A little bit of brand warfare is pretty common nowadays. It can be a great way to build some playful competition and prove that your brand has a sense of humour (as long as you don’t overdo it – I’m looking at you Burger King). Thanks to a handy X post from BlueTickSocial‘s Yasmine Khosrowshahi, we’ve rediscovered some of the best brand wars from across advertising history – some more subtle than others.

Advertising off of brand beef is a careful art form – go too hard and you’ll look like a bad sport, don’t commit to the bit and your opponent has already won. Below we’ll revisit some of the most iconic brands who waged war on their competitors and discover what makes a successfully shady ad.

01. Pepsi vs Coca-Cola

This clever clapback from Pepsi was the perfect response to Coca-Cola taking the cola brand crown after it announced it sold four times as much as Pepsi back in 2001. Featuring a young boy at a vending machine, we see the kid purchase two Coca-Cola’s, only to use them as a step up to snag a coveted Pepsi can.

While it’s always a risky strategy to feature your competitor in ads, Pepsi demonstrates how subverting expectations and playfully poking fun at rival brands can be a golden marketing technique. With no dialogue and a simple storyline, this ad shines in its simplicity, making it a prime example of a clever brand war.

02. Adidas vs Nike

This Adidas ad is pretty typical of a 90s/00s sports brand ad, with glossy action shots of an athlete running through desolate terrain. As the protagonist plunges through desert landscapes the narrator informs us “This man wears Nike” before quickly breaking the fourth wall, claiming “The man carrying the 50 lb camera wears Adidas.”

Simple yet effective, this ad is another prime example of subverting expectations. While typically sports branding ads sell us the fantasy of the immaculate athlete, Adidas invites us to peek behind the curtain, proving the practicality and durability of its products.

03. McDonald’s vs Burger King

Ah, McDonald’s vs Burger King – it’s a brand beef as old as time. While the brand war may be getting a little stale nowadays, back in 2013 these playful shady ads were a golden marketing move on both sides.

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Featuring a young boy eating a McDonald’s meal, we quickly see him becoming swamped with ‘friends’ who want to grab a bite. In the next shot, he’s seen eating a Burger King meal uninterrupted. The shady ad is one of the more brutal examples of brand war advertising, yet the playful nature of fast food advertising makes it a fitting way to tease the competition. (Don’t worry, Burger King has since got its own back).

04. Apple vs Android

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Back in 2017, Apple released an ingenious campaign which put ‘your phone’ (Android) against the iPhone. Featuring a simple split screen motif, the clever ads featured examples of Apple’s superiority when it came to speed, privacy, photos, security and more – basically anything Android does, Apple apparently does better.

Short, concise and consistent, these clever ads are a great example of indirectly addressing the competition. Focussing on real-world consumer issues and offering a practical solution, these ads use the power of suggestion to win the brand war.

For the full list of ads, check out Yasmine Khosrowshahi’s original X post. If you’re after more branding insight, check out the brands that fight the most online – and who’s winning.

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