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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesThe most memorable Super Bowl commercials endure for different reasons: a moving story, an unforgettable image, a character or catchphrase, or a clever connection between the joke and the product. This editorial list weighs those qualities alongside influence on Super Bowl advertising and the historical record. It is not a definitive poll: museum and media retrospectives rank the ads differently, and audience scores measure particular competitions or survey questions, not universal recall.
One date matters from the outset: Coca-Cola’s Mean Joe Greene ad is closely associated with Super Bowl XIV in 1980, but it first aired in October 1979. That distinction is a reminder that an ad’s Super Bowl legacy does not always mark its premiere.
10 memorable Super Bowl commercials, ranked editorially
The order below is an editorial synthesis, not a claim that one ranking or poll settles the question. It balances cultural staying power, advertising influence, storytelling, and how closely the advertised product matters to the idea.
1. Coca-Cola, “Hey Kid, Catch!” (1979; associated with Super Bowl XIV in 1980)
A limping Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle, “Mean” Joe Greene, meets a young fan who offers him a Coke. Greene drinks it, then tosses the boy his jersey. The exchange turns a famously intimidating player into a generous one without a long explanation or elaborate setup.
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The Museum of Broadcast Communications says the commercial first aired October 1, 1979, on ABC’s Monday Night Football, and is best remembered for its impact around Super Bowl XIV. It places the ad first in its all-time exhibit. HISTORY reports that copywriter Penny Hawkey wanted the spot to “invite feelings, not just leave people with a visual impression.” The result is a compact emotional story in which the Coke is the reason the encounter happens.
2. Apple, “1984” (1984)
In a stark, industrial setting, a woman runs toward a screen showing a Big Brother-like speaker and hurls a hammer at it. The spot introduces Macintosh through a cinematic image of rebellion rather than a conventional product demonstration.
The Museum of Broadcast Communications ranks it second in its exhibit. TIME describes its broader importance: it helped push advertisers toward commercials made specifically for the Super Bowl. Directed by Ridley Scott, “1984” made the broadcast itself feel like a stage for a one-off event, not just a place to run an ordinary campaign.
3. Budweiser frogs (1995)
Three frogs croak the syllables of “Bud-weis-er,” turning a brand name into the entire audio hook. The camera eventually reveals the neon sign they are addressing. The simple reveal made the creatures—and their drawn-out croak—easy to recognize and imitate.
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Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallHISTORY notes that the idea led to spin-offs and parody; TIME also points to its lasting catchphrase appeal. The frogs’ strength is repetition: viewers can remember the ad from its sound alone.
Rank #2
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4. McDonald’s, “The Showdown” (1993)
Michael Jordan and Larry Bird compete in an escalating game of HORSE for a Big Mac and fries. Each shot raises the stakes, taking the contest to increasingly implausible locations and shots. The stars supply the spectacle, but the meal gives the challenge its point.
HISTORY’s marketing expert Calkins called it “a really effective spot because it was so entertaining.” USA TODAY’s historical Ad Meter list records a 9.00 score for the 1993 commercial. That is the score in that year’s Ad Meter competition—not an all-time rating or a percentage.
5. Budweiser, “Wassup?” (2000)
Friends call one another with an elongated “Wassup?” that moves from one conversation to the next. The humor rests on the greeting and the way it spreads, while the beer stays in the background.
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TIME describes “Wassup?” as part of a style of Super Bowl advertising that put entertainment first. That approach can make a phrase more memorable than a product pitch, though it also means the brand is less central to the joke than the Big Mac is in “The Showdown.” The Museum of Broadcast Communications also includes the ad among its top selections.
6. Coca-Cola, “Hilltop” (1971; associated with Super Bowl VI in 1972)
A multicultural group gathers on a hillside, holding Coca-Cola bottles and singing “I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing.” The visual idea turns a soft drink into a symbol of shared goodwill, supported by a song built for repetition.
Rank #3
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The Museum of Broadcast Communications ranks “Hilltop” third in its exhibit and says it first aired nationally on July 8, 1971. Its later association with Super Bowl VI is not its premiere date—a useful distinction when tracing the history of memorable game-day ads.
7. Snickers, “You’re Not You When You’re Hungry” (2010)
In a football game, an older Betty White takes the place of a player who is performing badly. The gag treats hunger as the explanation for an athlete’s unexpected behavior, then uses the Snickers premise to restore the player to form. Abe Vigoda also appears in the spot.
The Museum of Broadcast Communications includes the commercial among its top selections. USA TODAY’s historical Ad Meter results list an 8.68 score for the 2010 spot. In a separate 2024 Siena College Research Institute and St. Bonaventure University survey, the surfaced overall result for the modern-period greatest-commercial question lists the Betty White ad at 36%. That figure answers a question about the survey’s modern period, 2000–2023; it is not directly comparable to a score from the 2010 Ad Meter.
8. Volkswagen, “The Force” (2011)
A child dressed as Darth Vader tries to use the Force on household objects, the family dog, and a car. Nothing happens until a parent uses the Passat’s remote starter from inside the house, making the vehicle appear to respond to the child’s gesture.
The joke is instantly legible, and the product is part of the payoff rather than a label tacked onto an unrelated sketch. The Museum of Broadcast Communications and Sporting News both include “The Force” in their all-time selections.
Rank #4
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9. Budweiser, “Puppy Love” (2014)
A puppy forms a bond with a Clydesdale, but the animals’ human caretakers keep separating them. The story builds toward the friends finding their way back together, using the familiar horse-and-puppy pairing to deliver a sentimental short film within the commercial break.
TIME calls it a widely viewed audience favorite, and Sporting News includes it in its ranked retrospective. Its appeal comes from a complete, easily followed story rather than a catchphrase or celebrity contest.
10. Budweiser, “Brotherhood” (2013)
A Clydesdale foal grows up under the care of its trainer. Years later, after the horse has joined the Budweiser team, the trainer travels to see it again. The reunion makes the bond between person and animal the center of the ad, with the Clydesdale serving as a recognizable part of Budweiser’s identity.
Sporting News ranks “Brotherhood” fifth in its retrospective. USA TODAY named it the 2013 Ad Meter winner, with a score of 7.76; more than 7,600 panelists voted on over 50 ads in that year’s competition. That result shows how the commercial performed in that specific contest, not where it stands in a timeless ranking.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why these ads are remembered
The strongest examples use different creative mechanisms. Treating “memorable” as a single measurable quality would obscure what makes each spot work.
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- Emotion and a compact story: Mean Joe Greene’s exchange and “Puppy Love” give viewers a clear setup and a satisfying emotional turn.
- A bold visual idea: Apple’s hammer throw distills a larger message into one striking image.
- Characters and phrases that travel: The Budweiser frogs and “Wassup?” are recognizable through sound and repetition.
- A contest or instantly readable joke: Jordan and Bird’s escalating HORSE game and the child in “The Force” make their premises clear quickly.
- A product that belongs in the idea: The Big Mac is the prize in “The Showdown,” and the Passat’s remote starter completes “The Force.” Other memorable ads may make the product subtler, as “Wassup?” does with beer.
HISTORY’s expert Calkins has described Super Bowl advertising as “a bit of a reflection of where we are as a country and how people are feeling.” That helps explain why the ads on this list range from grand brand statements to domestic jokes: there is no single formula for earning a place in the culture.
How audience results differ from historical rankings
Lists, polls, and ad competitions answer different questions. The Museum of Broadcast Communications and media retrospectives make editorial selections; they do not measure one shared audience’s memory. USA TODAY Ad Meter scores reflect participants in a particular year’s competition. The 2024 Siena College Research Institute and St. Bonaventure University survey asked about greatest commercials within separate periods—early (1967–1999) and modern (2000–2023)—rather than asking respondents to rank every ad against every other ad.
For example, that survey’s surfaced overall results list Mean Joe Greene at 23% and Jordan and Bird at 15% in the early-period question, while the Betty White Snickers ad is listed at 36% in the modern-period question. These percentages should not be combined into one all-time leaderboard: they refer to different period questions. Nor should they be read as unaided recall; the available question framing is about which commercials were considered greatest.
The rankings themselves also vary. The Museum of Broadcast Communications places Mean Joe Greene first and Apple second; Sporting News also puts Mean Joe first but ranks Jordan and Bird second. TIME emphasizes historical influence rather than claiming to measure universal recall. Read together, these sources support a strong set of contenders—not a definitive answer to which commercial every viewer remembers best.
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