Super Bowl commercials: Top 25 all time, ranked
Will any of the Super Bowl 60 ad spots be able to crack the Top 25?

Super Bowl LX is just around the corner, and that means companies will be spending big bucks to make sure their brand is the star during breaks in the action. There have been some iconic Super Bowl commercials throughout the years, and some even started viral trends.
Last year's commercials definitely had some standout performances, even if none of them were able to crack the top 20. Nike, however, did just sneak into the top 25. Will any Super Bowl 60 ads be able to top that?
Since 1984, when companies really began stepping up their game for the Super Bowl, there have been some truly iconic ads from some of the most recognizable brands in the world. Apple really got things kicked off with its "1984" ad, which ran during Super Bowl XVIII.
Since then, there have been countless commercials that stuck with people well after the game was over. Budweiser's Clydesdale horses are one example, and the E*Trade babies are another. Those are the types of commercials that keep people seated even when the action on the field stops.
With none of the Super Bowl 59 commercials shaking things up, here are the top 25 Super Bowl commercials of all time.
25. Doritos | Pug Attack | 2011
This one is simple -- and maybe a little predictable -- but it's effective. Set up a bully who apparently loves seeing dogs smash into glass doors and watch him get his comeuppance. Doritos has turned in some great Super Bowl commercials over the years, but this one from Super Bowl XLV was one of their best.
24. FedEx | Caveman | 2006
FedEx may not have been the first company to feature cavemen in a major advertising campaign, but they still nailed this one. From the T-Rex devouring the Pterodactylus to the caveman getting trampled -- spoiler alert -- this Super Bowl XL ad delivers a few good chuckles in the 45-second runtime.
23. Mountain Dew | Puppy Monkey Baby | 2016
This is one of the greatest ever in the category of "What did I just watch?" The Frankenstein creature is off-putting, but at the same time it's hard to look away. Besides, the repetitive "Puppy Monkey Baby" is a bit of an ear worm. Sometimes, leaning into the weirdness is the way to go.
22. Nike | So Win | 2025
Nike really channeled its "Just Do It" roots with this one, and it works. If you put Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love" over any montage of elite athletes silencing their doubters, it's probably going to be a winner. On top of that, the shots were great, and it was narrated by now Grammy-winning artist Doechii.
21. The Farmer's Dog | Forever | 2023
It feels a little bit like cheating to use dogs as a way to score points, but we'll allow it this time. The Farmer's Dog gave us a tear-jerker during Super Bowl LVII, and it was one of the more memorable ads from that year. A heartwarming tone can be hard to nail, but it works perfectly here.
20. Tide | Talking Stain | 2008
Few things are more bothersome than being out in public with a glaring stain on the front of your shirt, and this Tide commercial captures that perfectly. The "Talking Stain" ad aired during Super Bowl XLII, and it was one of the most popular from that game. It made a pretty good case for keeping a detergent pen on hand at all times.
19. Honda | Yearbooks | 2017
Super Bowl Sunday is a day in which every player on the field gets to live out a lifelong dream, and that is the theme of this Honda ad from Super Bowl LI is about exactly that. A handful of celebrities, in the form of their yearbook photos, talk about chasing their dreams in life. This one provides some nostalgia and humor, making for quite the Super Bowl combo.
18. Hyundai | Smart Park | 2020
Hyundai looked to New England for inspiration in this Super Bowl LIV ad. They pulled together quite a bit of Boston star power in John Krasinski, Chris Evans, Rachel Dratch and Big Papi himself. The "Smaht Pahk" commercial provided some laughs during the commercial break, and it definitely got the message across. There were no questions about the newest feature on the Sonata after this one.
17. PopCorners | "Breaking Bad" | 2023
Aaron Paul and Bryan Cranston reprised their roles as Jesse Pinkman and Walter White for this "Breaking Bad" commercial. The show's creator and director, Vince Gilligan, also returned to write this Super Bowl LVII ad for PopCorners, which featured a cameo appearance from Raymond Salamanca's Tuco. At least this time, Walt and Jesse were dealing with a perfectly legal product.
16. Walmart | Famous Cars | 2019
This commercial for Walmart's pick-up service, which aired during Super Bowl LIII, has a little something for everybody. Lightning McQueen. The Batmobile. The Ecto-1. A "Jurassic Park" Jeep. Those and several more recognizable cars from pop culture provided a fun touch for viewers who scrambled to see how many they could identify before the commercial was over.
15. NFL | NFL 100 | 2017
The NFL has aired some fun Super Bowl commercials recently, but the one celebrating the league's 100th season is probably the best. Some of the biggest NFL stars, past and present, got together for this Super Bowl LIV ad. It was fun to see players like Joe Montana, Prime Time and Barry Sanders interacting with the best current players while smashing up a ballroom.
14. Budweiser | Instant Replay | 2003
The Clydesdales are something of a Super Bowl tradition, and this is one of the more popular ads in which they've starred. The addition of the zebra, as well as the one-liner at the end of the ad, made for a memorable moment during the Super Bowl XXXVII commercial breaks. Another notable feature of this ad is that it was directed by now famous filmmaker Zack Snyder.
13. Parmount+ | Mountain of Entertainment | 2024
Paramount went out on a limb for its Super Bowl LVIII commercial, and it really paid off with the most memorable ad of the game. I'm sure there was some internal discussion about whether letting Sir Patrick Stewart fire Arnold from "Hey Arnold" into the side of a cliff was the best premise, but it worked. Add in an appearance from Creed and Jeff Probst jamming out on a "Survivor" torch and an understandably anxious Peppa Pig, and you've got a real winner here.
12. FedEx | "Cast Away" | 2003
When "Cast Away" was released in December 2000, it became a huge hit, and it also served as the inspiration for a FedEx Super Bowl commercial just a couple years later. The Super Bowl XXXVII commercial is a spoof on Tom Hanks' character in the movie, a FedEX employee who is stranded on an island after a plane crash. This commercial's ending did take a slightly different tone than that of the Oscar-nominated film.
11. Volkswagen | The Force | 2011
When in doubt, play the "Star Wars" card. That is the approach Volkswagen took in this Super Bowl XLV ad in 2011. "The Imperial March' provides a familiar tone, and little Darth Vader was the perfect way to show the remote start feature on the new Passat. Volkswagen gets credit for sticking out among the bevy of car commercials fans see during Super Bowl Sunday.
10. Reebok | Terry Tate: Office Linebacker | 2003
Terry Tate made his debut during Super Bowl XXXVII and immediately became a viral sensation. Tate even got a series of ads in which he strictly enforces rules around the office. The actor who plays Tate, Lester Speight, did play linebacker at Morgan State and tried out for several USFL teams before taking on the popular role of Office Linebacker.
9. E*Trade | Talking Babies | 2008
Long before AI could turn celebrities into crooning babies, the E*Trade talking baby made quite the splash in Super Bowl XLII. It was so popular that it inspired a host of spin-off ads featuring even more talking babies. The spit-up at the end of the original was the perfect way to end it. E*Trade has even brought the babies back for other Super Bowl spots in recent years, but nothing will ever beat the first.
8. Pepsi | Cindy Crawford | 1992
They say the best comedy is subversive, and that is the case with this Super Bowl XXVI ad featuring supermodel Cindy Crawford. Throughout the entire commercial, the focus is on Crawford -- until the rug gets pulled out from under viewers at the end when the young boys reveal they are actually focusing on the newest Pepsi can. Crawford came back for another role in a Pepsi's 2018 Super Bowl commercial.
7. Coca-Cola | Mean Joe Greene | 1980
This commercial did debut prior to Super Bowl XIV, but we will choose to ignore that because many modern Super Bowl ads drop before the actual game now. Besides, this commercial really shot to iconic status when it aired during that Super Bowl, which Joe Greene played in and won with the Pittsburgh Steelers, defeating the Los Angeles Rams.
6. Budweiser | Frogs | 1995
Budweiser has made a habit out of creating hit Super Bowl ads over the years, and its Super Bowl XXIX commercial featuring the frogs was another example. Like the "Whassup?" commercial, this one takes a very simple approach, and it worked like a charm. These frogs were so successful and popular that the little amphibians hung around for several years.
5. Wendy's | Where's the Beef? | 1984
Super Bowl XVIII was a big game for commercials, and one of the icons that came out of it was "Where's the Beef?" Prior to the existence of social media, Wendy's subtweeted its fast food rivals by calling them out for having an absurdly high bun-to-beef ratio on their burgers. This commercial also got a shoutout from Michael Scott in an episode of "The Office" entitled "Dunder Mifflin Infinity."
4. McDonald's | Jordan vs. Bird | 1993
Who wouldn't want to watch Michael Jordan and Larry Bird go up against each other in a game of one-on-one? That makes this Super Bowl XXVII a winner right off the bat. The two NBA legends were battling on the court for a Big Mac, and neither one wanted to relent. This ad really capitalized off the buzz that Jordan and Bird helped create from the 1992 Dream Team.
3. Apple | 1984 | 1984
Normally, to see a Ridley Scott project you have to go to the movie theater. However, he was hired to direct this now famous Apple commercial that aired during Super Bowl XVIII, along with "Where's the Beef?" The ad really does feel like the type of sci-fi movie Scott would direct, and it even gives some "Alien" and "Blade Runner" vibes. No wonder this one was so well-received.
2. Snickers | Betty White | 2010
The Snickers "You're Not You When You're Hungry" campaign has taken several different forms in recent years, with multiple celebrities appearing in the ads. However, this Super Bowl XLIV commercial starring Betty White is probably the funniest and most famous. Seeing the late actress and comedian lay punishing hits and talk trash at a pickup football game was pretty memorable.
1. Budweiser | "Whassup?" | 2000
It's not very often commercials start trends in real life, but that's what Budweiser did with its "Whassup?" ad during Super Bowl XXXIV. It was just a case of guys being dudes and calling one another up during the big game. The simple yet effective commercial wriggled its way into pop culture as well, and it was even referenced by Steve Carrell's Michael Scott in the pilot episode of "The Office."
















