Love them or hate them, TV adverts make up over 20% of the total advertising spend in the UK and are still a huge part of the advertising mix. Whether you use the advert break to go make a cup of tea or scroll through social media, those four minutes are packed full of emotions. The high-budget adverts, the cringeworthy ones and the hard-hitting ones, there’s endless variety, but they’re all trying to do the same thing; promoting in a dedicated space to a receptive audience.

If like many, you’ve spent a fair portion of lockdown in front of your television, you’ll no doubt be familiar with some of the modern adverts. However, nothing beats a bit of nostalgia, so we spoke to the team here at ads creative solutions to find out which iconic advert is their favourite.

Cadbury’s – Gorilla

As soon as you say iconic TV adverts, the drumming gorilla immediately comes to mind, Ben says. “Despite having nothing to do with chocolate or the Cadbury brand, apart from the purple background, everyone was talking about it and knew what it was for.” Released in 2007 it’s still remembered clearly today, we don’t think anyone has listened to Phil Collin’s In The Air Tonight again without picturing the gorilla!

Nike – Portugal vs. Brazil

Nike have hit the nail on the head multiple times when it comes to rememberable adverts. The Ronaldinho Cross Bar challenge or the Winner Stays On featuring Neymar vs Ronaldo may spring to mind. But the one that stands out to Reece is the Portugal vs. Brazil ad from 2004. With the infamous Mama loves Mabo backing track, the star-studded line-up and the countless “olés” – this advert’s production value was sky-high.

Coca Cola – Holiday’s Are Coming

Could this be the most iconic advert of all time? Most will argue, including Oli, that Christmas hasn’t begun until the Coca Cola truck hits our screens. First released in 1995, the advert ran for six years until it was taken off screens in 2001. Throughout the years that followed, Coca Cola received numerous complaints from customers who saw this as the start of the festive period. With the advert in such high demand, it was re-aired in 2007 and has run ever since.

Haribo – Inner Child (Boardroom)

Whether you’re a fan or not, Haribo has most certainly found a formula that works with their inner-child series of adverts. The humour not only appeals to adults but also children too, making it the perfect recipe for sales.

These adverts are so popular that they’re a favourite of both Ruth and Nikki. However, Kelly may think otherwise!

John Lewis – Snowman Love Story

Potentially the most anticipated advert of the year, John Lewis’ Christmas adverts always gets people talking. As a team, our favourite iconic advert is the Snowman love story from 2012 which featured the beautifully sang Power of Love by Gabrielle Aplin. Like many John Lewis Christmas adverts, this one did not fail in making the viewers feel a whole host of emotions from heartbreak to happiness.