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Super Bowl viewers who are not in the venue watch two things: the game itself to determine the best team that season and the advertisements that foster conversations and trends that make them part of American culture.
While companies looking to advance their brand gain a massive audience during the big game, a 30-second ad spot doesn’t come cheap. CBS, the broadcaster for this year’s Super Bowl, sells the spots for $7 million. That’s a $500,000 jump from 2022 and exponentially more significant than the $42,500 paid by advertisers during the first edition in 1967.
However, the trade-off for that hefty amount is widespread recognition. Brands can become ubiquitous in every American’s life, making them the preferred purchase when someone looks for a product within their industry.
After seeing its benefits, some companies have constantly purchased these highly coveted spots. While an ad spot during the Super Bowl alone isn’t enough to make them one of the biggest brands in the world, these five companies are at the top of the list regarding brand recall.
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#5 Coca-Cola – 51 Super Bowl commercials
According to an article by Peter Morrell on WizardPins, Coca-Cola aired 51 advertisements in 29 Super Bowls. Their total spending is estimated at $202 million based on inflation-adjusted rates as of 2021.
Some of their more popular commercials during the NFL season’s last game are Hulk vs. Ant-Man, Happiness Factory, the 1979 commercial featuring “Mean” Joe Greene and their 2014 America is Beautiful campaign.
They’ve also featured Troy Polamalu, The Simpsons, Charlie Brown, polar bears, and a collection of bugs.
#4 Ford – 52 commercials
It’s the only car company in the list of most Super Bowl commercials. As of 2021, it advertised in 23 Super Bowls and spent $109.8 million. However, Ford last advertised during the big game in 2021 with its pandemic-themed “Finishing Strong” campaign for the Ford Fund.
One of their memorable ads is the “Go Further” campaign, where they announced their initiative for electric vehicles, ride-sharing and self-driving cars. There’s also the “It’s Not Easy Being Green” featuring Sesame Street’s Kermit the Frog and the return of the One Ford GT in 2004.
#3 McDonald’s – 56 commercials
The fast-food chain has advertised in 28 Super Bowls, spending an estimated $122.4 million in advertising money as of January 2022. During Super Bowl 56, the “Can I Get Uhhhhh” campaign featured Grimace, Bubba Wallace and Kanye West.
Last year, they developed the “Knowing their Order” campaign, in which couples reveal their partner’s go-to McDonald’s food. Cardi B and Offset are the top draws in this commercial.
Likewise, the iconic showdown commercial between Larry Bird and Michael Jordan first aired in 1993.
#2 Pepsi – 97 commercials
Pepsi has advertised in 35 Super Bowls, spending $341.4 million as of 2021. This value does not include ad spots for their sponsorship of the Super Bowl halftime show. They last advertised in 2019 with the “More Than OK” campaign starring Cardi B, Lil Jon and Steve Carrell.
Their ads for the big game have never lacked star power. In the 1980s, they came up with the Pepsi Generation idea with Michael Jackson, which they rehashed in 2001 with Britney Spears. They’ve also featured the Spice Girls, Shakira, Mariah Carey, One Direction, Michael J. Fox and Cindy Crawford.
In 2018, they developed the “Celebrating Every Generation” campaign featuring Crawford, Ray Charles, NASCAR racer Jeff Gordon and Kyrie Irving as Uncle Drew.
#1 Budweiser – 145 commercials
The “King of Beers” is also the king of Super Bowl commercials. They’ve advertised in 58 Super Bowls, spending an estimated $549.9 million.
In 2024, they came up with the “Clydesdales Are Back” advertisement to deliver beer to a town that was closed off due to snowy roads. It will be the 46th appearance of the iconic horses in the ads for the big game.
Apart from these horses, Budweiser has had some memorable advertisements, like The Budweiser Frogs, The Lost Dog, King Crab, Soldier’s Tribute, A Hero’s Welcome, Brotherhood and Wasssuup. They also had a 9/11 tribute for the 2021 Super Bowl commercial.
