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About This Quiz
Americans are exposed to a lot of commercials. A 2014 report by TVWeek found that the average network show includes 14 minutes and 15 seconds of advertising per hour, while the average cable program includes 15 minutes and 38 seconds of commercials. With a typical adult watching more than 5 hours of TV each day, according to Nielsen, that's easily an hour of straight ads going straight into your brain each day. While plenty of people swear they aren't effected by these ads, evidence suggests they are having more of an influence then you think. That's why companies are willing to spend an average of $112,000 for a 30-second spot on a prime-time network show - and much, much more for hit series or big events.
While the average commercial does its job of spreading brand awareness or letting consumers know about new products, some advertisements transcend typical, and become a part of pop culture history. The most successful ads turn into memes and catchphrases, helping us remember them years after they've aired.
Do you remember what commercial suggest as the cure discomfort after consuming a spicy meatball, or what concoction soothes Mean Joe Greene? Any idea why that pink bunny keeps going and going? More crucially, do you remember what these memorable commercials were actually selling? Take our quiz and see if you can identify the products associated with these commercials from just a single image!
YouTube
What was this famous commercial selling?
Beer
Dolls
The first Barbie commercial introduced a new type of doll in 1959. The sweet and innocent ad aired for the first time during The Mickey Mouse Club, the most popular TV show among kids at that time. On the same day, the first fashion doll was displayed at the American Toy Fair in New York City.
Cat Food
Cars
YouTube
What was this famous commercial selling?
Hot Dogs
"I wish I were an Oscar Mayer Weiner..." - Do you remember this hit song? Chances are you still know the words to this one. A lot of kids in the '60s knew and loved this cute commercial; a lot of us still can sing this catchy song!
Jeans
Clothes
Toys
YouTube
What was this famous commercial selling?
Shoes
Milk
Furniture
Lollipops
Mr. Owl and a kid who wasn't really wearing clothes (nobody knows why) can be still seen on TV after all these years. The simple but adorable animation and cute characters made this ad a part of a modern pop culture. Do you still wonder how many licks does it take to get the center of a Tootsie Roll Pop? A group of engineering students from Purdue University also wanted to find it out, so they invented the licking machine, modeled after a human tongue. It took an average of 364 licks to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop!
Advertisement
YouTube
What was this famous commercial selling?
Instant coffee
Nothing
Keep America Beautiful's “Crying Indian†is a great example of a memorable public service message. The scene where Cree Cherokee Iron Eyes Cody weeps at his beloved country overrun by pollution is unforgettable. By the way, the main actor Iron Eyes Cody (Espera Oscar de Corti) wasn’t a Native American, but his wife and their adopted children were.
Cereal
Donuts
YouTube
What was this famous commercial selling?
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola's “Mean Joe Greene†is one of earliest - and most popular - big-time “Super Bowl commercials." Released in 1979, it inspired countless parodies and remakes!
Marlboro cigarettes
Ice cream
Old Spice
YouTube
What was this famous commercial selling?
Energy drinks
Suitcases
Back in 1980, American Tourister decided that the best way to prove the durability of their suitcases is to have a gorilla jump all over it. Actor Don McLeod played an ape wearing a $20,000 monkey suit with moving eyebrows. Adorable and simple, their "Gorilla" ad even won the Cleo Award in the '80s.
Pepsi
Budweiser beer
Advertisement
YouTube
What was this famous commercial selling?
Yogurt
Batteries
Energizer's "Escape of The Bunny" is a great example of a breakthrough advertising. First aired in 1989, this ad established Energizer batteries as an independent product, while a relentless pink hero became an important part of pop culture and a cultural cliche.
Milk
Tortilla chips
YouTube
What was this famous commercial selling?
Budweiser beer
Alka Seltzer
Alka Seltzer's "Spicy Meatball" became so popular because it's basically a commercial about making a commercial. The hilarious ad aired in 1969, and while its catchphrase "That’s a spicy meatball" could be heard anywhere, the commercial didn't boost sales. Why? Well, a lot of people thought that this line is from a spaghetti or pasta sauce commercial.
Snacks
Burgers
YouTube
What was this famous commercial selling?
Coke
Hot dogs
Fast food
Everybody knows Wendy's famous ad “Where’s the Beef?â€, but their "Russian Fashion Show" is an underappreciated masterpiece. While this $250,000 piece didn't get a lot of attention, it's one of the best - and extremely hilarious - Cold War piece since Dr. Strangelove.
Candy
Advertisement
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What was this famous commercial selling?
Cereal
Back in the '60s, Rice Krispies ran three opera-themed commercials remembered as some of the most popular commercials of all time. A lot of people still remember the famous lines - "No more Rice Krispies! We are out of Rice Krispies!"
Chrysler cars
Snickers
Pepsi
YouTube
What was this famous commercial selling?
Chevrolet cars
Fast food
Wendy's "Fluffy Bun" is by far the most recognizable commercial out there. A famous catchphrase “Where’s the Beef?†was introduced in 1984, and since then it became an all-purpose phrase question.
Insurance
IPhones
YouTube
What was this famous commercial selling?
Apple computer
Directed by renowned Hollywood filmmaker Ridley Scott, Apple’s famous 1984 commercial turned Super Bowls ads into a real phenomenon. After a huge success of this ad, creating ads specifically for Super Bowl became a big thing.
Snickers
Tootsie Roll Pops
Baby food
Advertisement
YouTube
What was this famous commercial selling?
American Spirit cigarettes
Japanese Cars
This ad sold thousands of cars thanks to Joe Isuzu, a fictional salesman who helped ISUZU to enter the U.S. market. At that time, the brand had a small ad budget and was looking for a cheap but effective way to promote the Japanese cars in the US. The famous ad "Joe Isuzu/liar" was a big success - after it aired, Isuzu reported 18 percent spike in sales!
Budweiser beer
Pepsi
YouTube
What was this famous commercial selling?
Meat
Wine
Chanel No. 5
Coca-Cola
Max Headroom (played by Matt Frewer who was wearing a latex mask) was already a well-known talk-show host when Coca-Cola made him their new symbol. Headroom’s sarcasm and the quality of visuals got the attention of viewers, but the new product wasn't a big hit.
YouTube
What was this famous commercial selling?
Raisins
California Raisins, a fictional music band composed of...well, raisins, was first introduced in 1987. The original concept and catchy songs sung by musician Buddy Miles made these wrinkled musicians really popular in the US. The agency executive claimed that this band of dried fruits even had their own fan club!
Cars
Dos Equis beer
Barbie dolls
Advertisement
YouTube
What was this famous commercial selling?
Soft drinks
Nothing
The Partnership for a Drug-Free America released their famous commercial “Fried Egg†back in 1987. The message was simple yet powerful: “This is your brain,†the announcer said at an undamaged egg. “This is your brain on drugs", he then said at a sizzling one.
Cigarettes
Chips
YouTube
What was this famous commercial selling?
Makeup products
Nothing
Bacon
A mix of popcorn and peanuts
Cracker Jack is a mix of caramel flavored popcorn and peanuts with a small prize inside. The actor Jack Gilford did more than 25 Cracker Jack ads in total, but his long-running spot "Train" became one of the most popular commercial in the '60s.
YouTube
What was this famous commercial selling?
Cars
Nissan created their most popular spot "Toys" in 1996. Later, they admitted that the same commercial with real people could look "a little bit chauvinistic", but with stop-motion dolls, it looks more like a shorter and funnier version of "Toy Story".
Ballpoint pens
Crackers
Cheese
Advertisement
YouTube
What was this famous commercial selling?
Fast food
Products for pets
Pizza
The pizza companies always want to highlight how cheesy their pizza is. Little Caesars (remember their famous tagline “Cheeser, cheeser�) were not an exception. We bet you've seen their cute and hilarious ad "High Chair" that shows the mozzarella that is so stringy, it propels a smiling baby and her high chair from a dining room to front yard.
Jello
YouTube
What was this famous commercial selling?
Nike shoes
Energizer batteries
Insurance
Some people know only the company's mascot, the GEICO gecko, but the GEICO "Cavemen" campaign, first aired in 2004, was equally successful. Both ad campaigns were developed by The Martin Agency and are well known for their smart, refreshing humor and satire.
Chocolate
YouTube
What was this famous commercial selling?
Rice Krispies Treats
'Make the Holidays a Treat' is a 2015 ad for famous marshmallow treats that offered a fresh spin on making Rice Krispies treats during the holiday season. It also introduced a new memorable jingle and showed that the brand's focused shifted from cereal to treats.
Fabric Softener
Polaroid cameras
Cars
Advertisement
YouTube
What was this famous commercial selling?
Milk
Beer
Coffee
Insurance
Just like GEICO uses a lizard in their commercials, AFLAC stars the white Pekin duck in their ads. Both insurance companies created successful and memorable ad campaigns that regularly attract new customers.
YouTube
What was this famous commercial selling?
Jell-O
Jell-o and their "Weird Harold" campaign basically revived Bill Cosby's career. He did over 80 spots centered on an Old Weird Harold story before he got a role of the goofy dad in The Cosby Show.
Donuts
Pizza
Cookies
YouTube
What was this famous commercial selling?
Cereal
Ketchup
Toilet paper
Insurance
Progressive Insurance used a fictional saleswoman "Flo" 94 times in their ads. However, not long ago, they launched a new ad campaign that did not feature their ever-present car insurance saleswoman. Why? According to Progressive, they decided to change their ad campaign in attempt to humanize a brand and appeal to Millennials. This spot, called “The Threadâ€, supposed to show the humanity of their brand and honest, dedicated people who work for the company.
Advertisement
YouTube
What was this famous commercial selling?
Soda
Cleaning products
Glasses
Chocolate bars
Snickers ' 2010 Super Bowl commercial helped a 88-year-old actress Betty White to revive her struggling career. The spot was released before the famous "You’re not you when you’re hungry†campaign, but became a viral hit in its own right.
YouTube
What was this famous commercial selling?
Chocolate
Beer
The beer company Dos Equis is famous for branding the "most interesting man in the world". This brand strategy is extremely effective, but not long ago the brand decided to replace the iconic character. The new "most interesting man" is a 41-year-old French actor Augustin Legrand.
Mascara
IPhone 5
YouTube
What was this famous commercial selling?
Beer
"Puppy Love" ad once again proved that adorable fluffy animals and a touching message is a winning combination that can be used to promote anything, even beer. This sweet love story that features a cute golden retriever puppy was the most popular Super Bowl ad in 2014.
Toothpaste
Hair products
Cereal
Advertisement
YouTube
What was this famous commercial selling?
Popcorn
Soft drinks
Milk
Milk-is-good-for-you ads are not working anymore, so big dairy companies have to be creative. “Aaron Burr†is a part of the Got Milk? advertising campaign that encourages people to drink more cow's milk, but it's not your usual commercial.
Headphones
YouTube
What was this famous commercial selling?
Cars
Creative agencies love creating car commercials. And viewers love to watch them. Thanks to the auto industry's disturbingly large budgets, car commercials are always among the best. Nissan 300ZX ad looks both as a Hollywood blockbuster and car commercial for a reason - it was directed by Ridley Scott. Yes, the guy who did Aliens.
Insurance
Tablets
Laptops
YouTube
What was this famous commercial selling?
Candy
Raisins
Pepsi
The big companies are still debating whether or not a brand’s advertising should show its competitor’s products, even though it became a pretty common strategy over the years. However, back in the '90s, Pepsi took a big risk with their "Delivery Guys"ad that showed two guys fighting over a glass of Pepsi-Cola.
Shoes
Advertisement
YouTube
What was this famous commercial selling?
Healthy snacks
Doritos
"Live the Flavor" ad became the first consumer-created ad to air during a Super Bowl that started Doritos' famous "Crash the Super Bowl†campaign. The idea behind it was simple yet genius - the brand asked their most loyal customers to become a part of the commercial.
Pizza
Pasta
YouTube
What was this famous commercial selling?
Cars
Dolls
Cigarettes
A British brand of cigarettes, Benson & Hedges are well known among smokers in the US. The iconic cigarettes usually come in a gold package (even though other colors like silver, white, or black are also available in some countries). The luxury color association reflects in their ad campaigns as well. Since the '80s, B&H ads can be seen anywhere from a formula one racing to ice rink.
Nothing
YouTube
What was this famous commercial selling?
Chrysler cars
Chrysler's Super Bowl ad "Imported from Detroit" was not just selling cars, it was also celebrating American auto industry, Detroit, and Chrysler's comeback. Even though it was released in 2011, this commercial's main theme continues to resonate with the audience.
Dairy products
Diapers
Pain reliever
Advertisement
YouTube
What was this famous commercial selling?
Phones
Accesories
Air Jordans
There were so many classic Air Jordan TV and print ads that it's hard to choose the best one. Air Jordans changed the sneaker—and ad—game. Launched in the '80s, they introduced a new kind of shoes that are still popular nowadays, more than three decades later.
Computers
YouTube
What was this famous commercial selling?
Accessories
Marlboro cigarettes
Even though Marlboro brand was initially a women's cigarette brand, it gradually became more focused on men. Marlboro's 1967 ad "Foggy Morning", featuring the tight-lipped Marlboro Man, is a great example how the brand tried to appeal to male audience. After all, what can be more masculine than a cowboy?
Phones
Sunscreen
YouTube
What was this famous commercial selling?
Insurance
Mobile services
Plane tickets
Apple Computers
The iconic "Get a Mac" campaign ran from 2006 to 2009; each ad followed the standard template featuring a man dressed in casual clothes ("Mac") and a main in a suit ("PC) talking against a simple all-white background. There is no doubt that Steve Jobs was great at selling, whether on a stage, in person, or on TV, in the form of a minimalist yet powerful advertising campaigns.
Advertisement
YouTube
What was this famous commercial selling?
Sunglasses
Greeting cards
What can be more touching than a birthday surprise party for a 100-year-old woman? The now-deceased Fannie Peterson, a.k.a. “Ma Pete" made this commercial even more memorable, while the punchline “She’s actually 101†became an all-purpose phrase. Hallmark always knew how to deliver its message.
Jeans
Perfume
YouTube
What was this famous commercial selling?
Financial services
Nike shoes
Most sports ads take an motivational or moving route, showing a famous athlete or some inspiration story, but Nike's hilarious spot "Hang Time" is different - it's light, funny, and simple. The first commercial, released in 1989, was a part of the 10-part series and made Air Jordan No. 1 sneakers in America.
Insurance
Toys
YouTube
What was this famous commercial selling?
The New York Times newspaper
Old Spice
Beer
Chevrolet cars
"Boy Meets Impala" is a commercial that perfectly described the American Dream. It was an innovative ad for the narration-heavy ’50s - this commercial with a then huge budget (around $1 million!) contained 21 words and only simple, three-word sentences.
Advertisement
YouTube
What was this famous commercial selling?
Bread
Cat food
Meow Mix is one of the biggest brands of dry and wet cat food, well known for its catchy advertising jingle. The 1972 commercial "Singing Cat" where a feline is singing those memorable lyrics was silly yet powerful - especially compared to the whinings of cat Morris, the main rival of Meow Mix.
Milk
Butter
YouTube
What was this famous commercial selling?
Tea
Diet Pepsi
Michael J. Fox was so convincing in the first Diet Pepsi ad "Apartment 10G" that he got a $2 million a year, three-spot deal right after filming the first commercial. His costar Gail O’Grady also became famous thanks to that short yet brilliantly filmed spot.
Guacamole
Chips
YouTube
What was this famous commercial selling?
Mobile services
Even when AT&T was a monopoly, they never failed to create a memorable, moving, and touching ad to promote their mobile services. "Joey called" is one of their first commercials that shows a grown son calling his aging mother just to say that he loves her.
Chips
Pizza
Hummus
Advertisement
YouTube
What was this famous commercial selling?
Snacks
Ice cream
Fabric softener
In 1983, Unilever introduced Snuggle, a new brand of fabric softener created to challenge Procter & Gamble's Downy, the leader in this segment. Downy was around since the '60s, but Snuggle was cheaper and had a secret weapon - a cuddly and cute Snuggle Bear.
Milk
YouTube
What was this famous commercial selling?
Dairy products
Snacks
Candy
Prunes
Stan Freberg was the first to introduce sarcasm and skepticism to TV ads, and his spot "Today the pits..." for Sunsweet Prunes was not an exception. In fact, this commercial is the best example of his soft-sell philosophy that also boosted Prune sales and increased the company's revenue by an average of 400 percent.
YouTube
What was this famous commercial selling?
Cleaning products
Yogurt
Before the tagline "Today, for tomorrow" there was a brilliant spot called "Old Russians". Filmed in Soviet Georgia, it shows real people in their 80s or 90s, while the voice-over says “In Soviet Georgia, where they eat a lot of yogurt, a lot of people live past 100.â€
Nutrition bars
Cereal
Advertisement
YouTube
What was this famous commercial selling?
Chocolate
Coffee
Nothing
Fast food
McDonald’s released their well-known spot "Clean" in 1971 to highlight their image as a spotless, kid-friendly restaurant chain. A lot changed since then, but the theme song from this ad, “You Deserve a Break Today", can be still heard on a TV or radio.
YouTube
What was this famous commercial selling?
Furniture
IKEA is more than just a store - it's a cultural phenomenon. So far, their "Dining Room" is one of their most popular commercials simply because it was the first (and so far only) major ad that casually portrayed a gay couple.
Hair products
Bacon
Shoes
YouTube
What was this famous commercial selling?
Glasses
Underwear
Jeans
The absurd commercial "Doctors" uses a scene in an emergency room and a huge hit "Tainted Love" to praise new Levi's Wide Leg jeans. It was a wild yet successful spot by Levi's that got a lot of attention, yet failed to deliver its message.
Pain reliever
Advertisement
YouTube
What was this famous commercial selling?
Skin products
Handbags
Nike shoes
The first Nike commercial featuring a soon-to-be successful duo of Hare Jordan and Air Jordan was released in 1992. This innovative and eye-catching spot, featuring Michael Jordan and a cartoon bunny, also became famous for blending real-world footage with cartoon images.
Snacks
YouTube
What was this famous commercial selling?
Financial services
E-Trade is a well-known online platform for digital day-trading and also one of the first brands to break the fourth wall of Super Bowl ad. Their expensive and extremely hilarious ad features a dancing monkey that wears a T-shirt with a logo of the company. The ad got a lot of attention for two reasons: it not only ridiculed the cost of Super Bowl advertising, but also promoted the brand's message - spend your money wisely and make the most out of your earnings.
Clothes
Makeup
Shampoo
You Got:
/50
YouTube