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Love them or hate them, Super Bowl commercials are a great part of the overall gaming experience. More than saving fans from the otherwise grueling experience of sitting through blank screens during timeouts or transmission glitches, these commercials offer a unique perspective on Football. Through sometimes relatable catchphrases, imagery, or direct references, they explore dimensions of sports and lifestyle, creative enough to keep viewers glued, yet convincing enough to appeal to consumers. Sometimes, this creative approach to a Super Bowl commercial can be as easy as throwing in a nostalgic nod to Taylor Swift.
Admittedly, ads being what they are, could be lame, even offering the perfect timing for a bathroom break. However, some Super Bowl commercials have cut it so much that they kept fans glued to the TV screens throughout their 30-seconds run. So between the outstanding Super Bowl halftime shows and energetic gameplay here is a list of 10 of the best Super Bowl commercials of all time everyone could relate to.
10. Taylor Swift-Inspired Cetaphil Super Bowl Commercial (2024)
Unless you’re content living in denial, the Taylor Swift effect is greatly to thank for the recognition the Super Bowl (and NFL as a whole) got this season. The crooner’s relationship with Kansas Chiefs player Travis Kelce was alluded to in the skincare brand Cetaphil’s commercial. Famously recognized as the joining force between music and sports, Cetaphil celebrated Traylor’s impact in Super Bowl LVIII, particularly in uniting football lovers and pop culture fanatics with subtle references to the numbers 13 (Taylor Swift’s lucky number) and 89 (the album) emblazoned in Chief’s jerseys. Permit this Swiftie a little bias, but this Taylor-inspired commercial has to be one of the most relatable Super Bowl commercials ever!
9. It’s Michael Bublé (2019)
We’ve all been there! That awkward moment where the name is mispronounced, but offering a quick correction only makes it weird. The drink company, Bubly set a clear line between the name of their sparkling water product and famous singer Michael Bublé, coming up with one of the most engaging Super Bowl commercials yet. It hit the point head-on, with the funny (annoyed, most likely) expressions, and Michael’s obsession with his name, enough to make it stick. Bonus point for bringing in an actual celebrity even before star-studded Super Bowl commercials became a thing.
8. Uber Eats Super Bowl Commercial Starring Jenny (2024)
Even a subtle nod to Friends in the wake of Matthew Perry’s passing would appeal to viewers looking to sit through Super Bowl commercials. But when Jennifer Aniston (Rachel Green) forgets David Schwimmer (Ross Geller), that’s the ultimate cheat code to getting anyone hooked (Like I’d forget 10 years of my life). The star-studded Uber Eats commercial featuring the two infamous Friends cast, Jelly Roll, Usher, and even the Beckhams, proved more entertaining than convincing. But who needs another sales pitchy ad?
7. Apple Breaks the Big Screen (1984)
Long before Apple products became a right of passage in virtually any sphere, the fate of the company once depended on the success of their $525, 000 slot in the Super Bowl commercials lineup. In 1984, the tech company debuted its first line of personal computers, the Macintosh, introducing it with a captivating commercial. The heroine’s giant hammer, thrown at the entrancing large screen, destroyed it and ushered in a new era of light in pre-internet times. Was the ad effective? You bet.
6. T-Mobile Super Bowl Commercial (2021)
Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani couldn’t be more different. Yet, the coalition of pop city girl and country through their love story stunned even their closest colleagues. T-Mobile gave its breakdown of what their first hookup could have looked like through the imaginary eyes of a 2021 Super Bowl commercial starring both A-listers. Fans of the duo would understand why it could have taken only a bad network glitch to pair them up. Not sure about the “uncultured” bit though.
5. Build the Girl Child by Always (2015)
“Like a girl” doesn’t have to be an insult. The female product brand Always took time out, and a $4.25 million slot to change the narrative with an inspirational ad. The Super Bowl commercial saw a female interviewer ask a group to display their idea of running, fighting, or throwing like a girl. The male and adult females among them put on some self-deprecating, humorous acts. However, the young girls did their best to show their athletic sides. The whole point of the ad was to prove that women lose their confidence when they hit puberty. Hence the need to nip the issue in the bud. Pretty sure it takes more than a “no stain” guarantee to solve all the female world problems. Regardless, the ad certainly hit home.
4. The Whole Super Bowl is a Tide Ad (2018)
In 2018, Tide scored several points among viewers, making it into the best Super Bowl commercials of all time with its audacious ad. The commercial, spearheaded by actor David Harbour spanned many popular brands and niches. Cars, beer, Alexa, jewelry, sodas, fitness, and other brands with a spot on the Super Bowl were represented in this audacious commercial. David unapologetically declared each of these representations as a Tide ad, ignoring the intentional likeness to the targeted brand. A bold move, yes. But David declaring every single Super Bowl commercial “is a tide ad” delivered the ultimate blow. With no lingering lawsuits after the audacious commercial, that was sure one clean swoop.
3. Celebrating Super Bowl “Best Buds” and Puppies (2014)
Okay, promise no more Budweiser commercials but this was just too adorable to ignore. Not every day does one get to see Super Bowl commercials celebrating friendship, animal love, beer, and puppies, so this list would not be complete without throwing in this emotion-inducing imagery from Budweiser. It depicts the unlikely friendship between a horse and a puppy, with the happiest ending. With the rave reviews it received a decade back, little wonder Budweiser made another nod to the Clydesdale et puppy love in their 2024 Super Bowl commercial.
2. Alexa Loses Her Voice (2021)
Not sure why Alexa would need an ad, but Jeff Bezos certainly had it all figured out because every moment in this 2021 Super Bowl commercial lived up to its screen time. Turned out to be one of the best, and funniest commercials to feature during the Super Bowl. With cameos from Rebel Wilson, Anthony Hopkins, Gordon Ramsay, (and Cardi B!), it’s as funny as it gets. The plot explores a fictional world where Alexa falls sick and loses her voice, prompting Amazon to call in famous stars as replacements. These A-listers do a terrible job at it for obvious reasons. Thankfully, the virtual assistant technology recovered to lessen further damage. That shows just how reliable and indispensable Alexa is in everyday life. Cardi and Rebel as Alexa replacements though? Don’t even get started with the expressions.
1. Verizon Super Bowl Commercial Ft. Beyonce (2024)
Is Beyonce dropping a new song for real? Still don’t have that part figured out, but the 2024 Queen Bey ad for Verizon was the creme-de-la-creme of best Super Bowl commercials (no offense Taylor Swift). The ad opens with Beyonce doing a dance performance with her crew, seeming like the opening of new music. But it soon cuts as her manager walks in and renders his lines, daring her to break Verizon. She took on the challenge— to an obsessive level— performing various groundbreaking stunts. Yet not even Beyonce-AI, lemonade Bey, “saxy” Beyonce, Barbey, running for president, or shooting a music video in space could pull it off. Breaking the internet, though, is fair game.
While Super Bowl commercials have improved over the years, becoming more creative and expensive to create, especially with the latest trend of featuring celebrities, some oldies are just unforgettable, whether it’s a glimpse of Taylor Swift, the love of the game, or a perfect family evening together triggering that interest on game night, a good Super Bowl commercial throws in that added spark.
