h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

So, do you have a vote for the best tv ad ever?

These days, here in the US, American football's Super Bowl is also the Super Bowl of advertising. Ads this year are going for some $2.5 million for 30 seconds, and definitely there is pressure to have high-caliber ads to keep the audience interested. Some small startup companies spend large portions of their ad budget for one or two Super Bowl spots, figuring that gives them the best bang for the buck. (Monster.com, the job searching site, comes to mind.)

The "Super Bowl ad" as in "let's make an extra special spot specifically for the Super Bowl" is generally regarded to have been invented by Apple Computer in 1984. And this commercial, though now nearing 16 years old, still ranks in many people's minds as one of the best ever, if not the best. Certainly to me it's hard to pick a better one. It was directed by Ridley Scott, a noted film director (Blade Runner, Alien). You can download it from the ad agency's (Chiat-Day) web site here http://www.chiatday.com/product/historical_work/tv/1984/1984.html

I was very young at the time that ad came out - not as young as erhaps I *wish* I had been - but I still remember sitting on the couch next to my grandfather and applauding when the hammer broke the screen. That was a very powerful ad, and many of the advertisers today would do well to look at what made it so successful.

Having said that, I also liked the bears who spelled out Pepsi. How awful is that?

I had this wonderful bit I wrote about how 1984 was the best commercial in my book and how apple has always had great commercials, but I had an IExplore Error (may your spleen hurtle itself up through your throat and smack you upside the head, Bill Gates- Rot in helL!!).

Must've been the mention of Apple in a positive light inside a Microsoft product. Big Brother's watching...

LOL!

'Err, what monopoly your honor?'

I'm surprised Bill Gates doesn't say that he was the founder... and blame it on the Mac foreman... I'd love to see that happen- LOL!!

dunno if anyone here is from UK but the best advertising in the world has to be from two companies. Guinness and Tango. Guinness for the sheer brilliance and cleverness of there adverts and slogans. Tango for the pure insanity of there adverts. For example the advert where a man painted bright orange jumps from behind a post box slaps someone in the face (who is drinkning tango) yells you've been tangoed. then disappears again. totally amazin both of there advertising.

Funny ads are the best. I also like teaser campaigns. www.got2seethis.com (that's a little teaser campaign of my own)