• Home
  • News
  • Fortune 500
  • Tech
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Commentary

Here Are the 5 Best Super Bowl Ads Over the Years

By
Bill Syken
Bill Syken
and
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Bill Syken
Bill Syken
and
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Down Arrow Button Icon
February 6, 2016, 3:00 PM ET

Here are the top five Super Bowl ads as ranked by Sports Illustrated’sSUPER BOWL GOLD: 50 Years of The Big Game.

Bud Bowl, Super Bowl XXIII

Bottles of Bud and Bud Light competed in a game running parallel to the real action, with scoring continuing throughout. The battle proved so compelling that the Bud Bowl had eight iterations, ending at Super Bowl XXXI.

Hey Kid, Catch, Super Bowl XIV

The Coca-Cola spot moved slowly and the overblown background music was corny, but the moment when Joe Greene’s meanness melted away in the stadium tunnel and he tossed a young fan his jersey remains a pure classic.

When I Grow Up, Super Bowl XXXIII

A witty, insightful ad for the job-search site Monster.com. Kids talked about hoping to grow up to “be a yes man,” or to “be replaced on a whim,” or to “file all day.” The rare ad that drew laughs and intelligently promoted the product.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3AjdCkBJ_A

Old Milwaukee, Super Bowl XLVII

In a bizarre spot that aired only in Sherman, Texas, Ardmore, Okla., and Glendive, Mont., a mustachioed, tank-topped Will Ferrell made out with a middle-aged non-supermodel on a bus for nearly 30 seconds.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDO66T__1E4

Ram Trucks, Super Bowl XLVII

Chrysler reappropriated “So God Made a Farmer,” a talk by radio host Paul Harvey at the 1978 Future Farmers of America convention. Setting the speech to images of the rural U.S. yielded a Super Bowl one-off and an arresting surprise.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMpZ0TGjbWE

SUPER BOWL GOLD: 50 Years of The Big Game was published by Sports Illustrated Books, an imprint of Time Inc. Books. Copyright 2015 Time Inc. Used by permission.

About the Authors
By Bill Syken
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
By Sports Illustrated
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in

Tony Cuccio posing in a chair
C-SuiteMillionaires
Tony Cuccio started with $200 selling beauty products on Venice Beach. Then he brought gel nails to the masses—and forged a $2 billion empire
By Dave SmithDecember 3, 2025
3 minutes ago
CryptoFinance
Bitcoin’s biggest booster Michael Saylor fights to stave off an $8 billion collapse and being the first major crypto domino to fall
By Jeff John RobertsDecember 3, 2025
7 minutes ago
AIBrainstorm Design
Microsoft AI wants all its employees to be AI-native by the end of the fiscal year, says VP of design Liz Danzico
By Angelica AngDecember 3, 2025
14 minutes ago
Personal FinanceSavings
Best savings account bonuses for December 2025
By Glen Luke FlanaganDecember 3, 2025
16 minutes ago
NewslettersMPW Daily
Michele Kang takes on women’s sports’ most neglected need
By Emma HinchliffeDecember 3, 2025
31 minutes ago
Personal Financechecking accounts
Best checking account bonuses for December 2025
By Glen Luke FlanaganDecember 3, 2025
32 minutes ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Economy
Ford workers told their CEO 'none of the young people want to work here.' So Jim Farley took a page out of the founder's playbook
By Sasha RogelbergNovember 28, 2025
5 days ago
placeholder alt text
North America
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos commit $102.5 million to organizations combating homelessness across the U.S.: ‘This is just the beginning’
By Sydney LakeDecember 2, 2025
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Warren Buffett used to give his family $10,000 each at Christmas—but when he saw how fast they were spending it, he started buying them shares instead
By Eleanor PringleDecember 2, 2025
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
Elon Musk says he warned Trump against tariffs, which U.S. manufacturers blame for a turn to more offshoring and diminishing American factory jobs
By Sasha RogelbergDecember 2, 2025
24 hours ago
placeholder alt text
North America
Anonymous $50 million donation helps cover the next 50 years of tuition for medical lab science students at University of Washington
By The Associated PressDecember 2, 2025
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
C-Suite
MacKenzie Scott's $19 billion donations have turned philanthropy on its head—why her style of giving actually works
By Sydney LakeDecember 2, 2025
1 day ago
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map

© 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.