Top 5 Best Super Bowl Commercials of All Time

As 2010 Super Bowl XLIV approaches, there is as much anticipation for the next round of Super Bowl ads as there is for the game between the Indianapolis Colts and the New Orleans Saints.  As companies get set to spend nearly $3 million per 30 seconds of time to reach a captive audience, it is a good time to explore some of the best Super Bowl commercials of all time.

What is fascinating about Super Bowl ads is that many of the top Super Bowl commercials get as much or more value from publicity (unpaid media exposure) as they do from their actual paid delivery.  Some of the most celebrated Super Boal ads continue to get to get airplay during pre-game shows and online discussions of the big event.  Many media sites and online sites, including TV Guide and ESPN, have rated the top Super Bowl ads, giving new legs to many classics from as far back as the 1960s and 1970s.

As you get ready to enjoy the big game, or the new round of commercials,  consider these five great Super Bowl ads that are memorable, iconic, and whose impact and message have far outlasted their 30 seconds of fame.

Top 5 Best Super Bowl Commercials of All Time

5. McDonald’s “Showdown” (1993) – This ad is more memorable and iconic than among the elite at humor among the best Super Bowl ads.  The classic Jordan versus Bird game of Horse for a Big Mac became a part of pop culture and gym conversation for years.  The game includes an exaggerated continuance of remarkable shot after remarkable shot.

Watch McDonald’s “Showdown” Commercial

4. Budweiser “Frogs” (1995) – Budweiser is the ‘king’ of top Super Bowl commercials.  The company has produced two major memorable campaigns in the last two decades, the “Frogs” and the “True” campaigns.  This 1995 frog commercial kickstarted arguably the most famous advertising campaign ever with animals, or at least amphibians.  Very fun and very memorable.

Watch Budweiser “Frogs” Commercial

3. Budweiser “Respect” (2002) – The Budweiser clydesdales are among the most notable and memorable running characters in Super Bowl advertisements.  In this 2002 Super Bowl ad, the beautiful horses walk across a snowy field on the Brooklyn Bridge.  They then take a knee in fron of the New York skyline.The Budweiser Clydesdales, easily the most recognizable icon in Super Bowl ads, walk across a snowy field and the Brooklyn Bridge before taking one knee in front of the New York skyline.

Watch Budweiser “Respect” Commercial

2. Coke “Mean Joe Greene” (1979) – This ad was suppose iconic and memorable that it was recreated for the 2009 Super Bowl between the Steelers and the Cardinals.  Steelers defensive player Troy Palamalu portrayed the Joe Green character who limps back toward the lockerroom after a game when approached by a young fan.  Greene famously tosses the kid his jersey and you hear the “Have a Coke and a smile” jingle and slogan.  What makes this ad so great among the top Super Bowl commercials is that it is actually more directly tied to the football game.

Watch Mean Joe Green Commercial

1.  Apple “1984″ – This ad reportedly has received at least 50-60 times its original paid time slot value in publicity.  It is regulary included in college advertising classes as an example of an impacting and culturally iconic advertisement.  The ad for the Apple Macintosh was a breakthrough message that portrayed the “Big Brother” (Microsoft) as the ruthless dictator trying to keep the population under its thumb.  The Macintosh is portrayed as the rebellious protagonist with the storyline of an olympic athlete who runs into the theater and breaks the mind numbing message of uniformity with her hammer throw.  TV Guide rated this Apple “1984″ commercial as the number one TV commercial of all time.

Watch Apple “1984″ Commercial

What do you think of our selections for the Top 5 Best Super Bowl Commercials of all time?  Do you have others that you think deserve mention among the top Super Bowl ads?  Simply add a comment and share your personal favorites that are missing from the list or that should have been scored higher.

Top 5 Best Super Bowl Commercials by Neil of Movie Room Reviews

Tags: Best Super Bowl Commercials, Best Super Bowl Commercials of All Time, Super Bowl Commercials, Super Bowl XLIV, Top Super Bowl Commercials