The Most Iconic Super Bowl Commercials of All Time

Super Bowl LII is quickly approaching, and if you're even slightly tuned in to the sports world, then you've heard from enough Patriots fans (and haters) to last a lifetime. Perhaps the NFL should consider changing their official slogan to "New England versus everybody"—does that have a ring to it? Whether you're looking forward to another Tom Brady Super Bowl or totally dreading it, there's still at least one element of surprise to get excited about: the commercials. While football is ostensibly the main focus of the big game, we all have at least a few friends who will only be paying attention to the commercials. Super Bowl ads have become a huge deal, and a huge industry. A 30-second spot for an ad costs a whopping $5 million, and according to multiple studies, 50% of Super Bowl viewers tune in for the commercials alone.

This is the big show for advertisers, the one time a year where they can convince us to stick around during commercial breaks, instead of getting up to go pee or get a second helping of wings. While we've certainly seen our fair share of flops (anyone remember that uncomfortable Nationwide spot from 2015?), for the most part, the Super Bowl has been bringing the perfection concoction of emotion and entertainment for decades. From Cindy Crawford's 1992 sultry Pepsi campaign (take notes, Kendall), to Apple's "1984" Mac ad (which contributed to over $150 million in sales within the first 100 days), to the Budweiser commercial that left us bawling (who knew beer could be so emotional?), these ads have brought us together as a country, through laughter and tears. After all, nothing says "America" quite like the Bowl's annual marriage of sports and consumerism. Here's a look back at some of the most iconic and memorable ads that have aired during the Super Bowl.