Advertising history is full of commercials remembered because they introduced a distinctive format, crystallized a brand idea, or became part of popular culture. This countdown looks at ten widely discussed examples across consumer, B2B, public-service, and technology advertising, focusing on the creative idea, execution, recognition, and what marketers can learn from each campaign.
10. Volvo Trucks – “The Epic Split” (2013)
Volvo Trucks worked with Forsman & Bodenfors on the 2013 online film, which was later adapted for television.
Why It Mattered
- Stunned global viewers with Jean-Claude Van Damme performing a perfect split between two reversing trucks.
- The online film reached far beyond a typical product-demo audience and became a reference point for branded online video.
- Showed that a technical product demonstration can still work as entertainment. For complex offers, that is a useful B2B marketing lesson.
Recognition
- 2015 Cannes Creative Effectiveness Grand Prix.
- The One Show Best in Show (2014) and multiple D&AD honors.
Part of Volvo’s “Live Test” series, “The Epic Split” was a one-take stunt shot at sunrise, featuring minimal CGI. Van Damme’s calm monologue, set to Enya’s “Only Time”, contrasted with the jaw-dropping balancing act on two side mirrors. Intended to demonstrate Volvo’s steering precision, it also enthralled mainstream audiences. By seamlessly blending real performance with cinematic visuals, Volvo Trucks captured the entire internet’s attention, showing that even a commercial aimed at fleet buyers can become an online sensation.
9. Budweiser – “Whassup?!” (1999–2000)
Budweiser and DDB Chicago launched the campaign in 1999, with wider exposure around Super Bowl XXXIV in 2000.
Why It Mattered
- The “Whassup?!” catchphrase became a global phenomenon, parodied in pop culture and daily conversation.
- The campaign gave Budweiser a highly repeatable social cue that audiences could imitate, quote, and parody.
- Earned massive brand buzz and organic word-of-mouth at a time before social media was mainstream.
Recognition
- 2000 Cannes Film Grand Prix.
- 2000 Grand Clio.
- Inducted into the Clio Hall of Fame (2006).
Directed by Charles Stone III (who also created the original short film), the ads featured friends on phone calls greeting each other with an exaggerated “Wassssup?!” Minimal story, maximum comedic effect. The campaign tapped directly into youth culture, forging a relaxed vibe around Budweiser and overshadowing typical beer marketing clichés. By the early 2000s, “Whassup?!” was everywhere: movies, TV skits, and daily slang, demonstrating how a single, simple catchphrase can capture cultural zeitgeist. Budweiser reaped the benefits, proving that humor plus authenticity could break through the noise and make an ad genuinely fun to watch.
8. Cadbury – “Gorilla” (2007)
Cadbury Dairy Milk worked with Fallon London and director Juan Cabral on the 2007 television campaign, which later reached wider international audiences.
Why It Mattered
- The campaign gave Cadbury a distinctive creative reset after a difficult period for the brand.
- Garnered massive online buzz. The surreal drumming gorilla enthralled viewers, who shared it widely (pre-social media era).
- Repositioned Cadbury’s as a brand of joyful surprise, departing from typical product- or ingredient-focused chocolate ads.
Recognition
- 2008 Cannes Film Grand Prix (co-winner).
- D&AD Yellow Pencil, One Show Gold, and more.
- Named among the best ads of the 21st century in various industry polls.
The 90-second spot features a gorilla (actor in full gorilla suit) emotionally playing the drum solo to Phil Collins’ “In the Air Tonight.” No product, no slogan, just pure spectacle. The payoff? A small line at the end: “A Glass and a Half Full of Joy.” Created by Fallon as a morale booster for a battered brand, “Gorilla” became an instant cultural reference. It demonstrated that an ad can succeed by associating a brand with sheer delight, ditching product shots and even explicit messaging. Cadbury gained fresh momentum and re-established brand love, showcasing that sometimes, “less (messaging) is more” when a creative concept resonates.
7. Guinness – “Surfer” (1999)
Guinness worked with AMV BBDO London and director Jonathan Glazer on the 1999 film.
Why It Mattered
- The film helped present Guinness through a more cinematic, contemporary creative language.
- Its tone and imagery gave the brand a strong cultural presence without relying on a conventional product demonstration.
- Frequently cited as Britain’s best ad ever, revitalizing Guinness’s presence among premium drinkers.
Recognition
- Won numerous top prizes in 1999–2000, including Cannes Lions, Clio Awards, and the British Television Advertising Awards.
- Named “Best Ad of All Time” in multiple UK polls (Channel 4, Sunday Times, etc.).
A black-and-white cinematic piece, “Surfer” depicts a surfer waiting for the perfect wave, which materializes as galloping white horses in the crashing surf, an image echoing Neptune’s Horses. The tagline “Good things come to those who wait” parallels the wait for a perfect pint of Guinness. By turning a beer ad into an art film, AMV BBDO and director Jonathan Glazer crafted a moody, evocative masterpiece that mesmerized audiences. The ad’s high production values, epic visuals, and minimal brand intrusion exemplified the maximum creative approach. Even decades later, “Surfer” is revered for its atmospheric storytelling, proving emotional resonance can be far more powerful than direct product selling in forging brand identity.
6. Honda – “Cog” (2003)
Honda Accord worked with Wieden+Kennedy London and director Antoine Bardou-Jacquet on the 2003 UK television and cinema campaign.
Why It Mattered
- The 120-second chain reaction turned engineering precision into the central creative idea and generated strong word-of-mouth around the film.
- The campaign gave Honda a distinctive way to communicate precision and product engineering without relying on a standard driving commercial.
- Elevated Honda’s brand image for precision engineering, demonstrating how mechanical “art” can showcase a car’s reliability.
Recognition
- 2004 Cannes Film Grand Prix (jointly).
- One Show Best of Show, D&AD awards, and the Gunn Report recognized “Cog” as the most-awarded commercial of 2003–2004.
Filmed in a continuous shot with zero CGI, “Cog” took 600+ takes to perfect. Car parts roll, pivot, and collide in a Rube Goldberg sequence that’s mesmerizing and nearly silent, concluding with a simple text reveal: “Isn’t it nice when things just… work?” Inspired by an art film The Way Things Go, it redefined automotive advertising by highlighting an Accord’s engineering in an imaginative, borderline surreal presentation. The ad proved that a bold concept (with no voiceover or driving footage) could outshine standard car ads, capturing consumer curiosity and industry acclaim alike.
5. Dove – “Real Beauty Sketches” (2013)
Dove worked with Ogilvy Brazil and director John X. Carey on the 2013 online film, with shorter versions also used on television.
Why It Mattered
- The film spread internationally and became one of the most widely discussed executions within Dove’s Real Beauty platform.
- It reinforced Dove’s positioning around self-perception and body confidence rather than a conventional product claim.
- Intensified Dove’s brand positioning around building women’s self-esteem, pushing “Real Beauty” from an ad slogan to a global conversation.
Recognition
- 2013 Cannes Lions Titanium Grand Prix.
- 2014 Cannes Creative Effectiveness Lion.
- Multiple D&AD, One Show, and Effie (Grand Effie) honors.
Featuring an FBI sketch artist drawing women based on self-description vs. external description, the film revealed how harshly women viewed themselves. The emotional payoff: women seeing two sketches side by side, tugged heartstrings worldwide. Striking for its documentary approach and complete absence of product shots, “Real Beauty Sketches” was the apex of cause-related marketing. By highlighting universal insecurities in a relatable, uplifting format, Dove transcended typical beauty ads, epitomizing the notion that real emotional storytelling can drive both brand love and commercial results.
4. Procter & Gamble/Always – “#LikeAGirl” (2014)
Always worked with Leo Burnett and director Lauren Greenfield on the 2014 campaign, which later received a Super Bowl broadcast in 2015.
Why It Mattered
- The short film examined the phrase “like a girl,” contrasting how adults and younger girls interpreted it and turning the phrase into the center of a wider confidence campaign.
- Garnered 85 million+ views globally, doubling brand favorability for Always.
- The campaign focused attention on how ordinary language can reinforce stereotypes, giving Always a platform that extended beyond product features.
Recognition
- Swept Cannes Lions (PR Grand Prix, Glass Lion, Titanium) in 2015.
- 2015 Emmy Award for Outstanding Commercial.
- Grand Effie winner for marketing effectiveness.
Presented as a social experiment, #LikeAGirl showed adults imitating “run like a girl” in a mocking manner, contrasting with younger girls who just ran their fastest. This simple yet striking setup hammered home how language shapes self-esteem. The global conversation soared on social media, making it a case study for mission-based advertising. Always effectively rebranded itself around female empowerment, proving that authenticity and purpose can yield major dividends. By championing a social cause, #LikeAGirl rose above typical feminine care ads, winning hearts, minds, and awards in the process.
3. Old Spice – “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” (2010)
Old Spice worked with Wieden+Kennedy Portland, director Tom Kuntz, and actor Isaiah Mustafa on the 2010 television campaign and its digital extension.
Why It Mattered
- The campaign gave Old Spice a sharper comedic voice and extended the television concept into fast-moving digital responses.
- The commercial became a major online hit, while the follow-up response-video program extended the same character and voice into social channels.
- The real-time “response” videos (replying to fans on social media) further expanded reach, showcasing a new era of interactive advertising.
Recognition
- 2010 Cannes Film Grand Prix.
- 2010 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Commercial.
- Multiple Cyber Lions, showing the integrated social media brilliance.
Actor Isaiah Mustafa speaks directly to “ladies,” contrasting their man with him, shifting scenes from a bathroom to a boat to a horse in one seamless take. The comedic script, surprise transitions, and Mustafa’s suave persona soared in popularity. W+K’s quick-turnaround “response” campaign hammered home Old Spice’s digital savvy, forging a blueprint for interactive brand engagement. The ad’s success underscores the power of comedic storytelling plus a well-timed social media strategy, leaving a permanent mark on how legacy brands can pivot for younger audiences.
2. Metro Trains Melbourne – “Dumb Ways to Die” (2012)
Metro Trains Melbourne worked with McCann Melbourne and animator Julian Frost on the 2012 public-safety campaign.
Why It Mattered
- The music video paired darkly comic animation with a simple rail-safety message that was easy to share across digital channels.
- The campaign expanded into games, social content, and music while keeping the public-safety message recognizable.
- Became a cultural phenomenon: mobile game spin-offs, memes, and a soundtrack stuck in everyone’s head.
Recognition
- The most-awarded campaign in Cannes Lions history (2013), with 5 Grand Prix and 28 Lions total.
- Swept D&AD, Webby Awards, Clio, and more, making it arguably the most successful PSA in modern advertising.
Instead of a fear-based approach, McCann Melbourne used darkly cute animation and a catchy tune to highlight “dumb ways to die,” culminating in a message about railway safety. Kids and adults alike found the comedic gore endearing. The hashtag and free game apps furthered user engagement. By turning a serious topic into a viral, shareable anthem, “Dumb Ways to Die” redefined how public service ads can harness pop-culture elements for real-world impact. Its multi-channel integration (YouTube, radio, print, mobile) made it a master class in cross-platform success.
1. Apple – “1984” (1984)
Apple Macintosh worked with Chiat/Day and director Ridley Scott on the commercial that received its landmark national airing during Super Bowl XVIII in 1984.
Why It Mattered
- The national Super Bowl airing positioned Macintosh through a challenger narrative rather than a conventional product demonstration and generated substantial press attention.
- The national broadcast and surrounding press made the commercial a highly visible part of the Macintosh launch.
- Its scale and press coverage helped reinforce the Super Bowl as a stage for high-profile advertising premieres.
Recognition
- 1984 Cannes Lions Grand Prix (Film) and Clio Award.
- Clio Hall of Fame inductee. Ranked #1 on Advertising Age’s “Greatest Commercials” list and numerous similar rankings.
Created by Steve Hayden and Lee Clow, directed by Ridley Scott, “1984” was unlike any prior commercial: cinematic, dystopian, and no product shot until a final tagline. A hammer-wielding heroine in bright red shorts destroys a giant screen of totalitarian propaganda, symbolizing Apple’s promise to liberate personal computing from IBM’s dominance. Its single Super Bowl airing plus intense press coverage changed how ads were perceived: no longer mere promotions but potential cultural phenomena. “1984” remains the ad that rewrote the rules of creative marketing, echoing through advertising history as a watershed moment and the ultimate reason the Super Bowl is now synonymous with cutting-edge ad premieres.
What Businesses Can Learn From These Commercials
From Brand Vision’s agency perspective, the useful lesson is not to copy the production scale of these campaigns. It is to understand why each idea was easy to recognize and how the creative format supported the brand. Strong branding gives a campaign recognizable assets to work with, while the campaign itself needs one clear idea that can survive different placements.
- Match the format to the message. Demonstration, humor, documentary storytelling, spectacle, and public-service education solve different communication problems. The same principle applies when choosing video marketing formats.
- Separate attention from business impact. Views, shares, and awards can indicate reach or creative recognition, but they should be reviewed alongside marketing metrics tied to demand, conversion, retention, and revenue.
- Do not assume B2B work has to feel dry. Volvo’s example shows how a technical proof point can sit inside an entertaining idea, which is relevant to brands building a broader B2B marketing system.
- Keep the market context in view. A company choosing a US branding agency still needs the same fundamentals: clear positioning, recognizable creative assets, and a campaign idea suited to the audience and channel.
If you are deciding which campaign format fits your own brand, you can discuss your campaign direction with Brand Vision before committing production budget.
Which Ads Have You Watched?
From Apple’s “1984” to “Dumb Ways to Die,” these commercials show how different creative approaches can make a message easier to remember. Some rely on humor, others on demonstration, emotion, spectacle, or participation. For brands, the common lesson is to connect the creative idea to a clear positioning choice and then execute it consistently across the channels that matter.
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