The biggest weekend for advertisers is here as millions of families tune in to watch the best commercials of the year this Sunday … and a football game, too. The “big game” commercials have become a cultural phenomenon as some of the most-watched television broadcasts in history – 19 of the top 20 broadcasts have been Super Bowl games – helping to draw in fans and non-fans of football for extreme revenue grabs for television networks, agencies, brands, and the NFL.
How Much Do Super Bowl Commercials Cost?
Capturing this audience comes at a price few brands can afford, however. In 1967, for a 60-second spot, NBC charged $75,000, and CBS charged $85,000; both networks charged $42,000 for a 30-second ad. Taking into account inflation, that would cost advertisers $350,589-$709,526 in 2022, but that’s a bargain compared to what they actually pay.
The price for a 30-second spot on NBC in 2022 cost a record-breaking $6.5 million. The cost of ads does raise every year, but typically in about $100,000 increments. This year, the network took a full +$1 million jump from 2021’s $5.5 million cost, suggesting the network is promising advertisers a higher viewership – some predicting 100 million people domestically – via streaming and live television.
For those who can afford it, it’s worth the cost to get in front of 200 million+ eyeballs tuning in specifically waiting for the advertisements on the unofficial holiday for watching commercials. The following showcases some of the best of the best commercials throughout the years that have become part of the culture and really made their ad dollars count.
Best Super Bowl Commercials
1. Budweiser, Clydesdale Donkey (2004)
2. Doritos, Sling Baby (2012)
3. Classic Coke Vs Pepsi Commercial (1995)
4. Budweiser, Thunder the Clydesdale (2008)
5. Reebok, Terry Tate Office Linebacker (2003)
6. McDonald’s, “The Showdown” Bird vs. Jordan (1993)
7. Budweiser, “Bud” “Weis” “er” Frogs (1995)
8. E*Trade, Baby Commercials (2008)
9. Coca-Cola, “Mean” Joe Green (1979)
10. Cindy Crawford Pepsi (1992)
The Best Is Yet to Come in 2022
As the cost increases, so should we expect the quality of 2022 ads vying to land themselves on every “best of the commercials” list and become a new classic. Here are a few sneak peeks with some big names before the big event on Sunday.
7 Responses
It’s a tie for me between Mean Joe Greene and the eTrade baby for #1 but all of Budweiser’s spots are always in my top picks.
eTrade baby commercials are the best. Every surperbowl I’m always looking for what they have next.
All of the Clydesdale commercials are great & my top picks. I look forward to them every year…
That Eli Manning & Odell Beckham NFL commercial in 2018 & the Snickers 2010 commercial with Betty White was crazy funny. They were phenomenal!
Bus Weiser wazzzuuup! What’s up?
From the list…mean Joe Greene!
Where’s the budweiser wazzzuuup commercial?
Mean Joe Greene – Pepsi
Classics! I gotta add Apple’s 1984 and the the Clydesdales 9/11.
Maybe it is the sentimental factor given her passing short of her 100th birthday, but the Snicker’s commercial with Betty White is the G.O.A.T. Nostalgia, absurdity and flat out hilarity – the SB commercial trifecta. The Terry Tate commercial where he tackles everyone in an office setting is a close second – similar bit sans Betty White and Abe Vigoda.