50 Biggest Super Bowl Advertisers of All Time

January 30, 2018 by John Harrington

Watching the commercials during the Super Bowl has become nearly as popular as watching the big game itself. And the country’s biggest brands couldn’t be happier.

Companies are willing to pay more than $5 million for a 30-second spot during the game because the Super Bowl is the most-watched sports event in America every year. There may be no better way to generate brand recognition than the big game. Last year’s game attracted 111.3 million viewers who saw the New England Patriots make a historic comeback to beat the Atlanta Falcons in overtime.

According to AdAge, by the time Super Bowl LII is over, advertisers will have spent $5.4 billion on advertising at the big game since it kicked off in 1967. During the first 51 Super Bowls, the average cost of a 30-second commercial climbed to $5.13 million from $300,000, adjusted for inflation, according to Forbes. The price of a 30-second commercial during the Super Bowl topped $1 million in 1995.

As the Super Bowl approaches, 24/7 Wall St. has created a list of the 50 brands that have most dominated Super Bowl advertising of all time. Beer brands like Budweiser, car makers such as Ford, soft-drink merchants like Pepsi, and food marketers such as Doritos dominate the list and are also the biggest spenders. Some of these brands advertise multiple products, such as the Budweiser brand, which also includes Bud Light.

Many of these brands have advertised several dozen spots spanning minutes of total advertising. One brand has appeared in over 50 Super Bowls, while over a dozen have been in at least 10.

No doubt, there will be one or more commercials featuring some of these brands during the 2018 Super Bowl that will take their place in advertising lore.

Click here to the see biggest Super Bowl advertisers of all time
Click here to read our detailed findings and methodology

50. M&M’s
> Super Bowl ads: 10
> Seconds of Super Bowl ads: 270
> Number of Super Bowls: 8
> Inflation-adjusted Super Bowl spending: $21.9 million

M&M’s has run 30-second ads at the Super Bowl and commercials of the talking M&M’s have become a tradition. The famous candy brand has run ads at the Super Bowl since 1994.

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49. Allstate
> Super Bowl ads: 10
> Seconds of Super Bowl ads: 300
> Number of Super Bowls: 8
> Inflation-adjusted Super Bowl spending: $13.0 million

Insurance company Allstate has been advertising during the Super Bowl since 1972. Its ad series featuring Mayhem, who creates mayhem in everyday life, was used to effect during the 2013 Super Bowl and continues to show up in the company’s branding to this day. In the 2013 ad, the character creates mayhem throughout history, with the lesson that you’d better be prepared when bad things happens and get Allstate insurance.

48. General Motors
> Super Bowl ads: 9
> Seconds of Super Bowl ads: 420
> Number of Super Bowls: 7
> Inflation-adjusted Super Bowl spending: $33.6 million

General Motors tried to emphasize its focus on quality with its “Robot” ad in 2007. The commercial shows an assembly-line robot who, after being dismissed for making a mistake, eventually commits suicide. Only it’s just the robot’s dream. A few days after the Super Bowl, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention said the ad was “insensitive to the tens of millions of people who have lost loved ones to suicide.”

47. 7-Up
> Super Bowl ads: 12
> Seconds of Super Bowl ads: 345
> Number of Super Bowls: 7
> Inflation-adjusted Super Bowl spending: $19.9 million

7-Up has relied on comedy to sell its product during the big game. Among the most memorable was its “Slam Dunk” ad in 2004 that showed people going to extremes in a slam dunk contest to win money and 7-Up.

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46. Lexus
> Super Bowl ads: 10
> Seconds of Super Bowl ads: 360
> Number of Super Bowls: 8
> Inflation-adjusted Super Bowl spending: $38.1 million

Lexus, the luxury car brand first advertised during the Super Bowl in 1991. In its “Let’s Play: Precision Drifting” wordless commercial in 2015, the company demonstrated the car’s handling ability in extreme situations.

45. Pontiac
> Super Bowl ads: 15
> Seconds of Super Bowl ads: 450
> Number of Super Bowls: 5
> Inflation-adjusted Super Bowl spending: $30.0 million

Pontiac, the now-defunct car brand discontinued by General Motors in 2010, ran a series of Super Bowl ads beginning in 1999 titled “Wider is Better.” In one ad, the Pontiac Grand Prix vehicle races side by side with an ice boat to illustrate how its wider body handles slippery surface.

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44. Hertz
> Super Bowl ads: 11
> Seconds of Super Bowl ads: 330
> Number of Super Bowls: 8
> Inflation-adjusted Super Bowl spending: $14.8 million

Hertz has been advertising during the Super Bowl since 1980, and some of the car-rental company’s commercials have featured O.J. Simpson. One of Hertz’s more entertaining ads was the “Executive Horse Race” that aired in 1999 and showed white-collar workers bolting from an elevator toward rental car desks as a horse-race announcer calls the race.

43. Reebok
> Super Bowl ads: 13
> Seconds of Super Bowl ads: 435
> Number of Super Bowls: 6
> Inflation-adjusted Super Bowl spending: $24.8 million

Reebok hired linebacker Terry Tate for an ad titled “Terry Tate – Office Linebacker.” The commercial that aired in 2003 showed Tate shaping up an office by tackling everything that moved. Reebok, which has been a Super Bowl advertiser since 1991, has used athletes Shaquille O’Neal, Dominique Wilkins, and Boomer Esiason in its Super Bowl ads.

42. GoDaddy
> Super Bowl ads: 13
> Seconds of Super Bowl ads: 270
> Number of Super Bowls: 8
> Inflation-adjusted Super Bowl spending: $31.9 million

GoDaddy has pushed the envelope with its Super Bowl commercials. Whether it was the very enthusiastic kiss between supermodel Bar Refaeli and an actor playing a nerd or the provocative ads featuring race car driver Danica Patrick, the web-hosting company has not been reluctant to stir controversy. The ad that angered many people that was supposed to air during the 2015 Super Bowl parodied the beloved Budweiser puppy commercial. In its spoof, GoDaddy showed the puppy returning home, and GoDaddy creating a web domain and website for where the puppy could be purchased. GoDaddy, which had released the ad before the game, pulled the commercial following protests on social media.

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41. Mercedes-Benz
> Super Bowl ads: 9
> Seconds of Super Bowl ads: 370
> Number of Super Bowls: 9
> Inflation-adjusted Super Bowl spending: $38.0 million

Mercedes-Benz, which has been airing Super Bowl commercials since 1982, used an innovative ad in 2011 to introduce its newest additions that year. The ad uses rock legend Janis Joplin’s song “Mercedes Benz” and stars P. Diddy.

40. Plymouth
> Super Bowl ads: 13
> Seconds of Super Bowl ads: 450
> Number of Super Bowls: 7
> Inflation-adjusted Super Bowl spending: $19.1 million

Plymouth ran its first Super Bowl ad in 1969, and its last in 1996. The brand was discontinued in 2001. Among its most famous spots was its Road Runner commercial in 1969 featuring Warner Bros. cartoon characters The Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote and a Plymouth Road Runner model.

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39. T-Mobile
> Super Bowl ads: 13
> Seconds of Super Bowl ads: 540
> Number of Super Bowls: 6
> Inflation-adjusted Super Bowl spending: $79.6 million

T-Mobile has relied on celebrities in its Super Bowl ads, among them comedians Sarah Silverman and Chelsea Handler, singer Drake, and reality star Kim Kardashian. Comedian Steve Harvey spoofed his famous gaffe at the Miss Universe pageant in a commercial in 2016.

38. Michelin
> Super Bowl ads: 12
> Seconds of Super Bowl ads: 360
> Number of Super Bowls: 9
> Inflation-adjusted Super Bowl spending: $20.9 million

Michelin has been running Super Bowl ads since 1984. Its animated commercial in 1998, called “Protect Her Down The Road,” showed a father throwing keys to a new car to his daughter. But the keys are intercepted by the Michelin man who then tosses new Michelin tires on the car.

37. MasterCard
> Super Bowl ads: 13
> Seconds of Super Bowl ads: 375
> Number of Super Bowls: 9
> Inflation-adjusted Super Bowl spending: $29.5 million

MasterCard referenced the television show “MacGyver” during the 2006 Super Bowl for its “Priceless” campaign. The commercial showed how the credit card can buy all the everyday stuff the title character uses in his singular approach to problem-solving.

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36. Lay’s
> Super Bowl ads: 13
> Seconds of Super Bowl ads: 384
> Number of Super Bowls: 9
> Inflation-adjusted Super Bowl spending: $24.8 million

Lay’s Potato Chips first advertised at the Super Bowl in 1993, and that year, the company ran an ad featuring former Dallas Cowboys coach Tom Landry. The ad, titled “Tom Landry’s Halftime Party,” also features a cast of athletes and coaches.

35. Snickers
> Super Bowl ads: 13
> Seconds of Super Bowl ads: 375
> Number of Super Bowls: 10
> Inflation-adjusted Super Bowl spending: $43.0 million

Snickers’ ad spot in 2010 featuring television legend Betty White launched the candy brand’s “You’re not you when you’re hungry” campaign. The ad became a viral hit. It also helped revive the career of the Emmy Award-winning actress.

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34. Nike
> Super Bowl ads: 13
> Seconds of Super Bowl ads: 660
> Number of Super Bowls: 8
> Inflation-adjusted Super Bowl spending: $38.0 million

Closely linked with the Nike brand, Michael Jordan appeared in several Super Bowl ads in the early and mid-1990s. The most famous was his teaming up with Bugs Bunny in 1993 as Jordan and Hare Jordan dismantle another team in a pick-up basketball game.

33. Taco Bell
> Super Bowl ads: 13
> Seconds of Super Bowl ads: 480
> Number of Super Bowls: 11
> Inflation-adjusted Super Bowl spending: $47.8 million

Taco Bell’s 2013 Super Bowl ad titled “Viva Young” showed residents of a retirement home going out on the town clubbing, getting tattoos, and munching on tacos, then returning to the retirement residence as the sun rises. Taco Bell has been advertising at the Super Bowl since 1995.

32. RadioShack
> Super Bowl ads: 17
> Seconds of Super Bowl ads: 540
> Number of Super Bowls: 9
> Inflation-adjusted Super Bowl spending: $44.9 million

Before declaring bankruptcy in 2015, and again last year, RadioShack was a big advertiser during the Super Bowl. During the 2014 Super Bowl, RadioShack poked fun at itself with an ad titled “The Eighties Called.” The spot tried to make the case that the new RadioShack had knowledgeable staffers, and that the store lets customers try tech products. The 60-second ad cost the electronics company $8.6 million.

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31. Kia
> Super Bowl ads: 12
> Seconds of Super Bowl ads: 810
> Number of Super Bowls: 9
> Inflation-adjusted Super Bowl spending: $112.1 million

Even though the Korean car maker has advertised at just nine Super Bowls, Kia has spent more than $109 million in advertising to help build market share in the U.S. During the 2015 Super Bowl, Kia used Pierce Brosnan’s James Bond persona to glamorize its family car Sorento. This year, racing legend Emerson Fittipaldi will appear in a Kia ad during the third quarter of the game.

30. Nissan
> Super Bowl ads: 17
> Seconds of Super Bowl ads: 660
> Number of Super Bowls: 9
> Inflation-adjusted Super Bowl spending: $41.7 million

Nissan, which first started airing Super Bowl commercials in 1985, struck an emotional chord during the 2015 Super Bowl by pairing Harry Chapin’s song “Cat’s in the Cradle” with a story about a race car driver bonding with his son while driving a Nissan vehicle.

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29. Jeep
> Super Bowl ads: 15
> Seconds of Super Bowl ads: 660
> Number of Super Bowls: 11
> Inflation-adjusted Super Bowl spending: $70.3 million

Jeep, which began airing Super Bowl ads in 1980, celebrated its 75th anniversary at the Super Bowl in 2016 by airing two commercials that paid tribute to its past and looked ahead to its future. Jeep’s take on tortoise and the hare fable in 1998 featured a Jeep zooming past a rabbit just short of a finish line. Out pops a turtle to finish the race.

28. Audi
> Super Bowl ads: 14
> Seconds of Super Bowl ads: 555
> Number of Super Bowls: 13
> Inflation-adjusted Super Bowl spending: $59.1 million

German car company Audi, which first aired a Super Bowl ad in 1991, weighed in on gender equality last year. The 60-second ad used a father-daughter relationship and a Soapbox Derby race to make a pitch for equal pay between genders.

27. Goodyear
> Super Bowl ads: 19
> Seconds of Super Bowl ads: 660
> Number of Super Bowls: 10
> Inflation-adjusted Super Bowl spending: $19.6 million

Tires can be a tough sell, but Goodyear kept viewers engaged with this commercial at the 2002 Super Bowl. The ad shows a family taking a determined elderly man through rainstorms and falling trees to play bingo.

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26. Cadillac
> Super Bowl ads: 20
> Seconds of Super Bowl ads: 645
> Number of Super Bowls: 10
> Inflation-adjusted Super Bowl spending: $54.4 million

Cadillac, which first started advertising during the Super Bowl in 1982, used the big game in 2012 to air its “Green Hell” commercial. The ad demonstrates how its new ATS model performed on the vaunted “Green Hell” test track in Germany.

25. AT&T
> Super Bowl ads: 16
> Seconds of Super Bowl ads: 660
> Number of Super Bowls: 12
> Inflation-adjusted Super Bowl spending: $35.9 million

For the 1987 Super Bowl, AT&T worked out a deal with DC Comics to have an animated Clark Kent and Lois Lane appear in a Super Bowl spot promoting the AT&T Card. AT&T, which has been advertising at the game since 1982, has also used celebrities such as Paul Reiser and Alan Alda in its Super Bowl commercials.

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24. E-Trade
> Super Bowl ads: 25
> Seconds of Super Bowl ads: 655
> Number of Super Bowls: 10
> Inflation-adjusted Super Bowl spending: $67.3 million

Digital trading platform E-Trade ran its “Wasted $2 Million” commercial featuring a dancing monkey in 2000. The ad ridicules the soaring costs of Super Bowl advertising while questioning its effectiveness. E-Trade, which first advertised at the Super Bowl in 1999, paid just over $3 million for the commercial. The company later aired the E-Trade Baby series of ads during the Super Bowl in which a talking baby tells viewers how simple online trading is.

23. Visa
> Super Bowl ads: 19
> Seconds of Super Bowl ads: 690
> Number of Super Bowls: 12
> Inflation-adjusted Super Bowl spending: $48.7 million

At the 2000 Super Bowl, Visa aired its “Being a Girl” ad showing a woman pole vaulter ahead of the 2000 Olympic Games. Another ad that focused on the 2000 Olympic Games showed female synchronized swimmers spelling out “VISA” in the water as the announcer says that Visa is the official card of the Olympic Games.

22. United Way
> Super Bowl ads: 15
> Seconds of Super Bowl ads: 706
> Number of Super Bowls: 14
> Inflation-adjusted Super Bowl spending: $27.2 million

United Way last advertised on the Super Bowl in 2008 with a 10-second commercial titled “Do Your Part” that cost just over $1 million. United Way has enlisted pro football players LaDainian Tomlinson and Nnamdi Asomugha for itrs “Live United” campaign in recent years.

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21. Pizza Hut
> Super Bowl ads: 19
> Seconds of Super Bowl ads: 630
> Number of Super Bowls: 14
> Inflation-adjusted Super Bowl spending: $49.4 million

Pizza Hut started advertising on the Super Bowl in 1987 and has used celebrities such as Jessica Simpson and Penn & Teller to sell its product. But few ads were more puzzling than the restaurant chain’s 1998 ad of a hip-swiveling Elvis Presley — back from the hereafter — to push its pies. The ad also featured actor James Franco before he became a star.

20. American Express
> Super Bowl ads: 21
> Seconds of Super Bowl ads: 750
> Number of Super Bowls: 13
> Inflation-adjusted Super Bowl spending: $36.7 million

American Express’s “Intelligent Security” ad shown during the 2014 Super Bowl followed a man walking around a city, showing the various security paraphernalia that are part of our world. The commercial said in the real world, security is all around us and encouraged consumers to keep their accounts safe with American Express.

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19. Master Lock
> Super Bowl ads: 18
> Seconds of Super Bowl ads: 540
> Number of Super Bowls: 18
> Inflation-adjusted Super Bowl spending: $21.0 million

There are no gimmicks, talking animals or curvaceous models in this ad. The slogan for this product was “Tough Under Fire,” and the 30-second commercial that aired during the 1973 Super Bowl demonstrated that. A sharpshooter blasted a hole through a Master Lock, and it still didn’t open.

18. IBM
> Super Bowl ads: 29
> Seconds of Super Bowl ads: 990
> Number of Super Bowls: 11
> Inflation-adjusted Super Bowl spending: $42.5 million

IBM used venerable comedian George Burns in 1980 to explain the details of its copier, with multiple copies of himself. IBM collaborated with H&R Block in a Super Bowl commercial last year that combines H&R Block’s tax expertise with IBM’s computing technology.

17. Chrysler
> Super Bowl ads: 23
> Seconds of Super Bowl ads: 960
> Number of Super Bowls: 14
> Inflation-adjusted Super Bowl spending: $61.4 million

Chrysler turned heads with an ad in 2011 featuring rapper Eminem. The ad celebrated Detroit and Chrysler’s rebound, and with a title “Imported From Detroit” was a clear challenge to foreign car importers. Chrysler also used rock legend Bob Dylan during an ad at the Super Bowl.

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16. Volkswagen
> Super Bowl ads: 27
> Seconds of Super Bowl ads: 910
> Number of Super Bowls: 15
> Inflation-adjusted Super Bowl spending: $82.5 million

In 2011, Volkswagen showed a young boy clad as Darth Vader who keeps failing to invoke magic powers until his Dad inside the house hits the remote on his VW key and the car lights blink — to the astonishment of the youngster. Volkswagen is a relative newcomer to the Super Bowl, running its first ad for the big game in 2010.

15. Michelob
> Super Bowl ads: 23
> Seconds of Super Bowl ads: 720
> Number of Super Bowls: 20
> Inflation-adjusted Super Bowl spending: $50.4 million

Michelob, which has been advertising on the Super Bowl since 1980, used the theme song from the television show “Cheers” at last year’s Super Bowl to show people working out at a gym who grab a low-carb Michelob Ultra beer after their workout. Over the years, Michelob has enlisting rock ‘n’ rollers Eric Clapton and Phil Collins to hawk its brews.

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14. Chevrolet
> Super Bowl ads: 37
> Seconds of Super Bowl ads: 1,051
> Number of Super Bowls: 11
> Inflation-adjusted Super Bowl spending: $82.6 million

Amid the wreckage of the apocalypse, to the strains of Barry Manilow’s song “Looks Like We Made It,” emerges a Chevy Silverado bearing a man and his dog. The ad that aired in 2012 was intended to underscore the vehicle’s dependability. Chevrolet has been a pretty dependable advertiser at the Super Bowl, running ads at 37 big games.

13. Hyundai
> Super Bowl ads: 36
> Seconds of Super Bowl ads: 1,275
> Number of Super Bowls: 11
> Inflation-adjusted Super Bowl spending: $159.4 million

Korean car maker Hyundai ran a post-game spot after last year’s Super Bowl titled “Operation Better.” The ad reunites military personnel with distant family members via video screens. The car maker plans to run a live ad during the game.

12. Gillette
> Super Bowl ads: 31
> Seconds of Super Bowl ads: 1,026
> Number of Super Bowls: 17
> Inflation-adjusted Super Bowl spending: $48.3 million

Gillette ran “The Best a Man Can Get” campaign over various Super Bowls in the 1990s. One ad the shaving company probably wouldn’t be able to get away with today is the one during the 1969 Super Bowl featuring an American man enjoying the experience of a shave from a female Swedish barber.

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11. Doritos
> Super Bowl ads: 32
> Seconds of Super Bowl ads: 995
> Number of Super Bowls: 17
> Inflation-adjusted Super Bowl spending: $85.7 million

Doritos broke new advertising ground in 2007 with the first consumer-created ad to air during a Super Bowl. Doritos asked fans to create and submit their own 30-second commercials. The gambit allowed Doritos to lower the costs of hiring an ad agency while engaging its most loyal customers.

10. Honda
> Super Bowl ads: 30
> Seconds of Super Bowl ads: 1,058
> Number of Super Bowls: 18
> Inflation-adjusted Super Bowl spending: $82.9 million

During last year’s Super Bowl, Honda enlisted celebrities such as Tina Fey, Robert Redford, and Missy Elliott to tell viewers to follow their dreams through talking versions of their actual high school yearbook pictures.

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9. FedEx
> Super Bowl ads: 31
> Seconds of Super Bowl ads: 1,050
> Number of Super Bowls: 19
> Inflation-adjusted Super Bowl spending: $66.2 million

FedEx aired a hilarious ad during the 2008 Super Bowl about a company considering using carrier pigeons for its shipping needs — and the comical consequences that ensued. FedEx also used humor in its 2006 Super Bowl commercial that showed a caveman’s futile attempt at sending a package via pterodactyl.

8. Miller
> Super Bowl ads: 30
> Seconds of Super Bowl ads: 886
> Number of Super Bowls: 25
> Inflation-adjusted Super Bowl spending: $38.9 million

Miller, whether it is Miller Lite, Miller Genuine Draft, or Miller High Life, has been advertising on the Super Bowl since 1976. Miller enlisted former athletes-turned broadcasters Bob Uecker and Tommy Heinsohn in 1986 to drink Miller Lite while comet-watching.

7. Dodge
> Super Bowl ads: 39
> Seconds of Super Bowl ads: 1,230
> Number of Super Bowls: 18
> Inflation-adjusted Super Bowl spending: $85.2 million

The brand from General Motors advertised at 18 Super Bowls. One of Dodge’s most memorable ads was a commercial for Ram trucks that featured radio broadcaster Paul Harvey’s speech “So God Made a Farmer” that aired during the 2013 Super Bowl. The speech describes the characteristics of a farmer, and the ad shows shows various images of rural America.

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6. Toyota
> Super Bowl ads: 40
> Seconds of Super Bowl ads: 1,485
> Number of Super Bowls: 20
> Inflation-adjusted Super Bowl spending: $126.0 million

Toyota, which has advertised at 20 Super Bowls, skipped last year’s game but returns this year with two 60-second spots. Among Toyota’s most noteworthy commercials at the Super Bowl was the inspirational “How Great I Am.” The ad in 2015 featured paralympian Amy Purdy with Muhammad Ali providing the narration in a commercial for the Toyota Camry.

5. Ford
> Super Bowl ads: 52
> Seconds of Super Bowl ads: 1,800
> Number of Super Bowls: 23
> Inflation-adjusted Super Bowl spending: $109.8 million

The recent Super Bowl ads by Ford broke from tradition of spotlighting its automobiles. The Dearborn, Michigan-based car company, which has advertised at 23 Super Bowls, instead focused last year on its development of mobility solutions, like ridesharing and autonomy.

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4. McDonald’s
> Super Bowl ads: 54
> Seconds of Super Bowl ads: 2,070
> Number of Super Bowls: 26
> Inflation-adjusted Super Bowl spending: $108.9 million

The fast-food giant has been advertising during the Super Bowl since 1975. One of McDonald’s most famous ads was during the 1993 Super Bowl. The ad featured basketball legends Michael Jordan and Larry Bird playing a game of horse with the winner getting a Big Mac and fries.

3. Coca-Cola
> Super Bowl ads: 50
> Seconds of Super Bowl ads: 2,182
> Number of Super Bowls: 28
> Inflation-adjusted Super Bowl spending: $191.9 million

Coca-Cola, which brought us the iconic Mean Joe Greene ad in 1980 and animated Polar Bears imbibing the beverage in more recent years, will use the big game as a platform to celebrate diversity in a 60-second commercial that costs $10 million at Super Bowl LI. The brand has featured many ads for both Coca-cola and Diet Coke.

2. Pepsi
> Super Bowl ads: 91
> Seconds of Super Bowl ads: 3,720
> Number of Super Bowls: 33
> Inflation-adjusted Super Bowl spending: $279.4 million

Buoyed by campaigns such as the one with the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, the beverage giant has spent more than $279 million at 33 Super Bowls. This year’s Pepsi ad will feature actress-model Cindy Crawford with footage from Jackson’s commercial.

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1. Budweiser
> Super Bowl ads: 132
> Seconds of Super Bowl ads: 4,320
> Number of Super Bowls: 52
> Inflation-adjusted Super Bowl spending: $439.4 million

The King of Beers has lost market share in recent years, but it is still the king of advertisers at the Super Bowl, spending more than $439 million. The company’s ads have tugged at the heartstrings in the past, such as the commercial after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and Budweiser will air another emotional ad this year, with Hurricane Harvey part of the theme. The makers of Bud Light, the most popular beer in the country, say they will give all of Philadelphia free Bud Light if the Eagles beat the Patriots in the Super Bowl. Dilly, dilly.

Detailed Findings & Methodology

News outlets and ad-industry observers evaluate Super Bowl ads for their entertainment value and effectiveness. And viewers eschew bathroom breaks to catch the commercials and tweet their friends about their favorite ad during the game.

Companies that have previously advertised at the Super Bowl use the game to launch campaigns to support brands already known to consumers, while newcomer marketers take the opportunity to introduce a product to the public.

For companies such as Allstate, the game has served to reinforce its ongoing “Mayhem” campaign that advises people to be insured against the unexpected. For newer companies such as GoDaddy, the web-hosting business has tried to raise eyebrows with controversial ads.

The Super Bowl has witnessed some groundbreaking commercials. The most famous was the Orwellian-themed ad from an emerging computer company named Apple in 1984. The commercial was directed by Ridley Scott and showed an athletic woman smashing a video of a leader haranguing the masses. The message was that Apple was going to demolish the computing status quo with its MacIntosh computer.

Advertisers have made their mark at the Super Bowl with funny ads like the Snickers ad with Betty White; moving ads such as Budweiser’s 9/11 tribute; sentimental ones like the Coca-Cola ad with Mean Joe Greene; controversial ads such as the General Motors assembly-line robot spot), inspirational commercials like Dodge’s salute to farmers; and socially aware commercials such as Audi’s father and daughter at Soap Box Derby ad.

To identify the 50 biggest Super Bowl advertisers of all time, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed data compiled by Ad Land, a website that compiles and reports on advertising. These numbers are meant to be approximations of total advertising by these brands. Total spending is based on the reported cost of a 30-second ad from Ad Age, adjusted for inflation for the given year. Not all years of data were compiled, and the Super Bowls in 1967, 1968, 1970, 1971, 1974, 1977, and 1978 did not have data available. In the case of television channels or other media platforms, in which the product advertised were different television shows or video games, we excluded the brand. We combined brands that share common product lines, such as Coca-Cola and Diet Coke, and Budweiser Ale and Bud Light.

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