10 Best Commercials of All Time: CGI & Practical Effects Only, No AI
- Diane Mi
- Mar 31
- 6 min read
To single out the best commercials of all time, we must first agree: the notion of “the best” is subjective. There are countless lists of the greatest commercials of all time across the internet, but what you need is a biased opinion validated by arguments.
The best commercials of all time can grow the product’s market share in 96.55% of the markets where it is sold. The question is: How do they do that?
In my Best Commercials of All Time compilation, I’ve named only ten that I personally like because I decided to base my selection on certain criteria relevant to marketing and brand reps.
The Method behind the Best Commercial Research
In my 10-year experience of working with creative content, the best commercial is not just a proven ROI. It’s industry awards and multi-metric success, too.
Best Commercials of All Time with Awards
It’s hard to be objective when you are judging something at the intersection of creative genius, art, marketing, and cultural resonance.
So, I started by checking award lists. I noted the best commercials of all time, winning Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Commercial, AICP top honors, Cannes Lions, or getting System1 5+ Star ratings.
Impact Metrics (Sales + Engagement)
The best commercials of all time are the efficient ones. Brand lifts are the hardest to fact-check. Some marketing agencies announce sales growth publicly. Others I could judge only by a sum of YouTube, TV, and Vimeo views. Revenue records are the most telling if available.
Finally, you may have to cross-check years to ensure different representatives per annum.
Best Commercials of All Time, 2026 Included
“The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” by Old Spice
Isaiah Mustafa stars in a single-take monologue transitioning scenes without cuts. Mustafa’s confident address to women, who are key product buyers, captivates them through a topless shower shot, diamond sparkles, and a reference to the little-girl dreams of a prince on a white horse.
🏆 Emmy for Outstanding Commercial, Film Lions Grand Prix, top honors at AICP for Advertising Excellence, Humor, and Performance
One of the best television commercials of all time to revive a brand. It went viral because it targeted female purchasers of men’s products.
Sales went up 60% in the first month. The video saved Old Spice from sale.
💡 The best commercial in overnight brand reposition.
Best Television Advertisement by VOLKSWAGEN: “The Force”
The video features mini-Darth Vader “activating” dad’s Passat via remote.
Practical effects with a child actor gave adult buyers pure delight.
🏆 System1 5.1 Stars
Over 100M views boosted VW sales. The company recorded surges in website traffic, showroom visits, and purchase consideration. Turning viewers into advocates was a piece of cake due to the emotional resonance with family values.
💡 One of the best television ads with over 5M online shares.
“You’re not you when you’re hungry,” Snickers’ Best Video Adverts
The best television commercials of all time, styled as body-swap comedy with celebs and minimal VFX.
🏆 Effectiveness Lion, System1 5+ Stars
By transforming grumpy characters back into their normal state, Snickers struck it rich. It became dominant internationally because the relatable irritation was built on a universal insight.
💡 Global sales +15.9% first year, $376M over two years across 56/58 markets.
“Misunderstood”: One of Apple’s Best Television Ads
In this short film, the iPhone helps develop a cross-generational understanding. A teen’s “unproductive” day reveals art creation. And this final reveal of family video tribute not just flipped the “misunderstood” stereotype but drove holiday iPhone sales.
Apple’s best commercials of all time deserve a separate compilation, so forgive me for including just this one.
🏆 TBWA excellence in storytelling subtlety
Ace Metrix rates it among the best video ads during the holidays with the highest score of 607.
💡 The emotional holiday message reinforced brand loyalty.
“John Malkovich for Squarespace”
Before the 2026 collaboration with Emma Stone, Squarespace teamed up with actor John Malkovich. Both best video adverts feature surreal meta-narrative and are dialogue-heavy.
And it’s not just a reference to the 1999 Being John Malkovich, it’s about absurdity becoming part of our lives and the advertised service preventing it.
🏆 Emmy winner, AICP Direction category
Among the best television commercials of all time in website traffic attraction, it brought a record number of visitors in 12 years.
💡 During the campaign, 100K+ businesses launched their websites using the platform.
Best Television Advertisement by PopCorners: “Breaking Good”
A Breaking Bad parody with Bryan Cranston and Jonah Hill. Nothing could go wrong with such a star-focused crew. Nothing illegal. Just some perfectly spiced snacks.
🏆 Cannes Lions shortlist
The emotional hit helped grow the brand to $311M (+54% YoY) because PopCorners targeted their audience correctly. It resonated with the characters easily. Reports record 28K discussions and top polls for persuasion.
💡 Among parody-based campaigns, it’s one of the best video advertisements because it went viral, raising awareness and trial.
Best Video Adverts by Australian Lamb: “The Generation Gap”
The humorous family clashes in Australian Lamb’s best video ads feature relatable punch lines. Boomers roast Gen Zers, only to unite over a shared lamb BBQ.
🏆 6 Australian Effie Awards, including Gold
The campaign drove +18.9% purchase volume and 24.8M social views.
💡 Australian Lamb’s best commercials of all time boosted brand affinity to the highest level since 2016.
Lay’s Best Television Ads: “Little Farmer” & “The Last Harvest”
Across two SB seasons, Lay’s unfolds a heartwarming multigenerational farm story, featuring real farmers. Cinematic live-action wouldn’t do this alone. The scriptwriters locked in authentic storytelling for positive sentiment.
These are the best video ads directed by Taika Waititi (whom I’m a big fan of, btw).
🏆 5.9 Stars (top System1 Super Bowl); Cannes Lions wins for sustainability initiatives
The campaign isn’t about Lay’s farm sustainability initiatives, however. It’s also about the American rural authenticity, which we seldom think about.
💡 During the Super Bowl, Lay’s best commercials of all time have been noted for their memorability, likability, and human connection.
Best Commercial by BritBox: “See It Differently”
One of my top favorites, it’s among the best video advertisements in stop motion, shot in a single 14-hour continuous take. A 50-person crew transforms an actor into 11 characters and sets using hair, makeup, and costumes.
As one of the greatest commercials of all time in British history, it positions BritBox as a human-crafted, human-oriented content hub.
No awards yet, but I’m sure they’re on their way.
💡 The ad pushes back against AI in production and elevates BritBox as a premium brand.
Best Television Advertisement by BBC Sport: “Trails Will Blaze”
The stop-motion animation took 700 individually 3D-printed athlete figurines, scale models of Italian mountains, and pyrotechnic/combustion expertise for fiery trails.
Set to Giuseppe Verdi’s Requiem, Milano Cortina Winter Olympics promo is both technically innovative and creatively risky. I doubt any medium-sized sports brand will ever defy the conventions and go ahead with a high-value concept like that.
Compared to the Beijing 2022 stats, this time BBC Sport YouTube views grew +390% (8.8M).
💡 “Trails Will Blaze” joined the list of the best video advertisements of the Olympics with a record 4x engagement.
What Unites the Greatest Commercials of All Time
It’s not the budget. The benchmark production value may vary. There can be low-cost standouts with high ROI, becoming a global phenomenon. On the other hand, Super Bowl spectacles have never been affordable to produce.
It’s not the tech. The greatest commercials of all time deploy many cinematography, production, and editing techniques. They can be single-take, like BritBox’s case, stop-motion with analog craft like numerous Apple’s Xmas videos, or time-lapse highlighting the flow of time.
The best commercial is successful because it hits emotional resonance.
It works via parody, like PopCorners’ example, nostalgia, epic cross-generational scale, and other diverse means of emotional evocation.
The best commercials of all time are the ones that make us laugh, cry, spring with joy, or nod in appreciation. The feelings behind those emotional spikes make us remember the video, share it, retell it to someone else, and rewatch it until the packshot. A relatable brand video character is another storytelling trick.
Those are the levers that pull the marketing metrics up. They convert and sell.
If you want your business to shine among the best commercials of all time, contact our agency for a custom creative concept.
