Top 10 most viral Super Bowl commercials of all time
You might not remember the final score of the game, but you'll always remember the most memorable Super Bowl ads.
For some, the commercials are the main draw of watching the game. This year, a 30-second spot is going for $3.5 million -- and many companies think it's worth the price.
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Visible Measures, an analytics and advertising platform for online video, has monitored what Super Bowl ads people are watching online and compiled a list of the top ten most viewed videos. While more recent spots seem to be more popular, there are definitely some surprises on the list.
Top 10 most viral Super Bowl commercials of all time
10. "1984" (Apple)
Approximate number of views: 12,919,675
This ad from 1984 might be decades older than the competition, but it's still a fan favorite. Heavily inspired by the George Orwell book of the same name, the strong imagery of the commercial has helped this ad become one of the most iconic Super Bowl commercials of all time and helped cement Apple as one of America's favorite tech brands.
Top 10 most viral Super Bowl commercials of all time
9. "Love Hurts" (Pepsi Max - Crash the Super Bowl 2011)
Approximate number of views: 14,491,242
This advertisement drew a lot of attention of its depiction of female violence against men. Some critics felt that it portrayed the negative stereotype of "angry black woman," while others thought it was being taken too seriously. Either way it prompted many people to check the ad out online, long after the Super Bowl was over.
Top 10 most viral Super Bowl commercials of all time
8. "Free Doritos" (Doritos - Crash the Super Bowl 2009)
Approximate number of views: 14,975,878
Like the commercial in the number nine spot, this ad was made as part of the popular "Crash the Super Bowl" contest, which invited people to create their own memorable television advertisement. The public then checked out the videos on YouTube and voted their favorite video, boosting the ad's views online. The big prize? The winner had their commercial shown during the Super Bowl.
Top 10 most viral Super Bowl commercials of all time
7."Ozzy and Bieber" (2011, Best Buy)
Approximate number of views: 16,390,590
Some would say it's Ozzy Osbourne's hilarious scatter-brained antics that make people want to watch this over and over again, but it's popularity is probably due to Bieber fever. Either way, viewers loved watching both artists poking fun at themselves.
Top 10 most viral Super Bowl commercials of all time
6. E*Trade Baby 2009 (E*Trade)
Approximate number of views: 22,945,131
If there's something that the public loves, it's cute babies in commercials. E*Trade tried out this formula in 2009, and their young spokesperson has been an integral part of their ad campaigns ever since.
Top 10 most viral Super Bowl commercials of all time
5. "Imported from Detroit" (2011, Chrysler)
Approximate number of views: 23,304,506
This emotion-stirring commercial starring Eminem not only highlighted the beauty of Detroit, but celebrated a city that was one of the hardest hit by the recession. Much of the commercial's popularity was attributed to the fact that it inspired people to talk about Detroit, and shied away from being an over-the-top ad for Chrysler. Chrysler wasn't hurt by this, however: They posted a $183 million profit last year.
Top 10 most viral Super Bowl commercials of all time
4. E*Trade Super Bowl Commercial 2010 (E*Trade)
Approximate number of views: 25,635,748
Proving that any publicity is good publicity, this advertisement became a news item when Lindsay Lohan sued E*Trade over the commercial. The babies talk about a "milkaholic Lindsay," which Lohan felt was directly poking fun at her. The lawsuit was eventually withdrawn without prejudice according to the L.A. Times, but not before millions of people ran to their computers to check out what all the fuss was about.
Top 10 most viral Super Bowl commercials of all time
3. "Pug Attack" (Doritos - Crash the Super Bowl 2011)
Approximate number of views: 36,864,530
This ad featured another perennial fan favorite subject: a dog. Another "Crash the Superbowl" winner, this humorous spot features a pooch besting a man who was trying to taunt the animal with Doritos. Owners know when it comes to getting treats, a dog will do anything for that tasty morsel.
Top 10 most viral Super Bowl commercials of all time
2. "Casket" (Doritos - Crash the Super Bowl 2010)
Approximate number of views: 50,373,778
Everyone likes a good excuse to get out of work, and this "Crash the Super Bowl" winner took one wacky idea and spun it into a commercial. Mixing a bit of dark humor in with your Super Bowl ad can be tricky, but it worked for this Doritos spot.
Top 10 most viral Super Bowl commercials of all time
1. "The Force" Volkswagen (2011)
Approximate number of views: 68,305,506
This commercial takes the number one spot for many reasons. First, it appeals to people's nostalgia for childhood. Second, it appeals to people's nostalgia for "Star Wars." Finally, it appeals to people's childhood nostalgia for "Star Wars."
Top 10 most viral Super Bowl commercials of all time
Worth mentioning
This year, Visual Measures has already noticed some 2012 ads that were pre-released online that are already beating some of the commercials on the top ten list.
Honday's "Matthew's Day Off" -- a 2012 homage to "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" -- has already been viewed over 14.8 million times.
Volkswagen tried combining dogs and "Star Wars" to great viral success. This teaser ad has over 13 million views, even though it's just hinting at the actual commercial that will air on game day.