The Most Expensive Ad Campaigns

Chanel: Runway - Paris Fashion Week Womenswear Spring/Summer 2014

One of the biggest perks about being a celebrity isn’t just the fame, but the money that comes along with it. And since celebs are some of the most influential people on the planet thanks to the love fans have for them, companies are willing to pay them lots of money to endorse their products. And if you keep reading, you’ll find out some of the most expensive ad campaigns ever.

5. Pepsi – $8.1 million

Originally airing during the Super Bowl in 2002, Pepsi dished out over $8 million to solidify its spot on the millions watching the game. It’s pitch? Feature then mega-huge pop star Britney Spears traveling through time to show the longevity of the product from 1958 to 2002.

4. Chrysler – $12.4 million

Who says that the city of Detroit has a financial crisis? Seeing how one of the town’s most renowned company’s, Chrysler, spent $12.4 million on a commercial in 2011 to land Motown native Eminem in it, one might think differently. The ad was to help show that the city was back and on the upswing, so the money may have been worth it.

3. Aviva – $13.4 million

When a company plans on making a name change—as Aviva did back in 2008, going from the Norwich union to its current name—it has to pull out all the stops to get the message across. That’s what this brand did, locking up celebs like Bruce Willis, Alice Cooper, Elle MacPherson and others who have changed their names in their careers to help describe why it can be successful. With so many big names featured, it’s no wonder the thing was so expensive.

2. Guinness – $16 million

Filmed in Argentina amongst many locals, the 90-second ad is about as mind-blowing as possible, grabbing viewers’ attention from the beginning and making them hope for more. It’s simplicity of the props makes the fact that there is no well-known celebrity worth the massive price tag it took to produce it.

1. Chanel No. 5 – $33 million

Featuring actors Nicole Kidman and Rodrigo Santoro, luxury brand Chanel spent $33 million to make sure they proved their perfume was the best smelling thing on the planet. Acting more of a short film than just an ad, the commercial actually lead to a spike in sales, proving the loyalty of consumers towards both Kidman and Santoro.

Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

Written by Nick Dimengo

Graduate of the University of Kentucky. Cleveland sports fan. Frustrated respecter of LeBron James. Influencer of bad ideas. In addition to Worthly/Housely, I'm a regular contributor to Bleacher Report, Scout, Esquire and Maxim, and run or bike way too much for my own good when not writing. The day a Cleveland sports team wins a title is the day I can officially say my life is complete.