There’s something genuinely magical about a commercial that stops you mid-snack and makes you forget you’re watching an ad. Most commercials vanish from memory seconds after they end. But a rare few burrow deep into culture, get quoted by politicians, inspire TV movies, and still earn think-pieces decades later. These six classics earned exactly that kind of permanent residence in the American imagination. Here’s why they still matter.
1. Apple “1984” – The Ad That Rewrote the Rules (1984)
Apple’s iconic Macintosh advert, simply called “1984” and based on George Orwell’s novel of the same name, featured a “Big Brother” figure addressing hordes of subjects from a giant screen and a woman who escapes riot police to smash the screen with a hammer. The commercial, directed by the visionary Ridley Scott, introduced the Macintosh computer while delivering a chilling dystopian narrative inspired by Orwell’s novel. The 60-second mini-film was shot in one week at a production cost of about $500,000, with 200 extras paid $125 a day to shave their heads, march in lock-step, and listen to Big Brother’s scripted gibberish.
When shown the finished ad in late 1983, Apple’s board members hated it. The CEO instructed the agency Chiat/Day to sell back both the 30 and 60-second time slots they’d purchased from CBS for $1 million, but they were only able to unload the 30-second slot. Apple was then faced with the prospect of eating the $500,000 production costs of an ad that could really only air during calendar year 1984, so it swallowed hard and let the ad run once during the third quarter of the Super Bowl. Some 43 million Americans saw the ad, and when the football game returned, CBS announcers Pat Summerall and John Madden asked one another, “Wow, what was that?” Advertising Age named it the 1980s Commercial of the Decade, and it continues to rank high on lists of the most influential commercials of all time – and “1984” was never broadcast again, adding to its mystique.
2. Coca-Cola “Hey Kid, Catch!” – Mean Joe Greene and the Boy (1979)
This television commercial for Coca-Cola starred Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle “Mean” Joe Greene. It debuted on October 1, 1979, and was re-aired multiple times, most notably during Super Bowl XIV in 1980. The 60-second commercial won a Clio Award for being one of the best television commercials of 1979. After sustaining an injury during a football game, Greene is limping alone into the tunnel toward the Steelers’ locker room when a young boy comes up behind him offering his help, which Greene declines. After telling Greene that he still thinks he is the best, the boy offers him his bottle of Coke, and Greene sheepishly accepts it. The ad, created by McCann-Erickson, helped Greene soften his “tough-guy image,” according to Coke, and the commercial won both a Clio and a Cannes Gold Lion.
On January 20, 1980, the ad aired on CBS before an estimated 105 million Super Bowl viewers, and its legacy on Madison Avenue was cemented. Tens of thousands of viewers sent letters to Coca-Cola expressing their admiration for the ad, leading the soft-drink giant to repeat the concept with sports stars from other nations including Thailand, Italy and Brazil. Even though Greene had already established himself as one of his era’s most dominant players before the spot aired, the Coca-Cola commercial broadened his appeal and dramatically altered his public perception. Strangers seldom recognized Greene before the commercial, and those that did were often too intimidated to say hello. Once the ad elevated his stature, Greene could hardly venture out in public without being assailed by kids, many of whom were quick to give him a hug and offer to share their Cokes with him.
3. Wendy’s “Where’s the Beef?” – The Line That Went Everywhere (1984)
The phrase first came to public attention as an American television commercial for the Wendy’s chain of hamburger restaurants in 1984. The strategy behind the campaign was to distinguish competitors’ big-name hamburgers from Wendy’s “modest” Single by focusing on the large bun used by the competitors and the larger beef patty in Wendy’s hamburger. In the ad, titled “Fluffy Bun,” an elderly woman played by actress Clara Peller receives a burger with a large bun but a comically small patty from a fictional competitor which uses the slogan “Home of the Big Bun.” In 1984, Wendy’s was a relatively small player in the fast-food burger market, struggling to compete with bigger giants like McDonald’s and Burger King. These competitors dominated with their signature oversized burgers, the Big Mac and Whopper, focusing on size and spectacle. Wendy’s, however, offered a simpler single-patty burger with a focus on quality.
The commercial first aired on January 10, 1984, with Peller’s now-iconic delivery, and the campaign was an instant hit, boosting Wendy’s sales by 31% that year. Before Peller made her mark on the nation’s consciousness, only 37 percent of American consumers were familiar with Wendy’s advertising. After the debut of “Where’s the Beef?” the figure jumped to 60 percent. The phrase became associated with the 1984 United States presidential election. During primaries in the spring of 1984, when the commercial was at its height of popularity, Democratic candidate and former Vice President Walter Mondale used the phrase to sum up his arguments that policies championed by his rival, Senator Gary Hart, were insubstantial, during a televised debate at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta.
4. Budweiser “Wassup?” – The Catchphrase That Conquered 2000
From the heartfelt “Mean Joe Greene” Coca-Cola commercial to the whimsical Budweiser frogs croaking their famous catchphrase, these commercials have become cultural touchstones. The “Wassup?” campaign, which launched during Super Bowl coverage in 2000, took that philosophy to a new level entirely. Iconic commercials do more than just sell products – they become part of our culture. These ads stick with us because they use creativity, emotion, and great storytelling. The Budweiser “Wassup?” spots did exactly that, turning a casual greeting among friends into a global phenomenon almost overnight.
The Budweiser guys coining “Wassuuuup?!” in 2000 became everyone’s new favorite catchphrase. The campaign, created by the ad agency DDB Chicago and based on a short film by Charles Stone III, depicted groups of friends calling each other on the phone and yelling the greeting back and forth. It earned parodies from late-night television, films, and even international broadcasts. Great commercials aren’t just about selling a product – they’re about forging an emotional connection. Whether through laugh-out-loud humor, heart-tugging storytelling, or jaw-dropping visuals, a standout ad makes viewers feel something memorable. The Budweiser “Wassup?” campaign proved that humor rooted in real friendship could turn a beer ad into a cultural handshake.
5. Old Spice “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” – The Internet’s First Viral Ad Hero (2010)
Old Spice revitalized its image with a 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. This was a genuinely new playbook – the idea that a brand could hold real-time social media conversations at scale was almost unheard of in 2010.
The campaign earned over 7 million YouTube views and more than 78 million Facebook views with over 1.1 million shares within a week of its digital release, even though it hit primetime TV only 10 days later. The spot was created by Wieden+Kennedy, the same agency behind Nike’s “Just Do It” campaign, and it showed what a confident creative vision could achieve with a brand many consumers considered outdated. Even after multiple viewings, the most memorable commercials stick in our minds because they never fail to make us laugh. Advertisers know that humor is a terrific tool to engage with your audience and build a favorable perception of your business. Old Spice proved that point with remarkable precision.
6. Pepsi “We Will Rock You” Gladiator – Pop Culture Collides with the Coliseum (2004)
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.” It was the kind of ad that felt less like a commercial and more like a blockbuster trailer, which was very much the point. 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.
Big-name directors routinely trade Hollywood for the Super Bowl, with the likes of Martin Scorsese, David Fincher and Zack Snyder all contributing commercials in recent years. In fact, many halftime commercials are now mini movies in themselves, with A-list actors, storylines, and even teaser trailers released ahead of time. The Pepsi Gladiator ad was one of the earliest and most spectacular examples of that trend, packing more star power into 60 seconds than most feature films managed in 90 minutes. Longevity comes from tapping into universal themes – hope, nostalgia, empowerment – and packaging them in a way that resonates across generations. Iconic campaigns like Apple’s “1984” or Coca-Cola’s “Share a Coke” continue to feel fresh because they speak to timeless desires: freedom, self-expression, and togetherness. The Pepsi Gladiator spot belongs firmly in that company, a reminder that when ambition and budget align, advertising can genuinely become spectacle.
