Top 10 sports TVCs

To kick start the list is an absolute classic advert considered to be one of the best Super Bowl commercials ever. Starring NFL defensive lineman Joe Greene, this 1979 commercial for Coca-Cola shows the ball player trying to brush off a young kid offering him a bottle of Coca-Cola. "Mean Joe" finally relents with a sigh and finishes the Coke. Visibly more relaxed and smiling, he tosses the boy his jersey as the tagline 'Have a Coke and a smile' concludes the ad. The advert was created by McCann Erickson New York. 

Adverts featuring popular athletes are powerful, but even more so when they are showing off their skills. This series of adverts for NFL.com's Fantasy Football, sponsored by Reebok, is centered around the tremendous ball handling skills of the NFL's top players at the time. The concept is simple enough to warrant the home-movie shooting style, but the players' superhuman abilities will keep you glued to the screen. The award-winning ads, created by Blue Room NYC, were released in 2006. 

Following persistent allegations of doping, Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong created this 2001 ad with Nike to set the record straight. While it ventures into the uglier side of sports, the ad does a fantastic job in support of Armstrong's case. The investigations were dropped earlier this year with no charges filed. Nike has been with Wieden + Kennedy since the agency's inception in 1982. Founding partner Dan Wieden coined the sportswear giant's world famous 'Just do it' slogan. 

Having survived testicular cancer that spread to his lungs and brains before winning the Tour de France a record-breaking seven times, the inspirational Armstrong is an advertiser's dream. ESPN taps into his magic for this commercial as part of its legendary 'This is SportsCenter' campaign. Another Wieden + Kennedy success story, this campaign has been running since 1995 with over 400 ads released. 

This Reebok commercial starring former American football player Lester Speight as office linebacker Terry Tate was first aired during the Super Bowl 2003. Tate dishes out punishment around the office for those that step over the mark, including leaving the coffee pot empty or chatting between break times. The ads, showing Tate flooring offending employees with his signature flying tackle, were created by the Arnell Group in the US.

Launched in 2005, this TVC for Nike Gridiron was released to coincide with the start of the high school football season in the States. While the launching pad is not as high profile as the Super Bowl, the ad stands out because it doesn't include a single person. The static black and white images set to off-screen sounds associated with training for and playing football makes this ad as effective as it is simple. 

One of many emotionally charged basketball ads born out of Nike's partnership with Michael Jordan, this TVC for the Air Jordan XXI brand has a bit of everything, not least off all the re-creation of Jordan's free throw line dunk of 1988 towards the end. The music builds along with the tension in the way only sports commercials can, and the spot ends with a smiling Jordan and the tagline 'Let your game speak'. The 2006 commercial was produced by Nike's long-term agency partner Wieden + Kennedy. 

The next and most recent on the list is HSBC's sponsor ad of the 2012 Hong Kong Sevens Tournament. The fun advert captures the spirit of the event in a colourful display of street rugby playing out in the busy streets of Hong Kong. The very well shot advert makes you wonder how they did it and wish you were there to see it in the making. The ad was created by JWT London. 

The final two ads are what happens when Nike pulls out all the stops and revels in the luxury of a big budget. Here is 'Secret tournament' released for the 2002 FIFA World Cup. The ad, set to Elvis' 'A little less conversation', stars 24 of the top football players at the time. Also included is the campaign teaser and follow-up TVC 'Rematch'. 

'Write the future' won a Grand Prix at Cannes and set a new record for the most views of a viral video during its debut week. The three-minute advert, directed by Alejandro G Inarritu, was created for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Starring the likes of Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo and even Homer Simpson,  the ad is based on the premise that a player's future can be shaped within a few minutes on the pitch. When Rooney looses the ball he sees himself ending up living in a caravan and chalking a field, a vision which sets him off after the ball to rectify his mistake and alter his future. 

What is your favourite sports ad of all time? Let us know in the comments and we'll add it here.