Advertisem*nts are everywhere—on TV, billboards, social media, and even on the sides of buses. They’ve been around for centuries, but it wasn’t until the 20th century that it truly became an art form. From iconic slogans to catchy jingles, these campaigns have become ingrained in our culture and have helped shape the way we view certain products and brands.
In this article, we’ll take a look at 10 ad campaigns that changed the industry as we know it.
1. “1984” (1984)
Apple’s “1984” ad is widely regarded as one of the most iconic and influential advertisem*nts in the history of advertising. This was a groundbreaking commercial that aired during the 1984 Super Bowl and introduced the world to the Macintosh computer.
The ad, inspired by George Orwell’s novel, featured a dystopian society where people were brainwashed by a Big Brother figure. The ad was a huge success and helped establish Apple as a leader in the tech industry. It was created by Chiat\Day agency written by Steve Hayden and directed by Ridley Scott (known for films such as Alien, Blade Runner, Thelma & Louise, and Gladiator).
While the Apple Board of Directors initially disliked the ad, it was a huge success and the company sold $3.5 million worth of computers after the commercial aired. It serves as an example of how taking risks in advertising can sometimes have huge rewards.
2. “The Marlboro Man” (1954)
© Marlboro
Beginning in the 1930s, Marlboro cigarettes were marketed toward women with the slogan “Mild as May”. However, in 1954, the brand decided to rebrand and target a new demographic – men.
The iconic Marlboro Man was born, featuring rugged cowboys in the great outdoors. This campaign was a huge success and helped Marlboro become the best-selling cigarette brand in the world.
It was conceived by Leo Burnett (known for iconic campaigns like Allstate’s “Good Hands” and Kellogg’s Tony the Tiger) and would cast real cowboys for the part. In two years, Marlboro’s sales increased from $5 billion to $20 billion.
3. “Just Do It” (1988)
In 1988, Nike launched their “Just Do It” campaign, showcasing the now-famous slogan and the iconic swoosh logo. The campaign was a huge success and helped Nike become one of the most recognizable and successful brands in the world.
The slogan was coined by Dan Wieden, who modeled it off “Let’s do it”, which was the last sentence said by spree-killer Gary Gilmore before his execution. In the ten years after the campaign started, Nike’s sales increased from $877 million to $9.2 billion.
The first commercial features 80-year-old Walt Stack, an icon of San Francisco’s running community as he runs across the Golden Gate Bridge.
4. “Got Milk?” (1993)
In 1993, the California Milk Processor Board launched the “Got Milk?” campaign, featuring celebrities with milk mustaches. The campaign aimed to increase milk consumption and was a huge success, with the slogan becoming a pop culture catchphrase.
This iconic ad campaign was created by the Goodby Silverstein & Partners agency and performed well in both commercials and print ads. The use of a question as a slogan had prior success, such as Wendy’s 1984 “Where’s the beef?” campaign.
In the year after the first ad, “Aaron Burr” starring Sean Whalen aired, milk sales in California increased for the first time in over a decade.
5. “The Most Interesting Man in the World” (2006)
Dos Equis launched their “The Most Interesting Man in the World” campaign in 2006, starring a suave and adventurous character who always had a witty one-liner. The campaign was a huge success and helped increase sales for the brand.
The “Most Interesting Man in the World” character, played by Jonathan Goldsmith, became a cultural phenomenon, with his catchphrase “I don’t always drink beer, but when I do, I prefer Dos Equis” being referenced and parodied in various forms of media.
As the campaign began in the template meme revolution of the mid-2000s, it also spawned a popular internet meme, “I don’t always ___, but when I do, ___” further solidifying its place in pop culture.
During the 2007–2009 financial crisis, when imported beer sales were in decline, Dos Equis sales increased by 22% as a result of “The Most Interesting Man in the World” campaign.
6. “Real Beauty” (2004)
In 2004, Dove launched their “Real Beauty” campaign, which featured real women of all shapes, sizes, and ages in their ads. The campaign challenged traditional beauty standards and sparked a conversation about body positivity and self-acceptance.
These ads featured regular women instead of models, and were placed on billboards, as print ads, and commercials. A large part of the Real Beauty’s success came from media coverage of the campaign’s subversive messaging. According to Unilever, this media coverage was worth 30 times more than the paid-for media space.
Created by the Ogilvy & Mather agency, the campaign also set the trend for using inclusivity and social issues in advertising, changing the conversation around beauty in the media. In the ten years since the campaign started, Dove’s revenue increased from $2.5 billion to $4 billion.
7. “Dumb Ways to Die” (2012)
Dumb Ways to Die is an Australian public service campaign for Metro Trains in Melbourne that was released in 2012. The advertisem*nt consists of animated characters acting recklessly and dying, with the ‘dumbest ways to die’ showing the final three characters being killed by trains.
The video makes this list for its virality, as it quickly went viral around the world thanks to its catchy theme by Ollie McGill and animation by Julian Frost reminiscent of Roger Hargreaves characters. It also went live during the heyday of flash animated viral shorts on YouTube.
As of 2024, the YouTube video has over 303 million views, and the campaign has launched a video game series. The year following its release, Transport Safety Victoria reported a 10-20% reduction in train-related accidents.
8. ALS Ice Bucket Challenge (2014)
From July to August 2014, social media was taken over by videos of people pouring buckets of ice water over their heads to raise funding and awareness for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
To take part in the challenge, a participant films a video of themself having a bucket of ice water poured over their head. They then nominate three or more people to do the same, giving them 24 hours to complete the challenge or else donate to an organization for ALS.
Similar to ‘Dumb Ways to Die’, The Ice Bucket Challenge makes this list for its virality. What it sets it apart is that it was entirely user-generated content (UGC), propelled by an excellent call-to-action.
The Ice Bucket Challenge was created by Patrick Quinn and Pete Frates and raised $220 million for ALS research worldwide.
9. “Think Small” (1959)
In the 1960s, Volkswagen was struggling to compete with the larger, more luxurious American cars. Their solution? Embrace their small size and simplicity.
The “Think Small” campaign, which featured minimalist ads with clever copy, helped Volkswagen stand out in a crowded market and became a classic example of using honesty and humor in advertising.
This campaign was created by Helmut Krone and Julian Koenig with Doyle Dane Bernbach agency and helped to change Americans’ association of the Volkswagen Beetle with Adolf Hitler and Nazism.
The print ads incorporated large amounts of negative space and stood out by using sans-serif font and being black and white, as opposed to the more common serif font and color ads of the time.
“Think Small” is frequently listed in textbooks as one of the most groundbreaking ad campaigns of the 20th century. Not only did it turn Volkswagen into a top player in America’s automotive market, it laid the groundwork for the VW Beetle and VW Bus to become some of the most iconic symbols of the 1960s counterculture movement.
Talk about a successful rebrand.
10. “I’d Like to Buy the World a co*ke”/”Hilltop” (1971)
Don Draper fans may remember this ad from the final scene in the popular series, Mad Men, but ‘I’d Like to Buy the World a co*ke’ was a real commercial directed by Harvey Gabor in 1971. The ad was created by the McCann Erickson advertising agency and is considered is one of the most iconic commercials in advertising history.
It captured the spirit of the time, with an emphasis on peace and the desire for global connection. This was especially potent at a time when public opinion on the Vietnam War was at an all-time low, with over half of Americans in 1971 believing the country should have never gotten involved in the war. The song became a Top 10 hit and Coca-Cola received over 100,000 fan mail letters.
Today, storytelling and emotional advertising and is everywhere. This Coca-Cola advertisem*nt was groundbreaking as a form of emotional advertising over simple product promotion.
See: Seven Storytelling Strategies To Use In Your Ad Campaigns and Emotional Marketing Builds Trust And Engages More Consumers
From the rugged Marlboro Man to Beyonce sporting a milk mustache, these iconic ad campaigns have become a part of our culture and continue to be referenced and built upon today.
These are just some of the best ad campaigns of all time, and they all have one thing in common – they were successful in capturing the attention of consumers and leaving a lasting impact. Whether it’s through humor, emotion, or creativity, these campaigns have set the bar high for future advertising efforts.
As we continue to see new and innovative ad campaigns, it’s clear that the power of advertising is here to stay. And with the rise of social media and technology, we can only imagine what the future holds for the world of advertising.
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