultaneous combo of the frightened shriek as the door bursts open and the chips shoot out of the bag is brilliant. In fact, everything is executed flawlessly. Definitely competes for the GOAT status. Get it?

Apple's 2016 ad promoting its online music service checks all the necessary boxes: slapstick humor, a relatable premise, and equipping pop culture references of the time. Drake is at his most manly when working out, but when his trainer takes a brief break, he starts lip-syncing to Taylor Swift's "Bad Blood." And honestly, true gym rats can relate.

For their Super Bowl commercial in 2016, Mountain Dew's marketing department chose to mix three of the internet's top favorites of the time: puppies, monkeys, and infants. Although bizarre, the advertisement was a big success. It's one of those videos you end up watching on YouTube at 3 AM.

This commercial, directed by Spike Jonze, begins with a bleeding and injured patient in an ER. Doctors work to save him, and the patient starts singing when they remove his oxygen mask. The medical staff soon joins in, only stopping to restart his heart. Because it uses strategies that appeal to a young target audience, such as unusual narratives, humor, and retro music, this strange commercial from the renowned denim company Levi’s just works. At the risk of sounding corny, we tell you it really lifted our spirits.

The tagline of this 30-second black-and-white advertisement is "There's a better job out there," which makes fun of corporate America. On-point branding for an online employment portal, it includes children discussing their career goals and appeals to viewers' feelings of nostalgia to remind them of the ambitions they once had and encourage them to pursue something bigger.

This star-studded Amazon commercial first aired during the 2017 Super Bowl. Alexa losing her voice is an intriguing and humorous notion in and of itself. Still, the celebrity guests make it much funnier. This has to be one of the best advertisements ever, with a classic insult from Gordon Ramsey, Antony Hopkins repeating his role as Hannibal Lector, and even Jeff Bezos himself. "Alexa, rebush, reboot!" is simply uproarious.

A brilliant advertising idea can elevate the appeal of even the most basic household product. This Leo Burnett commercial for the French toilet paper manufacturer Le Trefle makes light of the world's obsession with technology. The funny clip features a man who has to deal with the repercussions of forcing technology on his partner. Will your tablet help you out when you run out of toilet paper? No, it won't.

There is no secret about the rivalry between England and Scotland. This IRN-BRU advertisement deftly exploits that to illustrate their catchphrase, "IRN-BRU gets you through." The father in the sketch always feels a little bit better after taking a sip of IRN-BRU when he is annoyed by the "Englishness" of his daughter's new lover. None of this is anti-English or anti-Scottish. Just a wee bit of friendly comedy banter, and we love it.