30 Best Commercial Ads of All Time (2024)

When we think of commercial ads, our minds often go to those short videos that “interrupt” whatever we’re watching to try to sell us a product. It’s no secret that the marketplace seems to be flooded with advertising lately, so companies are in a constant struggle to create memorable animated ads.

But let’s face it — most of them get ignored and are quickly forgotten. Once in a while, there comes a commercial that’s just so good it transcends its industry and becomes part of pop culture. Can you think of any? No? Let me refresh your memory with this list of 30 of the best commercial ads of all time, classified by the techniques used.

Lay back, relax, and enjoy watching! 

Best 2D Animation Commercial Ads

2D animation is a technique where characters, objects, and backgrounds are illustrated in a two-dimensional, flat space, using height and width without depth, and then are animated to create movement, often frame-by-frame. It’s one of the best ways of making a memorable ad because the style is flexible, timeless, and appealing to a wide audience. With that being said, let’s watch some good commercials!

1. Amazon Coins by Yum Yum Videos

Approximate Cost: From $8,000 to $15,000.

I know what you’re thinking now, “What a way to toot our own horn…” But trust me, I wouldn’t have included this piece we made for Amazon had I not truly believed it deserved a place among these popular commercials.

Effective commercials use video storytelling alongside varied animation styles to bring energy and dynamism to a brand’s message, making even detailed service explanations more captivating. Wouldn’t you agree that this piece achieves that? Additionally, the vibrant animations and seamless transitions capture the viewer’s attention, ensuring the company’s message comes across clearly.

And remember that if you need a commercial ad or an explainer video, you can request a free consultation to discuss pricing and video styles with no strings attached!

2. Dumb Ways to Die

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Starting off with a bang, we have this 10-year-old piece with over 250 million views on YouTube! This animated ad’s brilliance lies in the stark contrast between the catchy music, the cute, colorful characters,  and the horrific deaths they experience. 

This YouTube ad is definitely not something you’d expect from a public service announcement about train safety [1]! Don’t worry if you don’t know how to make an animation because being daring and thinking outside the box is exactly what made this popular ad so memorable and enjoyable. The “boring safety message” you’re used to seeing was replaced with humor and fun to grab people’s attention. The result? More than 127 million people vowed to be safer around trains after watching it.

3. Toys R Us: Christmas

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This particular commercial ad was first shared with the audience in 1989, and it was so well received that the company decided to remaster it for its 25th anniversary in the UK. I believe that this is another good commercial that owes much of its success to the catchy soundtrack. In fact, scientists suggest that music can ignite our brains like fireworks, particularly in areas linked to emotions and memories. This might explain why catchy jingles from commercials tend to stay with us for years.

4. Red Bull Barber Shop

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The animated style of Red Bull’s commercials is unmistakable. It almost looks like a doodle video, but if one of these popular advertisements pops up on our screens, we immediately recognize it as theirs, and this is exactly what makes it one of the best ads of all time.

Other than its uniqueness, this piece’s clever humor and final plot-twist make for a memorable and lasting experience that leaves you chuckling.

5. You’re just a sip away – Best Ads

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Here’s a popular advertisement that’s more recent and thus, stands out on this list. Released in 2017, this 30-second spot whisks us away on a summer vacation, savoring an iced coffee with refreshing ease.

The captivating cartoon style ad, along with cheerful music and spot-on sound effects, eliminates the need for a professional voiceover to make an impact. After all, doesn’t the sound of ice clinking make you want to be lounging under the sun with a cool drink in hand? 🤩.

6. Cadbury Aliens

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With 123 million views, this TV commercial ad proves that even your wildest ideas can become something popular among your audience. The playful piece showcases the product’s texture and flavor, letting the viewer see it’s just so good that it makes aliens dance. The overall result is a captivating piece with just enough weirdness to linger in our minds long after watching, which is what makes it one of the best commercials out there.

Live-Action with Animation

If you want to best of both worlds, you can combine live-action and animation to produce fantastic results. A live-action and animation blend is a technique that combines real-life footage with animated elements, creating a seamless interaction between the two. In this approach, live actors or real-world environments coexist with animated characters, objects, or effects to tell stories that wouldn’t be possible with only live-action or animation. 

Now, why don’t we check how different companies have been nailing this technique?

7. Recognize by Yum Yum Videos

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This is a prime example of how animated elements can elevate a live-action piece, adding energy and making it simpler to explain complex or technical topics in a way that’s accessible to everyone.

Instead of watching a person talk at length about a product or service, viewers are more inclined to engage with a demonstration that uses animated visuals to illustrate key points. Animated graphics can break down complicated concepts into simple, digestible visuals, while a compelling voiceover provides guidance. This combination keeps the audience’s attention, creating a more engaging and memorable experience that effectively conveys the message.

8. They Do Exist! – TV Commercial

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I’m sure you’ve seen this ad before. After all, it’s an iconic piece that’s been aired annually for more than 25 years! Crazy, right? Not many commercials have that kind of staying power, and that’s exactly why this is one of the best commercial ads of all time. 

What’s even more impressive is that this piece is only 15 seconds long, shorter than your average explainer video! You might think there’s not much time to say anything; however, the M&M’s red and yellow mascots accidentally stumbling on Santa, and all of them being shocked to see that the other exists is more than enough to delight all kinds of audiences.

9 Hare Jordan

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While this might look like a Space Jam ad, it’s actually even older than the movie! (How it hurts to say that!) 

When it was released, it was something fun and different that both parents and children would find appealing. The parents would be hooked with the famous Michael Jordan, and the kids would love seeing the Looney Tunes interacting with real-life props and scenarios.

Live-Action: Best Commercials

Featuring real people in your commercials can make them more relatable and help your audience connect with your message. Let’s see some great examples of that in action:

10. She’s Always a Woman

The “Always a Woman” video is one of John Lewis’ best commercials. It centers on a woman’s life journey, capturing significant milestones from childhood to adulthood. A heartfelt cover of Billy Joel’s “She’s Always a Woman,” sung by Fyfe Dangerfield, accompanies the story, amplifying its emotional impact. Through its sweeping narrative, the ad embodies the spirit of the John Lewis brand, emphasizing themes like love, family, and the passage of time. This emotional commercial stands out in this ranking because its authenticity makes it look like it isn’t a commercial at all.

11. Google Home Alone – Popular ad

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Who doesn’t love a trip down memory lane? I know I do, and so do most people. Google leveraged ’90s nostalgia to make a good commercial that people would enjoy.

Not only does it feature actor Macaulay Culkin reprising his role from the film Home Alone, but it also shows us just how wonderful the movie could’ve been if Kevin [2] could’ve used Google Assistant to deploy his traps and defense strategies!

12. Nightmare

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Transforming a commercial into a horror movie trailer is something most marketers probably never even considered, but one look at this video and you’ll realize just how creative and memorable that idea can be!

This is one of the best commercial ads I’ve ever seen because it’s not something you’d expect from a company trying to sell you something with a marketing video. By leveraging many of the typical elements of horror movies, such as suspense music and an eerie voiceover, they keep you watching until the very end just to find out what it’s all about.

13. The Force – Best Commercial of All Time

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Here, we have an adorable ad with a touch of humor and a Star Wars reference that just makes it perfect. But that’s not what made it one of the best commercials. This piece was a VW’s Super Bowl spot that had to fight tooth and nail for attention with other large automakers with bigger budgets.

So, they decided to take a risk and release their ad online first, hoping it’d go viral. And do you know what happened? The ad got 17 million views before the Super Bowl even started! Talk about the greatest commercial ever, huh?

14. Red Lamp

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Here, we have a 2×1 offer. In the first half of the video, you’ll see the original commercial ad that IKEA released in 2002 and then the follow-up ad of 2018. When a company sees itself needing to refer back to an older ad, it’s either because it did something wrong, or something completely right —this is an example of the latter.

The 2002 piece made such an impact on the audience back then that the company felt they needed to give the lamp a happy ending. And guess what? People loved that commercial too! In my opinion, the humorous twist at the end of both ads is pure genius.

3D Commercial Ads

Not many commercial ads feature 3D animation, but that’s mostly because this style can be a bit expensive and take longer to produce. However, there’s no denying that the results are more than worth it. Just see it for yourself:

15. Happiness Factory

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The Coca-Cola Company has produced some of the most memorable and easily-recognizable TV commercials in the history of advertising, and this journey through the inside of a Coca-Cola vending machine is no exception.

The choice of the 3D style for this promotional video is spot on because it adds a magical effect that’s just so pleasing and entertaining to watch!

16. Rock, Paper, Scissors

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The best commercial ads are those that showcase thinking outside the box, and this piece is no exception. Android opted out of making a smartphone-related ad and decided to go for animated characters that unite against bullying.

This is an excellent example of a commercial that doesn’t seek to try and sell a product but rather make a connection with the audience and share the company’s values.

17. The Last Game

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I wouldn’t be surprised if you think that this stunning 3D animated commercial looks more like a short film. A crew of more than 300 professionals worked hard for over three months to produce one of the best commercial ads of all time.

This piece has it all: beautiful animations, famous characters, and action-packed storytelling that makes us completely forget about the ad’s length. 

Best Ads: Funniest

Without a doubt, the best commercial ads of all time are those that tickle our funny bones. If something makes us laugh, it’s going to stay in our minds, and we’re going to share it with our friends and family. Here are some good commercials that are just like that.

18. Evil Is Back for Good

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Everyone’s favorite movie villain came back with this TV commercial ad. The ingenuity of this piece lies in how the narrative spotlights the company’s line of electric cars and eco-conscious focus without being overtly promotional. The best part is that it’s just delightful and truly entertaining to watch for all kinds of audiences.

19. You’re Not Yourself When You’re Hungry

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Anything that features the great Mr. Bean is bound to be hilarious, so his presence and his facial expression are more than enough to turn any video into something funny. Here, he plays the role of a Kung Fu master who can’t remember his training until he’s had a Snickers. Having such an iconic and internationally recognizable character gave the ad great global potential.

20. Wassup – TV Commercial

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The premise of this iconic commercial ad is quite simple: there’s just a group of friends watching a match over chilled beers while yelling “Whassup?” back and forth. However, it became so popular that Budweiser’s sales grew exponentially the year after the ad was first broadcasted on TV. So, what was the secret to such success? Universal appeal and excellent targeting.

21. Alexa Loses Her Voice

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This is probably my favorite ad of them all. Alexa loses her voice, and is replaced by a star-studded cast made of Gordon Ramsay, Rebel Wilson, Cardi B, and Sir Anthony Hopkins. However, they all fail in the most spectacular and hilarious ways!

In this popular commercial ad, the product’s functionality becomes secondary, but you still find yourself watching until the end with a smile. After all, we all love a classic Gordon Ramsay roast.

22. Get Shaved in the Face

Since its release in 2014, Terry Crews has been the face of Old Spice, starring in countless humorous video ads like the one above for nearly a decade. This particular ad stands out for its comedic and unexpected contrast, showcasing Crews with his high-energy, loud, and animated style. Crews’s dynamic personality and talent for comedy infused Old Spice’s campaigns with a new level of excitement and humor, replacing the brand’s previous, more traditional tone.

23. Our Blades are F***ing Great

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Here, we have one of the best commercials that put virtually unknown start-up on the map and made them the talk of the online world. The unpredictable dialogue and the strange props got Dollar Shave Club about 30 million views and 4 million subscribers. Those alone are great results for social media, but to make it even better, the piece even garnered a $1 billion acquisition later on! It’s nothing short of impressive how just one good commercial ad was able to achieve such amazing results.

24. German Coastguard

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The punchline makes this short video one of the best commercials of all time in terms of humor. The language learning company conveys its message in a unique and hilarious way that highlights the importance of improving one’s English. This is exactly the kind of commercial ad that people would want to share with their friends!

Popular Ads: Weirdest

Sometimes, in an attempt to be funny, things end up looking a bit weird. But hey, there’s nothing wrong with that if it successfully gets the point across. Let’s end this list with some of the weirdest commercials out there.

25. Puppy Monkey Baby

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When I first watched this video promo, I was left utterly speechless. You can probably imagine my reaction when I discovered it’s considered one of the best commercials of all time (you might be making a similar face right now).

After some digging, I realized the company aimed to make a unique impression. They came up with the unusual (and somewhat creepy) concept of combining a puppy, a monkey, and a baby—characters that were frequently featured in commercials at that time. Regardless of how people feel about this popular ad, it undeniably achieves its purpose of sparking conversation among viewers!

26. Treadmill

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With a character sweating Skittles and another one collecting and eating them, this has to be Skittles’ weirdest venture. But it doesn’t matter what we think about it because it certainly meets the goal of catching attention and getting people to talk about Skittles.

27. Drumming Gorilla

Regarded as one of the best commercials of all time, this commercial was voted the nation’s favorite by the British public, and it’s just a man dressed in a gorilla suit performing “In the Air Tonight” by Phil Collins! What’s more, this piece has no direct connection to chocolate. At all! Nevertheless, it won over audiences and increased Cadbury’s sales by 9%, helping the brand bounce back after a salmonella scare.

Since its remarkable success, other brands have often sought to emulate this unconventional strategy. The phrase “Give me a gorilla” has even become a popular saying in marketing circles, highlighting the lasting influence of this legendary advertisement.

28. Girls Don’t Poop

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From the moment you read the product’s name, Poo Pourri, you know you’re going to come across something weird. This company owned up to its weirdness and used it to make this viral product advertisement.

The popularity of the bizarre contrast between the elegant and well-spoken lady and the topic she’s discussing made such an impact that the brand has created a series of videos following the same style. Talk about the best commercials of all time, huh?

29. Unskippable Elevator

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There’s not much to say about this ad because it just showcases two guys staring at each other in an elevator. While weird, their video marketing strategy is remarkable in how it presents all the important information upfront, before viewers can skip the video. The rest of the piece has nothing to do with the company, but it’s so strange and unexpected that it keeps us watching.

30. This Is a Special Time

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To finish off this list, we have a commercial ad that borders the line between weird and disturbing. The premise of the ad is simple: we have an ice cream… creature that’s eating its own head with a spoon. I’m sorry to have shared this haunting piece with you, but I felt it deserved a spot among the best commercials exactly for how weird it is.

Top Recommendations to Make a Commercial Ad for Your Business

If you want to create a piece for your business that makes it to the list of popular commercials, then you must follow these tips:

• Hook Your Audience in the First 5 Seconds: Tell your viewers something unexpected or show them a visually striking scene. A bold question, a stunning visual, or a surprising statement can all work. For example, you could say something like “Did you know you’re wasting $500 a year on this common mistake?”
• Create a Unique Brand Character: Having a memorable spokesperson or brand mascot can help people associate it with your product and recall your brand more easily. For instance, think of Geico’s Gecko or Kellog’s Tony The Tiger.
• Create a Visual Metaphor for Your Product: Explain your product in a way that’s easy to understand and fun to watch with a metaphor. For example, if you’re advertising a cleaning product, you can have a “battle” between dirt monsters and your product hero.
• Use Humor in Unexpected Ways: If your brand identity allows it, you can use unexpected humor to leave a lasting impression. For instance, a boring office worker becomes an action hero after drinking an energy drink.
• Break the Fourth Wall: You can have your character directly address the audience, making them feel involved or part of the conversation. For example, something like “Hey, you there! Yes, you! Stop scrolling and check this out — trust me, you won’t regret it.”

If You’re Looking for Animated Commercial Ads, Yum Yum Videos Has You Covered!

If you want your own effective commercial advertisement, we’d be happy to give you a hand! Yum Yum Videos, our explainer video company, has over a decade of experience in video production for a wide variety of startups and renowned brands, such as Amazon, Walmart, Red Bull, McKesson, and more!

Passion and dedication are our drive to create compelling and effective videos that help our clients achieve their marketing goals while leaving a mark on their audience.

When it comes to our work philosophy, we have three main pillars upon which we base our process:

• Our client’s needs are our priority. We’re fully dedicated to producing the most effective and original video for your marketing needs.
• No two companies are the same. Our goal is to highlight your uniqueness and bring your brand’s voice and personality to life through keen attention to detail and gorgeous pieces.
• You’re the one who best understands your company. We take your feedback seriously and we make sure to clear any doubts you might have during animation process. We work towards the final piece together, and your valuable input is a key part of it.

No matter your industry or the complexity of your message, I assure you we can find a way to tackle it effectively with wonderful video content that your audience will love. Just take a look at what our previous clients have to say about partnering with us!

So, let us bring your message to life and help you leverage the many benefits of animated videos! 😊. Drop us a message and share your ideas with us.

Frequently Asked Questions about Commercial Advertisements

Before you go, I’d like to share with you some common doubts, useful information, and interesting facts about these videos:

1. What is considered a commercial ad?

A commercial advertisement is a promotional message delivered through film or video, aimed at capturing consumers’ attention or shaping their opinions about a specific product, service, event, or cause.

2. What was the best Super Bowl commercial?

In our opinion, the best Super Bowl commercial so far has been The Force, produced by Deutsch Inc. in 2011. [4]

In this memorable ad, a young boy dressed as Darth Vader attempts to use the Force to move various objects around his house, only to find that he has little success. His efforts are humorously undercut until his father, inside a Volkswagen Passat, uses the car’s remote start feature to make it appear as if the boy has finally succeeded in using the Force.

The ad was widely praised as one of the greatest commercials ever for its clever concept, charming execution, and nostalgic nod to Star Wars, appealing to both children and adults. It effectively showcased the Volkswagen Passat while capturing viewers’ hearts and evoking laughter. “The Force” won several awards and even went viral, further solidifying its place in Super Bowl advertising history.

3. How much does it cost to make a commercial ad?

The cost of producing a commercial ad can vary widely depending on several factors, including the production quality, talent involved, location, and the medium on which it will be aired.

But for you to get a rough idea, an animated commercial ad like the one we made for Amazon Coins would cost between $8,000 and $20,000. However, a Super Bowl commercial with famous actors would be between $1 and $10 millions. (Yuup, they’re that pricy!)

Also read: Animation Cost Per Minute

4. What is the most famous commercial of all time?

One of the most famous commercials of all time is Apple’s “1984” ad, which debuted during Super Bowl XVIII in 1984. This piece introduced the first Macintosh computer and was inspired by George Orwell’s dystopian novel 1984.

The ad is often credited with not only making the Macintosh launch iconic but also setting the standard for Super Bowl ads and changing the way companies approach high-profile advertising events. It remains a touchstone in advertising history and is frequently cited in discussions of the most influential commercials ever made.

5. What is an example of a commercial advertisement?

Every single piece we’ve shared in this post is a great commercial ad example! We’ve mainly focused on showing the best internet and TV commercials, but other examples also include radio advertisements, PSAs, newsbreaks, podcasts, infomercials, and more.

6. What is the oldest commercial ad?

The oldest generally recognized ad is a piece by Bulova Watches, which aired on July 1, 1941 [5]. This was the first official TV commercial in the United States, broadcasted on the NBC station WNBT (now WNBC) in New York before a baseball game [3].

Wrapping Up

Effective commercial ads are not only designed to capture viewers’ attention long enough to get the message across and encourage prospects to act. However, they also have to be compelling, memorable, likable, and even shareable to be successful. But how can someone achieve that? 

Sounds pretty impossible, but there are several pieces that have stood the test of time by being funny, emotional, and even weird. Hopefully, the 30 best commercial ads of all time can help spark some inspiration and encourage you to think outside the box. Who knows, maybe we’ll be seeing your commercial on one of these lists in the future!

If you’re not sure how to go about this, you can always partner up with a commercial video production company to come up with more ideas or bring yours to life.

References:

• [1] https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3009646/
• [2] https://www.britannica.com/topic/Home-Alone
• [3] https://fortune.com/2016/07/01/bulova-tv-commercial/
• [4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Force_(advertisement)
• [5] https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/first-tv-advert