Super Bowl LVIII airs on Sunday, Feb. 11, and companies have rolled out the teasers for their upcoming ad spots. It may seem ridiculous to have a 15-second promotion for the actual 30-second promotion — until you consider that an average of 114 million people will be tuning in for the Big Game. And with the price of admission sitting at $7 million for those 30 seconds, companies go all out.
As a result, we're treated to top-shelf comedy, drama and even romance truncated into bite-size segments. They're more than commercials: They're stories with the ability to make us laugh or cry or believe in love again. For many, the football game is just what happens between the commercials.
Over the years, there have been plenty of iconic Super Bowl ads. We laughed together at E*Trade's talking babies. We dreamed together with Apple's "1984" spot and its vision of a bold new future. And we healed together as Budweiser's Clydesdales paid tribute to the victims of 9/11.
Other Super Bowl ads even had the power to change the way we talk. People greeted each other with a raucous "Whassup!?" until the mid-2000s, and "Where's the beef?" went from a slogan to a saying still used in conversation.
There's no denying it: Super Bowl ads are an inextricable piece of our lives. Here are the ones that meant the most.
Coca-Cola: 'Hey Kid, Catch!' (1980)
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Wendy's: 'Where's the Beef?' (1984)
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Three old ladies puzzle over a massive bun with its meager protein in the center. "Where's the beef?" one of them demands. The words became not only Wendy's slogan but a staple of our lexicon: "Where's the beef?" endures to this day as a turn of phrase used to criticize something that lacks substance.
McDonald's: 'The Showdown' (1993)
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Budweiser: 'Respect' (2002)
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This mournful-yet-uplifting ad, directed by Zack Snyder ("The Justice League"), helped the nation heal when it aired less than five months after the 9/11 attacks. The heart-rending commercial shows the Budweiser Clydesdales trot into New York City before bowing to the Manhattan skyline, where the Twin Towers are glaringly absent. A remake aired in 2011 for the 10th anniversary of the attacks and showed the same scene — this time with One World Trade Center under construction.
Budweiser: 'Whassup!?' (1999)
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Apple: '1984' (1984)
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E*Trade: 'Trading Baby' (2008)
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E*Trade's trading baby commercial used an adult man's voiceover and some lip-syncing CGI to show their product is so easy to use that even an infant could do it. Talking babies are a surefire way to win over a Super Bowl commercial audience, and the ad became an instant classic that spurred a long-running series of commercials.
Google: 'Parisian Love' (2010)
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Google is known for its innovative and moving ads. This spot, which tells a love story from start to finish using nothing but Google searches, is more impactful than most romance films.
Snickers: 'You're Not You When You're Hungry' with Betty White (2010)
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Snickers kicked off its long-running "You're not you when you're hungry" campaign with a hilarious ad that featured the late, great Betty White getting decked on the football field. Abe Vigoda also gets sacked at the end.
Budweiser: 'Brotherhood' (2013)
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A farmer raises a Clydesdale horse and must send it away to be its rockstar self for Budweiser. He goes to see his horse three years later at a parade, but as the Clydesdale trots by, he doesn't seem to remember his old human friend at all. What happens next — well, there were tears in the buffalo dip at every Super Bowl party in the nation. Side note: Is this how Budweiser sources its Clydesdales? By ripping friendships apart?
Old Spice: 'The Man Your Man Could Smell Like' (2010)
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Always: '#LikeAGirl' (2015)
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This tear-jerking ad asked adult men and women to act out running, throwing and punching "like a girl." Their mimes were predictably degrading. Then it asked the same questions of young girls. The results were not only moving — they shined a light on how we so often put women and girls into a box, whether we realize it or not.
Volkswagen: 'The Force' (2011)
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A cute kid donning an oversized Darth Vader helmet is practicing his force abilities, which don't seem to be having the desired effect until Dad comes home with his remote-start Volkswagen.
Budweiser: 'Budweiser Frogs' (1995)
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This ad, which features frogs croaking "Bud... wei... ser" in front of a neon Budweiser sign, rejuvenated the brand among the 20-30-year-old demographic with its absurdity and simplicity. It also became a classic screensaver.
Budweiser: 'Puppy Love' (2014)
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#BestBuds was the theme of this ad about the friendship between a yellow Lab puppy and an iconic Budweiser Clydesdale. It's got the same farmer as the "Brotherhood" ad from 2013 — and, apparently, he has learned nothing about separating horses from friends. Luckily, the rest of the Clydesdale squad is there to teach him (again).
E*Trade: 'Wasted' (2000)
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E*Trade shows two old men and a monkey clapping along to "La Cucaracha" in a garage for 20 seconds before proclaiming, "Well, we just wasted 2 million bucks." We beg to differ.
Pepsi: 'Cindy Crawford Ad' (1992)
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This classic ad is pure Americana. Two young farm boys watch supermodel Cindy Crawford step out of a red Ferrari and chug a cold can of Pepsi in sensual slow motion. Plot twist: It isn't Crawford they're ogling.
Coca-Cola: 'Hilltop' (1971)
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This ad launched at the height of the hippy era and featured young people from across the world gathering to sing and drink Coca-Cola. It was probably the most wholesome commercial ever seen at the time, and its revolutionary creation was famously referenced in "Mad Men" as a new start for the cynical adman protagonist Don Draper.
Budweiser: 'The Extra Point' (1996)
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The Budweiser Clydesdales have been a staple of Super Bowl commercials for nearly as long as the game itself. And this spot, featuring the majestic horses playing a game of pickup football, was probably the funniest of the bunch.
Tabasco: 'Mosquito' (1998)
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The '90s were a simpler time. And this ad is straight to the point with its humor. The cartoonish concept is attention-grabbing with its subtle execution: With nothing but the nighttime sounds of a marsh and the buzz of a mosquito, the spot stands out from its louder, in-your-face peers.
Mountain Dew: 'Puppy Monkey Baby' (2016)
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Tide: 'It's a Tide Ad' (2018)
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EDS: 'Cat Herding' (2000)
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FedEx: 'Cast Away' (2005)
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The Tom Hanks-led "Cast Away" was at the top of the zeitgeist in 2005 — and this ad from FedEx hilariously spoofs the film's concept. A delivery man is stranded on a deserted island for years but holds on to a package. He's finally rescued and completes the delivery. The clever punchline drops when he asks to see what's inside.
Nike: 'Hare Jordan' (1993)
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This ad featured Bugs Bunny (Hare Jordan) alongside Michael Jordan (Air Jordan). Bugs was up to his classic Looney Tunes gags on the basketball court, like replacing an opponent's ball with an anvil mid-dunk. The crossover was so well-loved that it inspired the movie "Space Jam."
