The Greatest Super Bowl Ads of the Last Three Decades

Each year in February, America celebrates two of its biggest pastimes: football and consumerism. Half of the Super Bowl crowd is just there for the ad breaks, and selling to the masses on the national stage has become an artistic competition in itself.??

Ads at this level are cinematic experiences, and they call for cinema-grade music. Universal Production Music’s library’s range is an asset to commercial creators, and our licensing offerings are fair and flexible.???

These playlists and albums for Super Bowl advertising have been compiled with the cultural hits of the last three decades in mind. Here’s a rundown of ads that made their mark on recent history:?

1990s: The Showdown ?

He might not play football, but quintessential athlete-pitchman Michael Jordan stole the spotlight during multiple Super Bowls in the 90s. One of the basketball great’s most timeless gigs was for McDonalds in 1993, featuring an increasingly absurd game of H-O-R-S-E with Larry Bird. The prize? A Big Mac, of course.??

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As the contest heats up, low-key jazz gives way to a drum-heavy sports score infused with funk and hip-hop. It’s like the essence of the Jordan phenomenon distilled into sound, and perfectly matches the silly, over-the-top action of the ad.??

2000s: Talking Babies ?

Everything about this 2008 E*Trade spot is of its era. No slick production here. The lo-fi webcam quality and crude CGI on the young spokesman’s mouth are enough for the genius premise: trading stocks online is so easy a baby can do it.??

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After the stock-trading baby’s faux YouTube video, the ad ends with a surge of youthful rock, similar to the timely sound of The Strokes and Kings of Leon.??

Amid the tumult of the developing economic recession, the ad both poked fun at investment bro confidence while also appealing to a generation that came of age with the internet and was more likely to trust digital financial services. Traditional structures were failing; disruptive online ventures were in.??

2010s: It’s a Tide Ad ?

Tide managed to make every ad break during the 2018 Super Bowl about laundry detergent. Half of the fun of watching ads with a crowd is trying to guess what their quirky narratives are advertising, so in a genius move, Tide used several ad spots to play with everyone’s expectations.??

The formula was simple: parody a spot from typical advertisers – cars, beer, insurance, etc. – and then reveal it’s been a “secret” Tide commercial all along. Stranger Things star David Harbour strolls into frame, points out everyone’s clothes are clean, and reveals the joke that “it's a Tide ad” with deadpan delivery.??

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After seeing the gag once or twice, viewers are ready for any ad they’re watching to suddenly become a Tide ad.????

For this scheme to work, the genre recreations needed to be accurate, and sound was key. Universal Production Music’s diverse library has music to hit any emotional note. If you’re looking to make a memorable TV moment, here’s our advice on how to choose the best Super Bowl ad music .??

For further inspiration, check out past projects we’ve supported with our tracks , and get to brainstorming!??

Your project could be the next signature ad at the big game, so register to find your next sound today.