Famous Ads: 30 of the Most Famous Commercials Ever
These are the most famous ads ever made: 30 commercials that won the top prize at Cannes Lions or D&AD and are still studied by creatives today. Each one lists who directed it, the agency and the award, and the ones with a page on FrameThrower add their length, shot count and story from our own data.
Key takeaways
- 30 famous ads, 1990s to 2020s, each a top prize winner at Cannes Lions or D&AD.
- The all-time names: Cadbury "Gorilla", Dove "Evolution", Honda "Grrr", Guinness "noitulovE", PlayStation "Mountain" and Old Spice.
- Recent Grand Prix winners include Apple, Nike, The New York Times, Tide, DoorDash and Hornbach.
- Every ad lists its director, agency and top award; the ones with a page add length, shot count and a logline from our own data.
- All are part of a library of 35,887 commercials you can search shot by shot.
What makes an ad famous
A famous ad is one people still retell years later, and that the industry keeps citing as the standard. Almost every ad here pairs an idea you can say in one sentence with a craft choice nobody expected: a gorilla playing the drums, a story told backwards through evolution, a single unbroken take across a bathroom, a boat and a horse.
Fame in advertising is also measured: the Cannes Lions Grand Prix and the D&AD Black Pencil are the highest prizes in the business, and only a handful are given each year. That is the bar for this list.
How we picked these famous ads
- Top awards. Each ad won the highest prize of a major show: a Cannes Lions Grand Prix or Titanium, or a D&AD Black Pencil.
- Lasting fame. The all-time picks are the ones still taught, quoted and referenced years later, chosen by our in-house team from the awarded work in our library.
- Craft. Each one is a piece of filmmaking worth studying shot by shot, not only a smart idea.
- In our library. Every ad here is in the FrameThrower commercials library of 35,887 spots, with its credits.
Famous ads of the 1990s
Doritos: Doritos (1997)
- Director:
- Richard Flintham
- Agency:
- BMP DDB
- Top award:
- D&AD Black Pencil 1997
Nike: Skateboarding: Running (1998)
- Agency:
- Goodby Silverstein & Partners
- Top award:
- Cannes Lions Grand Prix 1998
The Independent: Litany (1999)
- Director:
- Rob Sanders
- Agency:
- Lowe Howard-Spink
- Production:
- HLA
- Top award:
- Cannes Lions Grand Prix 1999
- Craft:
- Length: 57 s · Shots: 44 · Average shot: 1.3 s
A series of black and white vignettes depict various people and scenes, while a whispered voice recites a litany of "don't" commands, culminating in a call to read The Independent.
Famous ads of the 2000s
Budweiser: Whassup: Girlfriend (2000)
- Director:
- Charles Stone III
- Agency:
- Downtown Partners
- Production:
- C&C Storm Films
- Top award:
- Cannes Lions Grand Prix 2000
Fox Sports Net: China (2001)
- Director:
- Traktor
- Agency:
- Cliff Freeman & Partners
- Production:
- Partizan
- Top award:
- Cannes Lions Grand Prix 2001
IKEA: Lamp (2002)
- Director:
- Spike Jonze
- Agency:
- Crispin Porter + Bogusky
- Production:
- MJZ
- Top award:
- Cannes Lions Grand Prix 2003
PlayStation 2: Mountain (2003)
- Director:
- Frank Budgen
- Agency:
- TBWA
- Production:
- Gorgeous
- Top award:
- Cannes Lions Grand Prix 2004
- Craft:
- Length: 61 s · Shots: 35 · Average shot: 1.7 s
A city's population, driven by an unseen force, abandons their daily lives to form a massive human mountain, symbolizing the irresistible pull of PlayStation 2.
Honda: Grrr (2004)
- Director:
- Adam Foulkes
- Agency:
- Wieden+Kennedy
- Production:
- Nexus Studios
- Top award:
- Cannes Lions Grand Prix 2005
- Craft:
- Length: 90 s · Shots: 10 · Average shot: 9.0 s
A whimsical animated world where car parts transform into animals and objects, culminating in a garden with a "Diesel" logo, set to a catchy tune about hating something to change it for the better.
Guinness: noitulovE (2005)
- Director:
- Daniel Kleinman
- Agency:
- AMV BBDO
- Production:
- Kleinman Productions
- Top award:
- Cannes Lions Grand Prix 2006
Dove: Evolution (2006)
- Director:
- Yael Staav
- Agency:
- Ogilvy & Mather
- Production:
- Reginald Pike
- Top award:
- Cannes Lions Grand Prix 2007
Xbox 360 Halo 3: Believe / Museum of Humanity (2008)
- Director:
- Rupert Sanders
- Agency:
- T.A.G.
- Production:
- MJZ
- Top award:
- Cannes Lions Grand Prix 2008
Dairy Milk: Gorilla (2008)
- Director:
- Juan Cabral
- Agency:
- Fallon
- Production:
- Blink
- Top award:
- D&AD Black Pencil 2008
Famous ads of the 2010s
Philips Cinema TV: The Gift (2010)
- Director:
- Carl Erik Rinsch
- Production:
- RSA Films
- Top award:
- Cannes Lions Grand Prix 2010
Old Spice: The Man Your Man Could Smell Like (2010)
- Director:
- Tom Kuntz
- Agency:
- Wieden+Kennedy
- Production:
- MJZ
- Top award:
- D&AD Black Pencil 2011
- Craft:
- Length: 30 s · One take: 30 s in a single shot
A charismatic man directly addresses women, humorously comparing himself to their partners and showcasing the transformative power of Old Spice products through surreal scene changes.
Channel 4: Meet the Superhumans (2012)
- Director:
- Tom Tagholm
- Agency:
- 4creative
- Production:
- 4creative
- Top award:
- Cannes Lions Grand Prix 2013
Honda: Sound of Honda / Ayrton Senna 1989 (2013)
- Director:
- Kosai Sekine
- Agency:
- Dentsu Inc.
- Production:
- Dentsu Creative X Inc.
- Top award:
- Cannes Lions Titanium 2014
- Craft:
- Length: 90 s · Shots: 40 · Average shot: 2.2 s
Honda recreates Ayrton Senna's fastest lap at Suzuka Circuit using light and sound, showcasing their telemetry technology and commitment to innovation.
Intel + Toshiba: The Beauty Inside (2013)
- Director:
- Drake Doremus
- Agency:
- Pereira & O'Dell
- Production:
- B-Reel
- Top award:
- Cannes Lions Grand Prix 2013
- Craft:
- Length: 113 s · Shots: 63 · Average shot: 1.8 s
A man wakes up as a different person every day, documenting his changing appearance and experiences, until he meets a woman he wants to stay with forever.
Harvey Nichols: Sorry, I Spent It on Myself (2014)
- Director:
- James Rouse
- Agency:
- adam&eve\TBWA
- Production:
- Outsider
- Top award:
- Cannes Lions Grand Prix 2014
- Craft:
- Length: 104 s · Shots: 24 · Average shot: 4.3 s
People give cheap, mundane gifts to their loved ones for Christmas, having spent their money on luxury items for themselves from Harvey Nichols.
GEICO: Unskippable: Family (2015)
- Director:
- Terri Timely
- Agency:
- The Martin Agency
- Production:
- Park Pictures
- Top award:
- Cannes Lions Grand Prix 2015
John Lewis: Monty's Christmas (2015)
- Director:
- Dougal Wilson
- Agency:
- adam&eve\TBWA
- Production:
- Blink
- Top award:
- Cannes Lions Grand Prix 2015
- Craft:
- Length: 120 s · Shots: 54 · Average shot: 2.2 s
A boy's imaginary penguin friend, Monty, longs for a companion, leading the boy on a quest to find Monty true love for Christmas.
Under Armour: Rule Yourself (Michael Phelps (2016)
- Director:
- Martin de Thurah
- Agency:
- Droga5
- Production:
- Epoch Films
- Top award:
- Cannes Lions Grand Prix 2016
- Craft:
- Length: 89 s · Shots: 58 · Average shot: 1.5 s
Michael Phelps trains relentlessly, pushing his body to the limits in the pool and gym, enduring pain and solitude, all to achieve greatness and rule himself.
Harvey Nichols: Shoplifters (2016)
- Director:
- Layzell Bros
- Agency:
- adam&eve\TBWA
- Production:
- Blinkink
- Top award:
- Cannes Lions Grand Prix 2016
Tide: It's a Tide Ad (2018)
- Director:
- Traktor
- Agency:
- Saatchi & Saatchi NY
- Production:
- Rattling Stick
- Top award:
- Cannes Lions Grand Prix 2018
The New York Times: The Truth Is Worth It: Perseverance (2019)
- Director:
- Martin + Lindsay
- Agency:
- Droga5
- Production:
- Furlined
- Top award:
- Cannes Lions Grand Prix 2019
- Craft:
- Length: 30 s · Shots: 20 · Average shot: 1.5 s
This ad showcases the relentless investigative journalism of The New York Times, focusing on the separation of immigrant children at the U.S. border, highlighting the perseverance required to uncover the truth.
The New York Times: The Truth Is Worth It: Resolve (2019)
- Director:
- Daniel Lindsay
- Agency:
- Droga5
- Production:
- Furlined
- Top award:
- Cannes Lions Grand Prix 2019
Famous ads of the 2020s
Nike: You Can't Stop Us (2020)
- Director:
- Oscar Hudson
- Agency:
- Wieden+Kennedy
- Production:
- Pulse Films
- Top award:
- Cannes Lions Grand Prix 2021
- Craft:
- Length: 90 s · Shots: 39 · Average shot: 2.3 s
This ad uses a split-screen technique to show athletes from different sports, genders, and abilities performing in sync, emphasizing unity and resilience in the face of challenges.
Apple: Relax, It's iPhone – R.I.P. Leon (2023)
- Agency:
- In-house
- Production:
- Biscuit Filmworks
- Top award:
- Cannes Lions Grand Prix 2023
DoorDash: DoorDash All the Ads (2024)
- Director:
- Mike Diva
- Agency:
- Wieden+Kennedy
- Production:
- Lord Danger
- Top award:
- Cannes Lions Titanium 2024
Hornbach: The Square Meter (2024)
- Director:
- Steve Rogers
- Agency:
- HeimatTBWA\
- Production:
- Tony Petersen Film
- Top award:
- Cannes Lions Grand Prix 2024
Anthropic: Can I Get a Six-pack Quickly (2026)
- Director:
- Jeff Low
- Agency:
- Mother
- Production:
- Biscuit Filmworks
- Top award:
- Cannes Lions Grand Prix 2026
All 30 famous ads at a glance
| Ad | Year | Director | Agency | Top award |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doritos: Doritos | 1997 | Richard Flintham | BMP DDB | D&AD Black Pencil 1997 |
| Nike: Skateboarding: Running | 1998 | Goodby Silverstein & Partners | Cannes Lions Grand Prix 1998 | |
| The Independent: Litany | 1999 | Rob Sanders | Lowe Howard-Spink | Cannes Lions Grand Prix 1999 |
| Budweiser: Whassup: Girlfriend | 2000 | Charles Stone III | Downtown Partners | Cannes Lions Grand Prix 2000 |
| Fox Sports Net: China | 2001 | Traktor | Cliff Freeman & Partners | Cannes Lions Grand Prix 2001 |
| IKEA: Lamp | 2002 | Spike Jonze | Crispin Porter + Bogusky | Cannes Lions Grand Prix 2003 |
| PlayStation 2: Mountain | 2003 | Frank Budgen | TBWA | Cannes Lions Grand Prix 2004 |
| Honda: Grrr | 2004 | Adam Foulkes | Wieden+Kennedy | Cannes Lions Grand Prix 2005 |
| Guinness: noitulovE | 2005 | Daniel Kleinman | AMV BBDO | Cannes Lions Grand Prix 2006 |
| Dove: Evolution | 2006 | Yael Staav | Ogilvy & Mather | Cannes Lions Grand Prix 2007 |
| Xbox 360 Halo 3: Believe / Museum of Humanity | 2008 | Rupert Sanders | T.A.G. | Cannes Lions Grand Prix 2008 |
| Dairy Milk: Gorilla | 2008 | Juan Cabral | Fallon | D&AD Black Pencil 2008 |
| Philips Cinema TV: The Gift | 2010 | Carl Erik Rinsch | Cannes Lions Grand Prix 2010 | |
| Old Spice: The Man Your Man Could Smell Like | 2010 | Tom Kuntz | Wieden+Kennedy | D&AD Black Pencil 2011 |
| Channel 4: Meet the Superhumans | 2012 | Tom Tagholm | 4creative | Cannes Lions Grand Prix 2013 |
| Honda: Sound of Honda / Ayrton Senna 1989 | 2013 | Kosai Sekine | Dentsu Inc. | Cannes Lions Titanium 2014 |
| Intel + Toshiba: The Beauty Inside | 2013 | Drake Doremus | Pereira & O'Dell | Cannes Lions Grand Prix 2013 |
| Harvey Nichols: Sorry, I Spent It on Myself | 2014 | James Rouse | adam&eve\TBWA | Cannes Lions Grand Prix 2014 |
| GEICO: Unskippable: Family | 2015 | Terri Timely | The Martin Agency | Cannes Lions Grand Prix 2015 |
| John Lewis: Monty's Christmas | 2015 | Dougal Wilson | adam&eve\TBWA | Cannes Lions Grand Prix 2015 |
| Under Armour: Rule Yourself (Michael Phelps | 2016 | Martin de Thurah | Droga5 | Cannes Lions Grand Prix 2016 |
| Harvey Nichols: Shoplifters | 2016 | Layzell Bros | adam&eve\TBWA | Cannes Lions Grand Prix 2016 |
| Tide: It's a Tide Ad | 2018 | Traktor | Saatchi & Saatchi NY | Cannes Lions Grand Prix 2018 |
| The New York Times: The Truth Is Worth It: Perseverance | 2019 | Martin + Lindsay | Droga5 | Cannes Lions Grand Prix 2019 |
| The New York Times: The Truth Is Worth It: Resolve | 2019 | Daniel Lindsay | Droga5 | Cannes Lions Grand Prix 2019 |
| Nike: You Can't Stop Us | 2020 | Oscar Hudson | Wieden+Kennedy | Cannes Lions Grand Prix 2021 |
| Apple: Relax, It's iPhone – R.I.P. Leon | 2023 | In-house | Cannes Lions Grand Prix 2023 | |
| DoorDash: DoorDash All the Ads | 2024 | Mike Diva | Wieden+Kennedy | Cannes Lions Titanium 2024 |
| Hornbach: The Square Meter | 2024 | Steve Rogers | HeimatTBWA\ | Cannes Lions Grand Prix 2024 |
| Anthropic: Can I Get a Six-pack Quickly | 2026 | Jeff Low | Mother | Cannes Lions Grand Prix 2026 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the most famous ad of all time?
There is no single answer, but the ads most often named are Cadbury "Gorilla", Dove "Evolution", Honda "Grrr", Guinness "noitulovE" and Old Spice "The Man Your Man Could Smell Like". All of them won top awards and are still studied today.
What are the best ad campaigns ever?
The campaigns on this list won the highest prizes in advertising: Cannes Lions Grand Prix and Titanium, and D&AD Black Pencils. They span 1990s to 2020s, from brands including Doritos, Nike, The Independent, Budweiser, Fox Sports Net, IKEA.
What makes an advert famous?
A simple idea people can retell in one sentence, a craft choice that surprises (a gorilla on drums, a single unbroken take, a backwards story), and a brand that stands behind something bigger than the product. Awards make the industry remember it; retelling makes the public remember it.
Who directed the most famous commercials?
Directors such as Juan Cabral (Gorilla), Daniel Kleinman (noitulovE), Frank Budgen (Mountain), Spike Jonze (Lamp) and Tom Kuntz (Old Spice) are behind several of the best known. Every ad on this list links to its director where we have their page.
Where can I watch famous ads with their credits?
FrameThrower holds 35,887 commercials, 30 of them on this list, each with director, agency, production company and awards. 11 have a public page with the official film, the credits and the script; every one is searchable shot by shot with an account.
Can I watch these famous ads on FrameThrower?
Where the brand or agency has published the film, its spot page embeds their official upload, with the credits and the script. Searching inside every shot and taking frames or clips needs a FrameThrower account: free for 10 searches a day, then Pro.
Explore every famous ad, shot by shot
FrameThrower holds 35,887 commercials, cut into 1,017,873 shots, each with who made it and what it won.
Search inside them by describing a shot, free for 10 searches a day. Or browse the commercials database.
About the author
Leo Kadieff has made film and advertising work for over 20 years, including campaigns for Coca-Cola (FIFA), Amazon and SC Johnson with Monks, and creative partnerships with Google, Adobe, Runway and Luma. He built FrameThrower because finding the right reference was the slowest part of every pitch and treatment.
Leo Kadieff on LinkedIn