public relations…social media…commmunications…marketing. Repeat.

So, do you watch the Super Bowl for the game or for the commercials? For some people, this is a challenging question. For me, it’s rather easy. I watch for the commercials. I am looking for those major contenders (Doritos, Budweiser, Snickers, CareeerBuilder.com, Monster.com, etc.) and am curious as to how they are going to top themselves this year. I want to be a part of the Monday morning chit chat around the water cooler as everyone is sharing a laugh over their favorite and funniest commercials in addition to griping about the worst ones. Oh, and I’m sure they are talking about the game, too.

Apparently, I’m not alone. A 2010 Nielsen survey of more than 25,000 household’s in the Nielsen Homescan panel found that 51 percent of viewers surveyed said they enjoyed watching the commercials more than the game itself. With that being said, the Super Bowl is the prom of the advertising world. Big name brands are spending $3 or 4 million dollars on Super Bowl commercials. According to a January 2011 article in Ad Age, a spot on the Super Bowl is equal to, on average, 250 spots on regular TV for the top spenders. All of that just for 30 seconds of Super Bowl fame, but consider the impact of these commercials. In this age of social media, Super Bowl commercials are being tweeted, posted on Facebook and YouTube and viewed by millions of online viewers who either missed it the first time or couldn’t wait to see it again.

How does this effect ROI? Most brands that advertise during the Super Bowl see an average increase in sales of 12 percent the week following the big game. More established brands will feel the effects for longer. Considering Super Bowl related sales start long before game day, it is estimated that consumers will invest into this day more than they have in the past. A study from the Retail Marketing and Advertising Association, conducted by BIGresearch, found that consumer Super Bowl spending is expected to exceed $10.1 billion.

As much as consumers are looking forward to gathering around the TV to watch the big game on February 6, they are looking forward to the Super Bowl commercials just as much. With that said, let’s take a walk down memory lane, shall we?

Courtesy of The Daily Beast, here is a list of the 20 most effective Super Bowl commercials. Did they leave any off?

Enjoy!