Super Bowl 2011: Top 10 Most Popular Banned Super Bowl Ads

 The real winners of this Sunday's Super Bowl will not necessarily be the ones in helmets and pads.

The Pittsburgh Steelers and the Green Bay Packers may be battling it out for the Vince Lombardi Trophy on the pitch, but off the pitch, there will be a conflict every bit as intense - and the combatants will be wearing suits and skinny ties.

That's because America's biggest sporting event is also its biggest advertising event, with a 30-second commercial at half-time likely to cost any brand hoping to make a name for themselves almost £2million a go.

However, the battle for prime time is only part of the story. With only a finite amount of spots available during the main event, some brands have taken a slightly more controversial route in their bid to be noticed come the main event.

In fact, according to an article in Forbes, being banned or deemed 'too hot for TV' can be a much cheaper way of gaining a lot of attention for your brand. After all, there is no such thing as bad publicity.

Get it right, and you can expect a significant number of views and shares - sometimes even more than the ones who advertised at the main event.

Two brands are already using this strategy in the lead-up to this year's big event, with both Ashley Madison and Jesushatesobama.com being deemed 'too hot for TV'.

But which banned Super Bowl ads have been the most successful? Well, following on from our chart of the most successful Super Bowl ads ever, the Viral Video Chart has delved into the reject pile to find out.

Take a look below to find out which ads were the most popular, based on the number of shares on Facebook, Twitter and the blogosphere. For the top 20, click here.

Bud Light proves once again that they are the people's choice when it comes to ads, but there are a couple of wildcards as well.

One ad that did not make it, but deserves an honorable mention was PETA’s “Veggie Love”. Enjoy!

10. Mancrunch – Super Bowl

From: Super Bowl 2010

Shares: 1,450

Views: 304,425

Snickers Mechanic Kiss from 2007 was scandalous enough to be pulled, so it comes as no surprise that this dating service ad got pulled as well.

We are guessing that it might have created a slight uprising on the other side of the pond.

9. Bud Light – Apology Bot

From: Super Bowl 2007

Shares: 1,471

Views: 2,851,874

Apology Bot 3000 – where can we get one?

8. Budweiser – Swear Jar

From: Superb Bowl 2007 

Shares: 2,037

Views: 93,211

How many remember having a swear jar at home when they were young? Did your parents ever tell you where all the money went?

One of these jars would be an instant success at the Unruly office.

7. Bud Light –Apology Bot

From: Super Bowl 2007 

Shares: 2,245

Views: 2,994,869

The Apology Bot 3000 proves once again that it is worth its weight in gold. And it is no real surprise why it got pulled.

6. KGB – In the Hole

From Super Bowl 2010

Shares: 2,547

Views: 333,957

Ignorance is not always bliss.

5. Doritos – Crash the Super Bowl

From: Super Bowl 2010

Shares: 2,695

Views: 1,681,625

This entry to the successful Crash the Super Bowl campaign got rejected a whole year before the Super Bowl.

Is it that bad? Decide for yourself.

4. Bud Light – Bottle Opener

From: Super Bowl 2006

Shares: 3,635

Views: 2,102,096

Whenever you think that you need a bottle opener, think again.

3. Rolling Rock – Always bring a cup

From: Super Bowl 2010

Shares: 6,253

Views: 922,494

At first glance it is hard to understand why this commercial was banned – it is after all preaching 'safety first', is it not?

The end scene though…well, you will understand if your mind is in the gutter.

2. Bud Light – Clothing Drive

From: Super Bowl 2010

Shares: 9,351

Views: 820,899

Bud Light does a terrific job of promoting social consciousness, as well as its brand in this ad. We are also grateful for the black boxes.

For most of the time at least.

1. Bud Light – Skinny Dipping

From: Super Bowl 2007

Shares: 11,127

Views: 12,736,102

Bud Light has dominated the list of all time banned Super Bowl commercials, and this bad boy has had over 12 million views since its launch in 2007. 

* Pontus Bondeson is our official Super Bowl correspondent for 2011 (or XLV as it is properly termed)!  He has excellent credentials, having played American Football for nine years, as well as being an avid fan of the sport on television. Follow his posts in the run-up to the big game to learn all about the exciting world of American football and advertising.