Six of the most iconic Super Bowl commercials from years past
The Super Bowl is not all about the game, who'll win the coveted ring, and heading to Disneyland. It's also about the commercials, since they can place a profound impact on the viewer and become ingrained with Super Bowl culture.
With Super Bowl LVIII airing Feb. 11, it's going to be tough competition between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers. There's also the strong speculation on whether Taylor Swift actually will be able attend the game to support Travis Kelce. Lastly, Usher will be headlining the Halftime Show, taking his 30-year musical career to new levels.
But no Super Bowl would ever hold its value without its commercials. Yeah, I said it. Each year during the four-hour broadcast, commercials fill the breaks in hopes to gain huge profits for their companies, or products. The commercials' funding also brings in the big bucks for the Big Game, as it's expensive to host it each year.
With that said, while I can't wait for this year's injections of Super Bowl ads, there has been some iconic ones in the years' past. Whether the commercials collaborated with a popular show and an equally popular company or gave us a peek at new tech gadgets or fashion trends, the ads left a memorable impact.
Let's go back in Super Bowl history to relive six of the most iconic Super Bowl commercials.
Super Bowl 2010: The Simpsons x Coca-Cola ad
Who knew that we needed an ad with America's most famous animated series and America's premiere cola? In this one-minute clip, Mr. Burns loses his billions and is forced to sell off his possessions and Smithers to survive.
In an attempt to make himself feel better, Burns heads off to the park, where his fellow Springfield citizens surround him with their enjoyment while drinking the iconic Coca-Cola. Apu feels sorry for the man offering him a bottle. Suddenly, Burns becomes part of the festivities, and his hope is regenerated through the kindness of friends. If you look carefully, you'll see episode Easter eggs throughout and the classic Simpson humor.
Super Bowl 2004: Pepsi-Cola Gladiator with Britney Spears, Beyoncé, Pink, and Enrique Iglesias
In the early 2000s, Britney Spears, Beyoncé, and Pink reigned over pop music, so it's no wonder that Pepsi-Cola, the competitor of Coca-Cola, decided to have them star in their Super Bowl ad. With Queen's trademark song, "We Will Rock You," being sung by the women dressed in gladiator get-ups and the Roman Emperor (Iglesias) watching from the balcony and being overthrown, the ad generated a legacy all its own.
Britney and Beyoncé individually starred in previous Super Bowl Pepsi commercials, as they were spokeswomen for the soft drink brand. Adding Pink to the mix made the 2004 experience sweeter.
Super Bowl 1984: Apple introduces the Macintosh computers
Apple Inc. was still a baby company in 1984 and was hemorrhaging money. To recoup their losses and become the top tech brand Steve Jobs envisioned at the time, the marketing department needed to come up with a solution. With personal computers becoming household essentials, Apple entered the game with its own line of Mac computers designed for the home.
But how do we market these new machines to the public? Bring in the Super Bowl and its luster for commercials. Apple styled their ad after George Orwell's novel, 1984 and it was actually a diss aimed at their rival, IBM, who was the electronic lead at the time. Needless to say, the ad outdid its purpose and sold $3.5 million of the computers immediately following its airing.
1984 (Apple's version) became one of the greatest Super Bowl commercials of all time, but if I were to be brutally honest with its method, Apple also predicted that one day we would be enslaved by our devices.
Super Bowl 2010: Betty White x Snickers
Leave it to the late Betty White to deliver humor in the game. With her wisecrack, "That's not what your girlfriend says," she had us laughing off our seats. And who knew that this Golden Girl could play such a fierce play?
After a bite from the Snickers bar, Betty is transformed back into Jamie in his "full" form. All he needed was chocolate to stop him from being so hangry. This is Snickers classic ad formula but the inclusion of a legend made it both iconic and special.
Super Bowl 2011: Kim Kardashian x Skechers Shape-Ups
You either love, get annoyed, or hate the Kardashians, but you can't deny their power of marketing and selling a product. That's where reality star and entrepreneur Kim Kardashian comes in. In 2011, she was at the top of the reality show sphere and had already accomplished several businesses.
When the shoe company Skechers needed a spokeswoman to introduce their new line of Shape-Ups footwear in 2009, they recruited Kim K for the deal.
The Super Bowl ad was a bit on the "sexy" side, so to speak, as we only got a glimpse of her pink-and-black shoes towards the end. Nonetheless, the Kardashian magic worked, as Skechers have seen remarkable growth in sales even after attaining more than $400 million in 2009 when the shoes were first launched.
Super Bowl 2014: Budweiser Puppy Love and Horse Buds
Try not to cry because this Budweiser ad for Super Bowl 2014 is just peak cuteness. Budweiser was already well known for their Clydesdale horses, so they turned it up a notch by having a Labrador puppy bond with one of the giant animals. It just proves the love is eternal and, though it can be heartbreaking, it also can be heartwarming.
Tuning into Super Bowl LVIII on Sunday, Feb. 11?: Watch the Chiefs take on the 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII on FuboTV with a 7-day FREE trial!
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