Apple’s “1984,” which recently marked its 40th anniversary, is still considered one the best ads of the Super Bowl and industry at large. To introduce the Macintosh computer, director Ridley Scott painted a compelling portrait of a dystopian future where tech wasn’t the enemy. With rich world-building, the promo didn’t contain a single image of a product—a creative method the brand has since perfected but was innovative at the time.
Nike “Hare Jordan” (1993)
Agency: Wieden+Kennedy
Talk about a power duo: Bugs Bunny and Michael Jordan got together to embarrass cartoonish bullies and hype pricey sneakers in a 60-second ad that took six months to produce. It wasn’t the first mix of animation and live action—Who Framed Roger Rabbit was a massive hit in 1988—but it spawned its own film franchise and deepened Nike’s relationship with Warner Bros. Such an investment of time, and a seven-figure production budget in ‘90s money, wouldn’t likely happen today.
Budweiser “Frogs” (1995)
Agency: D’Arcy Masius Benton & Bowles
Long before ASMR was a trend in advertising and media, Budweiser turned the volume way down for a laid-back 30-second spot that became one of the most iconic booze campaigns in advertising history. It was just three frog friends, chilling on their lily pads near a deserted neon-lit shack, chirping out their monosyllabic messages: “Bud” and “Weis” and “Er.” Crickets provided the only soundtrack to this swampy classic—directed by a pre-Pirates of the Caribbean Gore Verbinski—proving that louder isn’t necessarily better.
20th Century Fox “Independence Day” (1996)
Agency: in-house
The Big Game was well known territory in the ’90s for beer, car and snacks ads, but it wasn’t yet a showcase for Hollywood films. Fox and Independence Day changed that with 30-second teaser hastily cut from the unfinished thriller and released nearly six months ahead of the premiere. It wasn’t just the ominous tone or the doomsday narration, but the final image—the White House being obliterated—that sparked national buzz. The tagline, “Enjoy the Super Bowl. It may be your last,” took the action flick from unknown entity to summer must-see. Along with a full-scale campaign that ushered in modern-day blockbuster marketing, the spot helped propel the movie to $817.4 million in worldwide box office, the year’s top money maker.
