Apple’s Super Bowl ad, 1984, was more than a commercial—it was a rallying cry. Directed by Ridley Scott, the cinematic masterpiece
depicted a dystopian future inspired by George Orwell’s 1984. In a dramatic sequence, a lone heroine smashes a giant screen, projecting
the image of an authoritarian leader and symbolizing Apple’s mission to disrupt IBM’s dominance and empower individuality.
The ad aired just once during the Super Bowl, yet its impact was immediate and profound. It broke every advertising convention at the time:
no product shots, no features—just a bold narrative that aligned Apple with freedom, creativity, and rebellion. The Macintosh launch that
followed cemented Apple’s identity as a brand for innovators and iconoclasts.
Apple’s "1984" ad is widely regarded as one of the most iconic and influential advertisements in the history of
advertising. This was a groundbreaking commercial that aired during the 1984 Super Bowl and introduced the world
to the Macintosh computer.
The ad, inspired by George Orwell’s novel, featured a dystopian society where people were brainwashed by a Big
Brother figure. The ad was a huge success and helped establish Apple as a leader in the tech industry. It was created by
Chiat\Day agency written by Steve Hayden and directed by Ridley Scott (known for films such as Alien, Blade Runner,
Thelma & Louise, and Gladiator).
While the Apple Board of Directors initially disliked the ad, it was a huge success and the company sold $3.5 million
worth of computers after the commercial aired. It serves as an example of how taking risks in advertising can sometimes
have huge rewards.
Nike's Just Do It campaign redefined the brand and athletic marketing. The first commercial featured 80-year-old
marathoner Walt "Iron Man" Stack jogging across the Golden Gate Bridge, paired with the now-iconic slogan: Just Do It.
The ad's brilliance lay in its simplicity. Instead of focusing on elite athletes, it connected with everyone, from casual
joggers to professionals. By highlighting the universal desire to push limits and overcome challenges, Nike positioned
itself as more than a shoe company—it became a motivational brand.
In 1993, the California Milk Processor Board launched the "Got Milk?" campaign, featuring celebrities with milk mustaches. The campaign aimed to increase
milk consumption and was a huge success, with the slogan becoming a pop culture catchphrase.
This iconic ad campaign was created by the Goodby Silverstein & Partners agency and performed well in both commercials and print ads. The use of a question
as a slogan had prior success, such as Wendy’s 1984 "Where’s the beef?" campaign.
In the year after the first ad, "Aaron Burr" starring Sean Whalen aired, milk sales in California increased for the first time in over a decade.
Old Spice revitalized its image with this humorous, fast-paced ad starring Isaiah Mustafa. In just 30 seconds, Mustafa
effortlessly transitioned from a shower to a boat to a horse, delivering witty one-liners about masculinity and confidence—all
while promoting Old Spice body wash.
The ad’s absurd humor, sharp writing, and charismatic delivery made it a viral sensation, bringing a legacy brand back into cultural
relevance. It also sparked a campaign of follow-up videos directly responding to fans’ social media comments, setting a new standard
for audience engagement.
Coca-Cola’s Share a Coke campaign replaced its iconic logo with popular names on bottles, encouraging customers to
find and share bottles featuring their own or their friends’ names.
The campaign’s playful, personalized approach resonated with millions, sparking a social media frenzy as people shared
photos of their customized bottles.
De Beers launched this simple slogan in 1947 and it's still in use today, making it one of the longest-running advertising campaigns of all
time. The slogan "A Diamond Is Forever" was written by Frances Gerety from the Philadelphia advertising agency NW Ayer.4 During the Great
Depression, the sales of diamonds had gone down. De Beers's slogan changed most of America's relationship with diamonds. Before the slogan,
it was not commonplace to propose with a diamond engagement ring.
Ian Fleming's fourth novel featuring the protagonist James Bond was published in 1956 with the title "Diamonds Are Forever," further solidifying
De Beers's slogan into the cultural zeitgeist.5 (The book was eventually made into a movie in 1971.) To sell their pricey diamonds, De Beers
continues to rely on simple black-and-white advertisements that convey a feeling of timelessness.
Snickers - Your Not Hungry When You're Hungry - 2010
Snickers hit a home run with its Super Bowl ad starring Betty White. In the ad, a group of friends plays a rough game of
football, with one player, portrayed by White, performing poorly and getting tackled into the mud. A teammate hands her a Snickers
bar, and after taking a bite, she transforms into a young man, highlighting the message that hunger can make you act out of character.
The campaign’s mix of humor, nostalgia, and relatability made it an instant hit. The concept was so versatile that it continued for
years with new scenarios and celebrities, making “You’re Not You When You’re Hungry” one of the most successful taglines in modern
advertising.
The “Think Small” print ad by Volkswagen promoted the Beetle as a small, affordable car at a time when bigger was better.
Why It Was Successful
The ad's minimalist design and straightforward copy stood out in a market dominated by flashy and exaggerated claims. It positioned the
Beetle as a smart, practical choice, appealing to consumers looking for value and reliability. This campaign is often cited as one of
the best ad campaigns for its creativity and effectiveness.
Source: https://camphouse.io/blog/famous-ads
Always - #LikeaGirl 2015
Always, the feminine product brand, hit a home run with this advertisement.
That's not because it went viral after the commercial ran in the 2015 Super Bowl, but because it was a groundbreaking message
that hundreds of millions of people repeated long after the campaign was over.
The campaign began as a commercial explaining the stigma behind playing sports "like a girl" — implying that the boy‘s way is
better or correct.
By the end of the ad, the message is both clear and inspiring: girls are just as fit and capable as boys are, particularly during
puberty — a stage of life that’s extremely important to Always and its women’s products.
The message is now a holistic initiative by Always and a hashtag that's still used on social media today.
The Lesson
Acknowledge not just your audience but the challenges they face—especially the ones that reflect your time or culture. Not every
societal issue is off-limits to marketers and advertisers. Take a stand on the ones you know your audience supports, and you'll
access a customer base that identifies with your passion.
"The Nike "What the Football" commercial, released in July 2023, is
a campaign that celebrates women's football during the FIFA Women's World Cup. The main commercial features 11 top female footballers
and uses a storyline where a father is sent 24 years into the future, from the 1999 Women's World Cup final to 2023, and has to catch
up on the evolution of the game and its stars."
To celebrate the ninth Women’s World Cup, Nike’s “What The Football” campaign uses a series of ads starring players like Alex Morgan
and Megan Rapinoe from team U.S.A, Brazil’s Debinha, and Australia’s Sam Kerr.
The first film of the series begins where many soccer-watching Americans first fell in love with the women’s game: watching Brandi
Chastain put away the perfect penalty, then rip her jersey off in celebration as the US Women’s National Team won the 1999 World Cup.
In the ad, a father and daughter watch Chastain’s penalty together. Then, via a cheeky plot twist, the father is catapulted into the
world of today, one teaming with elite women’s players.
Why has Nike taken this approach? Again the answer is in the data. A sizable 31% of sports fans say women’s sport is exciting to watch,
so clearly the Women’s World Cup is a brilliant opportunity. But there’s more: research shows that consumers who buy Nike are 16% more
likely than the average consumer to say women’s sport is exciting to watch, making the choice of this tournament even more appropriate
The “Pepsi Challenge” invited people to blind taste tests against Coca-Cola.
Why It Was Successful
This marketing campaign highlighted Pepsi’s taste and boosted its popularity. By letting consumers choose based on taste alone, Pepsi confidently
positioned itself as a worthy competitor to Coca-Cola. The interactive nature of the campaign and its direct challenge to a major competitor made
it memorable and effective.
Source: https://camphouse.io/blog/famous-ads
Dove - Awareness Campaign 2004
Unilever, the creators of Dove, were one of the first companies to introduce sustainability into their business model. No wonder the company
set out to improve the self-esteem of women everywhere with awareness campaigns.
Dove’s Real Beauty awareness campaign was the company’s answer to a study reporting that only 2% of women considered themselves beautiful.
The campaign covered more than just print ads and TV commercials. Dove experimented, launching 'Tick-Box' billboards which brought 1.5 million
visitors to the campaign’s website. Their Real Beauty Sketches video was viewed by more than 50 million people in the first 12 days of launch.
These experiments successfully sparked public conversation and promoted an empowering message for women.
Why are Dove’s Awareness Campaigns on the best ads list?
The Real Beauty ad campaign was notable for its ability to start a conversation with its target audience.
This educational initiative went against mainstream beauty standards. Dove featured ‘average women’ in their commercials
alongside provocative messages. This established the brand’s position on thought leadership in beauty equality.
Dove’s Awareness Campaigns: Results
Sales of Dove products jumped from $2.5 to $4 billion in the first ten years of the campaign. Following the campaign, Dove
became the number one preferred soap brand in the USA.
Beyond monetary success, the brand created a positive social impact, something very different from other advertising campaigns
of the time. This earned Dove invaluable customer loyalty as a result.
In 1992, Levi’s sent a pamphlet to 25000 HR departments in the US. This pamphlet turned out to be the key to solving the sales
slump Levi’s had been experiencing. Increasing competition from low-cost overseas products were hurting their bottom line.
Levi’s identified a unique business opportunity: a new trend had for wearing casual clothes to work had emerged. However, not
everyone was onboard, believing “casual” had been misinterpreted as a green light for inappropriate and unprofessional.
Levi’s figured the casual wear trend was here to stay. Their marketing team decided to create a guide to casual businesswear. Their
pamphlet included guidelines on appropriate “casual business wear,” with Levi’s products featured throughout the guide. An ad campaign
in disguise.
Why was Levi’s ad campaign such a success?
The best commercials don’t always look like commercials. The campaign aimed to solve consumer problems by answering the
question "What is business casual?"
The foundation of Levi’s success was education, building a campaign out of instructional material. This motivated HR managers
to distribute Levi’s advertising to its target customer in a way that felt authentic and natural.
By creating these guidelines the brand advertised itself as the solution to a growing problem. Levi’s innovative campaign opened
up a brand new market for workwear for an entire generation of professionals.
Levi’s Best Advertising Campaigns: Results
When Levi’s began its campaign, only 66% of companies had a dress code. Three years later, that figure had risen to 90%. By 1995,
Levis reported a 10% increase in sales from the year before, amounting to $6.2 billion.
The out of the box thinking is what led the campaign to be considered one of the best advertising campaigns made.
Pepsi's Gladiator commercial was a cinematic spectacle that brought pop culture to the Super Bowl stage. Set in a Roman coliseum,
the ad featured Beyoncé, Pink, and Britney Spears as gladiators who defied the oppressive emperor, played by Enrique Iglesias. The women
overthrew the ruler and reclaimed their power, distributing Pepsi to a roaring crowd—all to the beat of Queen’s "We Will Rock You."
This ad stood out for its star-studded cast, larger-than-life production, and bold storytelling. It flipped traditional gladiator tropes
on their head by showcasing women as empowered heroes in a typically masculine setting. The blend of music, rebellion, and pop culture
aligned perfectly with Pepsi’s bold, fun, and youthful brand identity.
Takeaways for marketers:
Think big: High-energy, cinematic campaigns grab attention and stay memorable.
Subvert expectations: Challenge stereotypes or conventions to create impactful narratives.
Leverage star power: Using cultural icons and music amplifies a campaign’s relevance and appeal.
The "I'm Lovin' It" campaign features a memorable jingle and positive messaging.
Why It Was Successful
It's one of McDonald's most successful advertising campaigns. The catchy tune and upbeat vibe made the slogan easy to remember and repeat. This
campaign helped reinforce McDonald’s image as a fun and family-friendly brand. The consistent use of the slogan across various ads ensured it
became synonymous with McDonald's.
Source: https://camphouse.io/blog/famous-ads
KitKat - Have a Break, Have a KitKat
What the Ad Was About
Kit Kat’s slogan encourages taking a break with a chocolate bar.
Why It Was Successful
It's simple, catchy, and has stood the test of time. The ads often depict people enjoying a break from their busy lives, reinforcing the brand’s
association with relaxation and enjoyment. This long-running campaign has helped maintain Kit Kat’s popularity and relevance over the years.
Source: https://camphouse.io/blog/famous-ads
Wendy's - Where's the Beef?
What the Ad Was About
The "Where’s the Beef?" ad campaign humorously questioned the size of competitors’ burgers.
Why It Was Successful
Its catchphrase became widely recognized. The ad featured a grumpy old lady looking at a burger with a tiny
patty, asking, "Where’s the beef?" This simple but effective question highlighted Wendy’s larger beef patties and better
value, making it a hit with consumers.
Source: https://camphouse.io/blog/famous-ads
U.S. Military - I Want You
The iconic "Uncle Sam" poster is one of the most recognizable ads in history. Featuring Uncle Sam pointing directly at the viewer with
the words, "I Want You for U.S. Army," it was an emotionally charged call to action during World War I.
Its directness and urgency tapped into patriotism and personal responsibility, compelling millions to enlist. This ad remains a
textbook example of how to mobilize action through simple, impactful design and messaging.
