Super Bowl Sunday: Whether you see it as a day to watch your favorite team in action (and subsequently yell at your TV) or an excuse to eat chicken wings and drink beer, there’s one thing we can all agree on: The commercials are the best part, amirite?!
Okay, so this football-hating writer is slightly biased (believe it or not, I had no idea the Super Bowl was even going on until I overheard some supermarket chatter!). But the entertaining commercials are definitely one of the highlights to the big game. With the cost of a 30-second commercial steeping upwards of $4.5 million this year, advertisers sure aren’t complaining.
While most Super Bowl ads are successful, there’s one genre in particular that seems to rein above the rest. You guessed it: Ones with animals in them. For years, some of the most memorable Super Bowl spots have featured our favorite critters—adorable puppies, striking Clydesdale horses, talking frogs, the list goes on and on.
So, in honor of the Super Bowl, click on the titles below to take a look back at some of our favorite animal-themed Super Bowl ads:
Budweiser Frogs (1995)
Frogs Bud, Weis and Er all croak their names in sync, forming the name “Budweiser.” The camera then pulls back to reveal a bar with a large Budweiser sign glowing in the night. This one is often ranked among the top Super Bowl ads in history.
Pepsi “YMCA” Grizzly Bears (1997)
What’s more enjoyable than watching a group of grizzly bears perform a Pepsi-inspired version of the Village People’s YMCA dance?
E*Trade Monkey (2000)
E*Trade may have wasted $2 million during this popular 15-year-old commercial, but look– A monkey!
VISA Multiplying Bunnies (2001)
Waiting for a check to get approved in a pet store? In that time, you might be surprised at how fast (or slowly) bunnies can multiply. VISA nails this one.
FedEx, Burt Reynolds & Dancing Bear (2005)
What are the 10 things needed to make a successful Super Bowl spot? There’s nothing funnier than a Super Bowl commercial that mocks other Super Bowl commercials—especially when it involves Burt Reynolds.
Doritos, Dog Collar (2010)
A dog who plays tricks—on his owner! All for a bag of Doritos.
And… here’s a preview of one you’ll see this year…
Budweiser Lost Dog (2015)
Budweiser is infamous for hitting us in the feels with the most adorable animal commercials known to man. This year, they’ve done it again with a puppy and horses.
