Making a TV advert is an expensive and time consuming process. TV ads might be short, but it can take several hours worth of filming to get all of the footage you need for a high quality advertisement. Buying time on a TV network, during a time when people are actually watching TV, can be pretty expensive too. This means that advertisers put a lot of effort into pre testing advertising and making sure that their ads are going to be a success.
Check out the following fantastic adverts:
Apple – 1984
This is perhaps the most well-known TV commercial of all time. It’s the commercial that launched the Apple Macintosh computer to the world. Since then, Apple have continued their tradition of producing high quality, innovative advertisements that prove that tech isn’t just for geeks.
Budweiser
The Budweiser frogs are most definitely iconic. When the frogs launched in 1995, they even won awards at Cannes Film Festival. Seventeen years on, if you say “Bud” to some people, you’re likely to hear “Weis…. Er!” in response.
Snickers – Peanut Butter Squared
Snickers had a great idea with their ad for Peanut Butter Squared Snickers. Making a joke out of pre testing advertising and focus groups, they showed a focus group of sharks reviewing the taste of humans they’d just eaten. The tastiest, of course, was the one that had just munched on Peanut Butter Squared Snickers.
Cravendale
Almost everyone loves cats, and what do cats love? Milk. Cravendale struck fear into the hearts of consumers worldwide by answering a long-running question. Why do cats stare when you’re pouring milk? According to Cravendale, they’re staring because they know it’s only a matter of time before they get opposable thumbs, and when they do, they’ll have all the power. Cravendale may be right, but even though they make long life milk, I doubt it’ll last long enough for evolution to kick in!
Talk Talk
Talk Talk’s homes within homes video was spectacular to watch. It showed dolls houses, snow globe homes, and to train homes, all within one home. The Eskimos in the snow-globe used Talk Talk to communicate with the doll in the doll’s house, the cuckoo in the clock, and the station master manning the train set. The worlds were vibrant, well made, and believable, and for once an ad maker chose a quiet, unoffensive song in “Unchained Melody”.
Of course, advertising is just one part of building a brand, and you need to make sure that the product you’re promoting is worth investing in, that your customer service is up to scratch, and that the product is easy to buy. Cravendale paired up their cat advertisement with a Twitter campaign, and Apple are renowned for their customer service, ensuring that their modern day innovative ads continue to get as good as response as their ads from the 80s.
When you’re planning your advertising campaign, remember that humour and transparency are just as important as special effects and celebrity endorsements, if not more so.
I'm a UK based copy writer with an interest in anything related to technology. I'm currently interested in marketing and advertising in the digital age particularly Pre-testing advertising.
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TracyAnn0312
July 18, 2012 at 6:31 am
Well you are right that they are one of the greatest tv ads ever and you can easily catch up the meaning of there commercial. Pepsi can also be one of them.
Nishadha
July 18, 2012 at 8:51 am
With the spread of video sharing innovative ads are gaining lot of attention. You could have spiced this post up by adding some videos of the above advertisements.
Crispin
July 18, 2012 at 9:04 am
Nishadha – try clicking the name of each video!
Lakshmi Balu
July 18, 2012 at 10:42 am
Yes, Coca Cola is lovable too when it comes to their TV advertisements. They are cultural and seasonal oriented. And they leave a message to their consumers while airing the ad. Any product must be highlighted in a way that is not causing a little bit of annoying in the minds of the viewers and not pushing the prospective consumers to watch the ad just for the heck of it! Thanks a lot!
Keith
July 18, 2012 at 11:38 am
I agree with you. Those Budweiser frogs were really cool. The concept is very simple that everyone can readily grasp what the ad is about.
Jordan Xiong
July 19, 2012 at 10:57 am
If an advertisement is able to intrigue a person then half their work is done. Most people develop an opinion about a product by watching the first 5 seconds of the advertisement. So they must really try to make it interesting. I really liked the Cravendale advertisement but personally I like Nike’s advertisement more than any other ads.
Crispin
July 19, 2012 at 11:17 am
@Jordan Xiong – Which Nike ad is that?
Prakash
July 19, 2012 at 5:02 pm
Nice list of greatest tv ads.
Thanks for sharing it…………..
John
July 30, 2012 at 12:13 pm
The budweiser ad was quite a famous one and pretty cool to be watched when it was first launched. It gained a good popularity in a short period of time. I think the credit goes to the extra-ordinary name it was given by its producers. Thanks for adding on to my knowledge by sharing the other ads too that were very famous.
Terry
August 8, 2012 at 11:04 am
It is a cool compilation of the greatest ads ever. These are really great advertisement. These advertisement changed the face of the industry with their innovative and creative execution. They made people realize how a good ad can make a brand famous or how it can propel a company form the darkness towards light. Seriously a good advertisement can really do wonders for a brands image.
Daniel Anderson
August 14, 2012 at 5:13 am
The writer has such a great taste. The 5 ads that were chosen were all truly very mesmorising that it has changed the standard of advertisement in the 1980’s onwards.
Jenny
September 1, 2012 at 4:07 am
I don’t think I have seen I have seen any of the advertisement that you have stated in your blog before. I saw all of them now only and I really want to know on what rounds have you selected them as the all time greatest advertisement. I agree some of them are interesting and funny but I didn’t really think they were that great. I have seen much better advertisements.
Jack
September 4, 2012 at 10:46 am
It is in an interesting mix. The advertisement you have selected are really awesome and interesting. I hadn’t seen some of them like the Cravendale advertisement but I really loved it. My personal favorite from the list you have posted is the Snickers – Peanut Butter Squared advertisement, that one was really very amusing and creative. Kudos for compiling such a fantastic list.
Jemmy
September 5, 2012 at 10:21 am
I really love the list of the greatest advertisement that you have come up with. I don think anyone else would have done a better job. They are really noteworthy advertisements that have changed the face of advertisement as well as of the product they were promoting. Sometimes a creative ad is all that you need to make your product known in the market.
Niren
December 14, 2012 at 9:21 pm
Hehe, thanks for sharing these. I remember most of these, even though they were on so long ago. I guess that means they really were very effective!