Special Report

The Biggest Super Bowl Advertisers of All Time

Patrick Smith / Getty Images

More than 100 million Americans — and millions more viewers around the world — will sit down on Feb. 2 to watch Super Bowl LIV. While most will be interested to see whether the San Francisco 49ers will earn their sixth win on the largest stage in American sports or the Kansas City Chiefs will be the ones winning their second title, many will be more interested in the commercials that will be unveiled during the big game.

Because of the size of the audience, brands are willing to shell out millions of dollars for just one 30-second spot during the Super Bowl. Fox, which will broadcast this year’s Super Bowl, is reportedly charging around $5.6 million for a 30-second TV ad during the game, according to Ad Age.

To identify the biggest Super Bowl advertisers of all time, 24/7 Tempo reviewed data compiled by Adland, a website that reports on advertising, and ranked brands by the highest estimated total combined ad spending for all Super Bowls, adjusted for inflation. Food and drinks brands like Budweiser, Pepsi, and Doritos have created and aired dozens of Super Bowl commercials, as have car makers like Ford, Toyota, and Hyundai. These are the 100 most valuable brands in the world

These figures are meant to be approximations of total advertising by brands, and these figures likely underestimate actual totals. Total spending is based on the reported cost of a 30-second ad from Ad Age for each year. We combined advertising for different products of the same brand, such as Coca-Cola and Diet Coke and Budweiser and Bud Light. Adland does not compile data for all years — Super Bowls in 1967, 1968, 1970, 1971, 1974, 1977, and 1978 did not have data available. 

Because ads during the Super Bowl are a large investment, companies need to make them count, so they go all out to make the advertisements as memorable as possible. Some brands opt to make a funny commercial by including wacky characters and celebrity cameos. These are America’s most loved TV personalities

Other brands aim for a heartwarming ad spot, like the unforgettable 2014 Budweiser commercial featuring a puppy and horse that become friends. The most popular Super Bowl ads often serve as a viral marketing tool, racking up millions of views online after the big game.

Rank Company Est. SB Spending Est. Ads Est. Seconds # of Super Bowls
30 Nissan $41,718,000 17 660 9
29 IBM $42,458,000 29 990 11
28 Snickers $42,964,000 13 375 10
27 Radio Shack $44,943,000 17 540 9
26 Taco Bell $47,808,000 13 480 11
25 Gillette $48,335,600 31 1,026 17
24 Visa $48,721,000 19 690 12
23 Universal $53,298,000 12 450 7
22 Cadillac $54,439,500 20 645 10
21 Pizza Hut $54,693,000 20 660 15
20 Chrysler $61,371,000 23 960 14
19 Audi $64,324,000 15 585 14
18 FedEx $66,244,000 31 1,050 19
17 E-Trade $67,332,333 25 655 10
16 Jeep $70,263,000 15 660 11
15 Volkswagen $82,478,167 27 910 15
14 Chevrolet $82,568,167 37 1,051 11
13 Honda $82,866,467 30 1,058 18
12 T-Mobile $87,475,000 14 585 7
11 Dodge $93,083,000 40 1,275 19
10 Doritos $96,185,833 33 1,055 18
9 Michelob $102,250,000 29 1,020 22
8 McDonald’s $108,877,000 54 2,070 26
7 Ford $109,816,000 52 1,800 23
6 Kia $129,562,000 13 910 10
5 Toyota $156,506,500 42 1,575 22
4 Hyundai $169,918,500 37 1,335 12
3 Coca-Cola $202,442,800 51 2,242 29
2 Pepsi $320,360,000 95 3,900 35
1 Budweiser $470,500,000 135 4,500 54

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