This Sunday (February 3) the world will be settling down for the Super Bowl LIII to watch the game between the Los Angeles Rams and the New England Patriots. Or some of us will be. Others will be switching over just for the halftime show with Maroon 5 or to watch Gladys Knight sing the national anthem, and a great many will be tuning in for the all-important commercial breaks.
The ads are one of the most entertaining things about the Super Bowl. Here are seven of the most memorable commercials of all time:
Macintosh 1984
Apple unveiled the commercial for their first personal computer in 1984, and used the iconic year to their advantage. Directed by Ridley Scott, the ad is inspired by the 1949 dystopian novel by George Orwell, Nineteen Eighty-Four, which also saw a feature film in the year of 1984. The ad ended with the message: "On January 24, Apple Computer will introduce the Macintosh. And you'll see why 1984 won't be like 1984."
E-Trade 2008
The E-Trade baby became a firm fix for the brand since he first appeared in the 2008 Super Bowl ad. It saw a baby, voiced by Pete Holmes, on webcam talking about financial investments, before puking down his chin. The baby appeared in two more ads, but the company announced the end of that particular campaign in 2014.
Doritos 2009
The Doritos ad is a staple commercial for every Super Bowl and it's difficult to pick a favourite. However, one of the most memorable was the 2009 'Free Doritos' ad created by Indiana duo Joe and Dave Herbert as part of the brand's Crash the Super Bowl ad competition. It featured an office worker who uses a crystal ball to determine whether or not there will be free Doritos that day - by smashing it into the vending machine.
Snickers 2010
The 'You're Not You When You're Hungry' campaign has been going strong since 2010, with so many celebrities having appeared on it including Robin Williams, Steve Buscemi and Willem Dafoe among others. The first featured Betty White and Abe Vigoda playing American football and they've never quite managed to beat it.
Volkswagen 2012
Sometimes it's important to feed the imagination of small children, and that's exactly the point of 2012's Star Wars inspired Volkswagen commercial. We see a young boy dressed as Darth Vader attempting to use the Force on everyday domestic objects. He has a final go with his father's car, who decides to indulge him by secretly activating the car with his key.
Budweiser 2014
Bud ads are another recurring part of the whole Super Bowl experience. Traditionally, they feature a group of horses known as the Budweiser Clydesdales, and while often funny, the best commercial we've ever seen from them actually got us all choked up. Entitled Puppy Love, it's all about the relationship between one Clydesdale and an adorable puppy.
Alexa 2018
Have you ever wondered what would happen if Alexa lost her voice? Nor have we. But Amazon unveiled a hilarious Super Bowl ad last year featuring one such impossible scenario where her replacements ended up being Gordon Ramsay, Rebel Wilson, Cardi B and Sir Anthony Hopkins. Now that's an Alexa experience we want.
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