The World’s 10 Best TV Commercials and Social Media Clips

Written by Jasmin Mühlhölzer and Niklas Dorn. Originally published on Filestage The Advertising Bible.

Advertisers do their best to entertain us. But, to do that in 30 to 180 seconds is not that easy. It can make or break a brand, and change a company’s perception forever. We see – consciously or unconsciously hundreds of ads every day. But only a few really grab us – in a good way, or a bad way.

We set out to find the best television and social media advertisements from the past few years. We collected information based on the most likes, views and shares on YouTube. In addition, we looked at leading articles and rankings established by famous media and marketing magazines. We also searched Cannes Lions and CLIO advertising award winners for the best Super Bowl ads.

CATEGORIES

> The Best Food & Beverage Commercials

> The Best Automotive Commercials

> The Best Video Game Commercials

> The Best Sports Commercials

> Other Types of Commercials

The Best Food and Beverage Commercials

For food and beverage commercials it is advantageous, if they can make the product look mouth-watering. It almost turns the product into a self-seller. McDonald’s and Coca-Cola have perfected the art of ‘staging’ their products.

We can all relate to their steamy ads, in which it is always hot and their hot characters are always thirsty. Don’t we all, all of a sudden, fancy that ice-cold can of Coke that we saw in the commercial?

DORITOS (2014): “FINGER CLEANER”

The gist

Three guys are sitting in the garage of a car repair business, eating Dorito chips. After they’re done eating, they stick their fingers down a hole to clean them. As the commercial continues, one guy discovers that it’s not a machine licking the Doritos dust off his fingers, but a man.

• Views: 4.600.000
• Likes: 12.400
• Shares: 12.600
• Awards: Gold Award at International Ciclope Festival in 2014

Conclusion

Doritos created this advert for the brand’s slot during the Superbowl. As if that wasn’t enough, the winner would also receive a million dollars and get the chance to be part of the next Iron Man film.

The “Finger Cleaner” commercial was one of the five finalists in Doritos’ eighth annual Crash the Superbowl contest. The commercial hasn’t won the contest. But, as opposed to the winners, it became an online favorite and gained media attention from all over the world.

BUDWEISER (1999-2008): “WHASSUP TRUE”

The gist

A group of dudes calling each and saying “Whassup” to one another in a comical way.

•  Views: 4.856.000
• Likes: 18.000
• Shares: n.a.
• Awards: Cannes Grand Prix and Grand CLIO award in 2000

Conclusion

To be honest, it’s totally played out by now — but back in 1999 to 2006 Budweiser’s “Whassup” ad campaign set a new trend. The commercial ran worldwide and became a pop-culture catchphrase. People in the real world started greeting each other by saying “Whassup?”, or “Wazzup?”. The idea caught on. Series of follow-up ads were published and changed the way ‘bros’ greeted each other for years to come.

In May 2006, the campaign was inducted into the CLIO Hall of Fame. In 2008, they launched another version of the ad with the same cast. The 2 minute film had a political background. Firstly, it was geared towards addressing the presidency of George W. Bush, but also worked as a clear endorsement of Barack Obama’s presidential campaign.

It won almost every major award in the industry. This video was also nominated for the Favorite User Generated Video Award. But make up your own mind and compare the “Whassup” ad from 2000 with the 2008 version.

 “This is by far the most iconic, pop-culture spiking and memedad of the 21st century. It is funny as shit, loved by all, and has that effortless, don’t-take-itself-too-seriously confidence that most brands wish they could achieve.”

Robert Wong, Chief Creative Officer of Google Creative Lab and an Ad Age judge

CHIPOTLE (2013): “THE SCARECROW”

The gist

A scarecrow approaches a smoke-spewing factory with the name Crow Foods Incorporated. Fiona Apple’s cover of “Pure Imagination” plays in the background, while the scarecrow goes about his workday. He watches how a machine produces fake meat that’s later classified “100% Beef-ish”. Robots inject a green fluid into chicken that makes them expand like a balloon. The scarecrow also sees a cow with scared eyes inside a tight metal box.

At the end of the day the scarecrow returns back to his little farm. There is no life or plants around his home. After seeing a red pepper, the lighting brightens and the music becomes happier. The scarecrow harvests vegetables and opens a burrito stand in the city with a banner saying “Cultivate a Better World”.

•  Views: 15.620.000
• Likes: 96.500
• Shares: 56.000
• Awards: CCA Scores Grand Prix and 2 Golden PR Lions at Cannes in 2013

Conclusion

After the first successful ad “Back to the Start”, which was actually never intended to be an ad, Chipotle succeeded a second time with a strong message against factory farming. They launched the scarecrow commercial, accompanied by an interactive game. This ad is even more successful than the first one.

But not everyone was impressed, Funny or Die considers the video as purely sanctimonious, with no substance. They remind the viewer that Chipotle is a giant corporation, which is not interested in sustainability or animal welfare. They just want to make us buy burritos. So does Chipotle showcase commitment to sustainability, or is it just a strategy to make money?

“We’ve never professed to being perfect. The commitment we’ve made is to constant improvement. The Scarecrow is set in a world where the plant is run by robotic crows, so it’s clearly a fictitious portrayal. The film is meant to highlight issues like the overuse of antibiotics, harsh confinement of animals, the extent to which food is processed.”

– Chris Arnold, Chipotle’s Communications Director

COCA-COLA (1979): “MEAN JOE GREENE”

The gist

...

The Best Automotive Commercials

...

This article was originally published on Filestage. Here's the full article: