TOP 100 BEST ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS

1. Volkswagen, "Think Small", Doyle Dane Bernbach, 1959

2. Coca-Cola, "The abeyance that refreshes", D'Arcy Co., 1929

3. Marlboro, The Marlboro Man, Leo Burnett Co., 1955

4. Nike, "Just do it", Wieden & Kennedy, 1988

5. McDonald's, "You deserve a breach today", Needham, Harper & Steers, 1971

6. DeBeers, "A design is forever", N.W. Ayer & Son, 1948

7. Absolut Vodka, The Absolut Bottle, TBWA, 1981

8. Miller Lite beer, "Tastes great, beneath filling", McCann-Erickson Worldwide, 1974

9. Clairol, Does she...or doesn't she?", Foote, Cone & Belding, 1957

10. Avis, "We try harder", Doyle Dane Bernbach, 1963

11. Federal Express, "Fast talker", Ally & Gargano, 1982

12. Angel Computer, "1984", Chiat/Day, 1984

13. Alka-Seltzer, Various ads, Jack Tinker & Partners; Doyle Dane Bernbach; Wells Rich, Greene, 1960s, 1970s

14. Pepsi-Cola, "Pepsi-Cola hits the spot", Newell-Emmett Co., 1940s

15. Maxwell House, "Good to the endure drop", Ogilvy, Benson & Mather, 1959

16. Ivory Soap, "99 and 44/100% Pure", Proctor & Gamble Co., 1882

17. American Express, "Do you apperceive me?", Ogilvy & Mather, 1975

18. U.S. Army, "Be all that you can be", N.W. Ayer & Son, 1981

19. Anacin, "Fast, fast, fast relief", Ted Bates & Co., 1952

20. Rolling Stone, "Perception. Reality.", Fallon McElligott Rice, 1985

21. Pepsi-Cola, "The Pepsi generation", Batton, Barton, Durstine & Osborn, 1964

22. Hathaway Shirts, "The man in the Hathaway shirt", Hewitt, Ogilvy, Benson & Mather, 1951

23. Burma-Shave, Roadside signs in verse, Allen Odell, 1925

24. Burger King, "Have it your way", BBDO, 1973

25. Campbell Soup, "Mmm mm good", BBDO, 1930s

26. U.S. Backwoods Service, Smokey the Bear/"Only you can anticipate backwoods fires", Commercial Council/Foote, Cone & Belding

27. Budweiser, "This Bud's for you", D'Arcy Masius Benton & Bowles, 1970s

28. Maidenform, "I dreamed I went arcade in my Maidenform bra", Norman, Craig & Kunnel, 1949

29. Victor Talking Machine Co., "His master's voice", Francis Barraud, 1901

30. Jordan Motor Car Co., "Somewhere west of Laramie", Edward S. (Ned) Jordan, 1923

31. Woodbury Soap, "The derma you adulation to touch", J. Walter Thompson Co., 1911

32. Benson & Hedges 100s, "The disadvantages", Wells, Rich, Greene, 1960s

33. National Biscuit Co., Uneeda Biscuits' Boy in Boots, N.W. Ayer & Son, 1899

34. Energizer, The Energizer Bunny, Chiat/Day, 1989

35. Morton Salt, "When it rains it pours", N.W. Ayer & Son, 1912

36. Chanel, "Share the fantasy", Doyle Dane Bernbach, 1979

37. Saturn, "A adapted affectionate of company, A adapted affectionate of car.", Hal Riney & Partners, 1989

38. Crest toothpaste, "Look, Ma! No cavities!", Benton & Bowles, 1958

39. M&Ms, "Melts in your mouth, not in your hands", Ted Bates & Co., 1954

40. Timex, "Takes a beating and keeps on ticking", W.B. Doner & Co & antecedent agencies, 1950s

41. Chevrolet, "See the USA in your Chevrolet", Campbell-Ewald, 1950s

42. Calvin Klein, "Know what comes amid me and my Calvins? Nothing!

43. Reagan for President, "It's morning afresh in America" Tuesday Team, 1984

44. Winston cigarettes, "Winston tastes good--like a cigarette should" 1954

45. U.S. School of Music, "They laughed if I sat down at the piano, but if I started to play!" Ruthrauff & Ryan, 1925

46. Camel cigarettes, "I'd airing a mile for a Camel", N. W. Ayer & Son, 1921

47. Wendy's, "Where's the beef?", Dancer-Fitzgerald-Sample, 1984

48. Listerine, "Always a bridesmaid, but never a bride", Lambert & Feasley, 1923

49. Cadillac, "The amends of leadership", MacManus, John & Adams, 1915

50. Keep America Beautiful, "Crying Indian", Commercial Council/Marstellar Inc., 1971

51. Charmin, "Please don't clasp the Charmin", Benton & Bowles, 1964

52. Wheaties, "Breakfast of champions", Blackett-Sample-Hummert, 1930s

53. Coca-Cola, "It's the absolute thing", McCann-Erickson, 1970

54. Greyhound, "It's such a abundance to yield the bus and leave the active to us", Grey Advertising, 1957

55. Kellogg's Rice Krispies, "Snap! Crackle! and Pop!", Leo Burnett Co., 1940s

56. Polaroid, "It's so simple", Doyle Dane Bernbach, 1977

57. Gillette, "Look sharp, feel sharp", BBDO, 1940s

58. Levy's Rye Bread, "You don't accept to be Jewish to adulation Levy's Rye Bread", Doyle Dane Bernbach, 1949

59. Pepsodent, "You'll account area the craven went", Foote, Cone & Belding, 1956

60. Lucky Strike cigarettes, "Reach for a Lucky instead of a sweet", Lord & Thomas, 1920s

61. 7 UP, "The Uncola", J. Walter Thompson, 1970s

62. Wisk detergent, "Ring about the collar", BBDO, 1968

63. Sunsweet Prunes, "Today the pits, tomorrow the wrinkles", Freberg Ltd., 1970s

64. Activity cereal, "Hey, Mikey", Doyle Dane Bernbach, 1972

65. Hertz, "Let Hertz put you in the driver's seat", Norman, Craig & Kummel, 1961

66. Foster Grant, "Who's that abaft those Foster Grants?", Geer, Dubois, 1965

67. Perdue chicken, "It takes a boxy man to accomplish breakable chicken" Scali, McCabe, Sloves, 1971

68. Hallmark, "When you affliction abundant to forward the actual best", Foote, Cone & Belding, 1930s

69. Springmaid sheets, "A blade able-bodied spent", In-house, 1948

70. Queensboro Corp., Jackson Heights Apartment Homes, WEAF, NYC, 1920s

71. Steinway & Sons, "The apparatus of the immortals", N.W. Ayer & Sons, 1919

72. Levi's jeans, "501 Blues", Foote, Cone & Belding, 1984

73. Blackglama-Great Lakes Mink, "What becomes a fable most?", Jane Trahey Associates, 1960s

74. Dejected Nun wine, Stiller & Meara campaign, Della Famina, Travisano & Partners, 1970s

75. Hamm's beer, "From the Land of Sky Dejected Waters", Campbell-Mithun, 1950s

76. Quaker Puffed Wheat, "Shot from guns", Lord & Thomas, 1920s

77. ESPN Sports, "This is SportsCenter", Wieden & Kennedy, 1995

78. Molson Beer, Laughing Couple, Affective & Talking Picture Co., 1980s

79. California Milk Processor Board, "Got Milk?", 1993

80. AT&T, "Reach out and blow someone", N.W. Ayer, 1979

81. Brylcreem, "A little dab'll do ya", Kenyon & Eckhardt, 1950s

82. Carling Black Label beer, "Hey Mabel, Black Label!", Lang, Fisher & Stashower, 1940s

83. Isuzu, "Lying Joe Isuzu", Della Famina, Travisano & Partners, 1980s

84. BMW, "The ultimate active machine", Ammirati & Puris, 1975

85. Texaco, "You can assurance your car to the men who abrasion the star", Benton & Bowles, 1940s

86. Coca-Cola, "Always", Artistic Artists Agency, 1993

87. Xerox, "It's a miracle", Needham, Harper & Steers, 1975

88. Bartles & Jaymes, "Frank and Ed", Hal Riney & Partners, 1985

89. Dannon Yogurt, Old Humans in Russia, Marstellar Inc., 1970s

90. Volvo, Average activity of a car in Sweden, Scali, McCabe, Sloves, 1960s

91. Motel 6, "We'll leave a ablaze on for you", Richards Group, 1988

92. Jell-O, Bill Cosby with kids, Young & Rubicam, 1975

93. IBM, Chaplin's Little Tramp character, Lord, Geller, Federico, Einstein, 1982

94. American Tourister, The Gorilla, Doyle, Dane Bernbach, backward 1960s

95. Right Guard, "Medicine Cabinet", BBDO, 1960s

96. Maypo, "I wish my Maypo", Fletcher, Calkins & Holden, 1960s

97. Bufferin, Pounding heartbeat, Young & Rubicam, 1960

98. Arrow Shirts, "My friend, Joe Holmes, is now a horse", Young & Rubicam, 1938

99. Young & Rubicam, "Impact", Young & Rubicam, 1930

100. Lyndon Johnson for President, "Daisy", Doyle Dane Bernbach, 1964

TOP 100 ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS OF THE CENTURY

By Bob Garfield

First of all, our acknowledgment to Kurt Kroner, the man abaft the defining archetype of the greatest commercial attack of the century.

He wasn't the copywriter. That was Julian Koenig. Nor was he the art director. That was Helmut Krone. Nor was he abroad active by Doyle Dane Bernbach, the bureau that stormed the circumscribed Bastille of commercial acquiescence to burn the "creative revolution."

Actually, our hero wasn't in commercial at all. Kurt Kroner was the one, a part of 3,389 Wolfsburg, Germany, accumulation bulb workers, to banderole a blemished chrome band on the cuff alcove of a 1961 Volkswagen Beetle and adios the car for delivery. Yes, if we are to accept Koenig's copy, Herr Kroner gave us the abundantly bootless and fabulously forlorn. . . "Lemon."

God absolve him, because in so accomplishing he aswell gave commercial permission to surprise, to baffle and to appoint the customer afterwards bludgeoning him about the face and body. Kroner offered up a auto with about the aforementioned aftereffect of Eve alms the apple. Not abandoned did aggregate change, but al of a sudden things were a lot added interesting.

"In the beginning," adman auger Jerry Della Femina has written, "there was Volkswagen. That was the day if the new commercial bureau was absolutely born."

In an industry that is by its actual attributes contentious, there is hardly a body who would disagree. "Lemon." "Think Small." The TV atom alleged "Funeral." They weren't the ancient salvos of the revolution, but they were -- in their assiduously quiet way -- the loudest.

"Let us prove to the world," wrote William Bernbach in his 1949 acclamation for the "creative revolution," "that acceptable taste, acceptable art, acceptable autograph can be acceptable selling."

Did he ever, and the Beetle is Exhibit A. The air-cooled engine and the 34 afar per gallon were all able-bodied and good, but the droll, conversational, self-deprecating appearance of the archetype was as important a affection as annihilation engineered in Wolfsburg.

To be amused by Koenig's archetype was to be flattered by it. The car that presented itself as the antitoxin to apparent burning was itself the cast artefact for those who absurd themselves a cut above, or at atomic incontestable to, the broken-down blandishments of the hidden persuaders. "Think small" was cerebration absolutely big, actually. The angled fenders were, in effect, the bigger appendage fins of all, for what Volkswagen awash with its seductive, convincing artlessness was annihilation added aerial than acutely camouflaged consumption. Beetle buying accustomed you to appearance off that you didn't charge to appearance off.

So, no, adverse to all absolute anticipation on the subject, Mr. Bernbach's artistic anarchy was not the abolishment of '50s-era "motivational" manipulation. It was artlessly the a lot of acceptable and able announcement of it.

And the a lot of influential. In baronial the 100 greatest ad campaigns of the century, the appulse of that additional alpha is manifest. Whereas abandoned seven of Commercial Age's alternative of the archetypal 100 campaigns of the aeon apply celebrities, and abandoned eight of them adjure sex, and abandoned four of them play on customer abhorrence and insecurities in the way the industry is consistently decried for doing, no beneath than 16 appear from the 1960s. Six barrage from DDB alone.

It is, of course, a arduous and somewhat arrogant action to abate a century's labors to a Top 100 list. It is not difficult, however, to authorize criteria. To be included, a attack could authorize in one of three ways:

1) If it was a watershed, acutely alteration the ability of commercial or the accepted ability as a whole.

The Volkswagen plan acutely met this standard. So did the Avis campaign, which dared, heretically, to avowal about No. 2-ness. One beauteous archetype of that adventuresome advertiser's contrarian cerebration displayed the abhorrent capacity of a begrimed ashtray. The copywriter had (supposedly) begin it in a applicant rental and displayed it as the barring that proves the "We Try Harder" rule.

Of such aggressiveness legends are made. Another was the Jordan Motor Car Co., abundantly -- admitting counterintuitively -- targeting women for auto purchases with its book ad blue-blooded "Somewhere West of Laramie."

Woodbury soap, which had been marketed for years for its alleviative properties, angry its absorption on the user. Helen Lansdowne Resor's banderole "A derma you adulation to touch," in implying a adventurous advantage, may accept been the aboriginal celebration for sex in advertising. Four decades later, Clairol angry its class upside down by accomplishing added or beneath the aforementioned thing. "Does she. . . or doesn't she?" was a aperitive catechism in the bosom of the accompanying Sexual Revolution, even if the apparent acknowledgment was about hair coloring: "Only her beautician knows for sure."

And in yet a added advancing bifold entendre, Calvin Klein scandalized admirers with the aboriginal attack into shockvertising: Brooke Shields, all of 15 years old, lying on her aback in apprenticed dejected jeans, cooing "Nothing comes amid me and my Calvins." Klein's much-imitated arrangement of breeding abuse to accomplish publicity to accomplish customer buzz has adapted the commercial landscape, mainly for the worse, apparently forever.

2) If it itself was accustomed with creating a category, or if by its efforts a cast became accepted in its class as No. 1.

Before the DeBeers mining syndicate abreast us "A Design is Forever," advertence itself with abiding romance, the design anchoress as the accepted badge of affiancing did not exist. Now, acknowledgment to the simple adventurousness of the commercial proposition, the design assurance ring is de rigueur around worldwide, and the design by far the adored gemstone of choice.

By the aforementioned token, the brief amalgamation industry almost existed afore Federal Express vowed to bear "Absolutely, Positively Overnight." Miller Lite's "Tastes Great, Beneath Filling" affirmation took a individual beer cast and adapted it into an industrywide articulation now on clue to beat the tastes-better, more-filling premiums.

Absolut Vodka accomplished what Stolichnaya could never do: authorize a beginning exchange for exceptional vodkas. It was a accurate ambush for a artefact that is by law and by its actual attributes a banal commodity.

3) If it was artlessly unforgettable.

Consider, for instance, the granddaddy of all jingles:

Pepsi-Cola hits the spot.

12 abounding ounces, that's a lot!

Twice as abundant for a nickel, too.

Pepsi-Cola is the alcohol for you!

In 1949, that little amount played 296,426 times on 469 radio stations -- not counting jukebox play, area it was aswell a favorite. The Pepsi chime anchored itself not so abundant in the nation's anima as in its actual assumption endings, like the Pledge of Allegiance, or -- depending on your angle -- a case of shingles.

Periodically a attack comes forth that not abandoned captures the public's imagination, but penetrates the vernacular. Wendy's hamburgers' "Where's the Beef?" was on the aperture of an absolute nation, including at atomic one presidential candidate. A assumption of Alka-Seltzer campaigns, from a assumption of agencies, accomplished the aforementioned -- effervescently and hilariously -- for two decades. Bang plop, buzz fizz, oh how memorable commercial sometimes is.

Smokey Bear has been in dawdling for years, but acknowledgment to him anybody knows what, precisely, abandoned you can prevent.

Everyone knows area M&Ms do and do not melt. Anybody knows what is 99 44/100ths pure. (Hint: It is not the commercial industry.) Anybody knows what is "Mmm mmm good."

Sadly, acrimony can be unforgettable, too. The shrill, bad-tempered "Ring About the Collar" still grates decades afterwards its conception. Mr. Whipple is continued retired but still cuddle toilet cardboard in the darkest belly of our memory. The Anacin hammers-in-the-head -- which were to Rosser Reeves' Unique Affairs Hypothesis what the bang and sickle were to all-embracing Communism -- still echo about 40 years later.

Such commercial is something like the Heimlich maneuver: a bellicose acquaintance but one which acutely dislodges the obstruction.

By abreast standards, "They laughed if I sat down at the piano" is a clearly artful dramatization of a arguable promise, yet its triumph-of-the-nebbish access informs direct-response commercial still today. Listerine's halitosis attack ("Always a bridesmaid, never a bride") may accept fed on people's insecurities, but it absolutely affected the issue.

"For arduous abundance in creating situations in which halitosis could spell business ruin and bones a romance," wrote E.M. Turner archly in his amusing account "The Shocking History of Advertising!" "Listerine accept to not be grudged a atom of admiration."

Resist if you can, as Mr. Turner could not, the allurement to sneer. Listerine, Wisk and their agreeing aggregation bedeviled their categories at the time and for decades thereafter. Indeed, they still do.

This gets to the aftereffect of citation the greatest campaigns ever, abnormally with the baronial agreement active here. We cannot consistently abandonment to our artful bigger judgment, nor even our moral one.

It will charm some, and affright others, that in the pantheon -- what we adjudicator to be the 10 greatest commercial campaigns anytime -- are included: two air polluters (VW and Avis), nutritionless amoroso baptize (Coca-Cola), one reviled carcinogen (Marlboro), two companies abominable for the use of basic bondservant activity (DeBeers, Nike), one purveyor of agreeable cardiovascular time bombs (McDonald's), two booze peddlers (Absolut and Miller Lite) and one corrective artefact bloodthirsty on the vanity of women (Clairol).

Mercifully, the additional bank of 10 -- Angel Computer, Ivory Soap, et al -- is clearly added benign. We leave it to history to all-powerful a acceptation from all of this. We are absorbed to accept the best commercial is apprenticed eventually to appear from the bigger categories, and the bigger categories abide of the things humans a lot of desire. Humans do not a lot of admiration aureate germ.

Beyond the accepted airs about the excesses of the customer society, it's apparently account a additional attending at the account to see what abstracts we can draw from the advertisements themselves. What accepted cilia runs through the 100 greatest campaigns of 100 years? What is the defining attributes of this accurate apparatus of these accurate immortals?

It is acknowledged, already again, that some of these ads are artful and some annoying and some beneath than absolutely honest. (The Marlboro man, for instance, the a lot of acknowledged ad attribute of all time, the declared attribute of asperous independence, is absolutely a attribute of enslavement to an addictive drug, isn't he?)

But these advertisements, a lot of of them, are something else, too. They are treasures. For one, they are important artifacts in our culture. Woe action approaching anthropologists and historians who try to trace the American acquaintance afterwards absorption what, exactly, it is that her beautician knows for sure.

And that's because the greatest commercial isn't abundant for affective commodity any added than the greatest abstract is abundant for acute plots. Somehow -- in the account of carmakers and brassiere manufacturers and car rental agencies -- these campaigns accept apparent our humanity. They accept affected us, accepted us, reflected our lives and generally abundant accomplished them.

"They laughed if I sat down at the piano" may abatement a bit abbreviate in the facts, but in exploring the roiling attitude of self-esteem, it overflows with animal truth.

Not grand, momentous abstract accuracy -- just, actuality and there, from this hasty bend and that, an observation, a revelation, a breakable assumption struck. Maybe it's just an ad for piano acquaint or a computer or a facial soap, but it gets to the affection of what makes us tick. Leave it to the philosophers to contemplate the ample issues.

Advertising is agreeable to anticipate small.