Apple, "1984": Directed by Ridley Scott, this early example of Apple's advertising genius is arguably still the most iconic tech ad of all time. The spot, which introduced the world to the Macintosh, was aired only once on TV (though, for the record, it was during the Superbowl), but it continues to be a cultural force to this day; in fact it was recently spoofed via a viral pro-Obama ad during the Democratic primaries.

Energizer, "Energizer Bunny": Ad campaigns don't come much more iconic than the one starring the pink bunny-rabbit: Branding this strong is generally reserved for sugary breakfast cereals. The battery commercials first began appearing in the 80s, and the bunny has remained the mascot for the company ever since. I guess he does keep going after all...

Dell, "The Dell Dude": Love him or hate him, "Steven the Dell Dude" moved a lot of computers with the simple, slightly annoying, but unquestionably memorable catchphrase, "Dude, you're getting a Dell." Actor Ben Curtis was arrested with a small amount of marijuana in 2003, which most believe effectively lead to the termination of the campaign, which had run for 3 years. In its place came the Dell interns, who, suffice it to say, were never hired on for full-time employment. Curtis meanwhile, works as a waiter at Manhattan's Tortilla Flats. The Dude abides.

IBM, "The Little Tramp": Before exhuming dead celebs to push vacuum cleaners was all the rage, IBM bought the rights to Charlie Chaplin's most recognizable alter ego, to help sell PCs and PCjrs. OK, so maybe the latter wasn't such a great idea, but Chaplin chose to keep silent on the matter.

Maxell, "Blown Away Guy": Maxell may not have had the best start to the 21st century--but in the 80s, you couldn't pick up a blank tape without catching a glimpse of this sunglasses-wearing character slumped down in his living room chair, hair and tie flying behind him. The TV spots began in 1979, with a Wagner soundtrack. The Blown Away Guy, meanwhile, stuck around on Maxell's packaging until 2005.

Apple, "Get a Mac": Honestly, when we were brainstorming this story, we realized that it would have been easy to populate the thing with just Apple ads. We opted to stick to two, edging out Apple's "Think Different" campaign and those uber-iconic iPod ads. Also know as "Mac vs. PC" and "I'm a Mac and I'm a PC" (the first two lines from the commercial's various iterations), these ads featuring two guys standing in front of a stark white background starting airing in 2006, and have since been citing by many as having played a large role in the company's recent success in the personal computer market.

RCA "Nipper": Nipper came from humble, non-commercial beginnings: He first appeared in a 19th-century painting entitled "His Master's Voice," featuring the dog peering into a phonograph. The real Nipper, an unconfirmed breed of terrier (popularly assumed to be a Jack Russell), passed away in 1895. After a failed attempt to sell the image to Edison, Nipper's former owner managed to sell the painting to Gramaphone. Pictures of Nipper have subsequently been used to varying degrees of success for Victor and HMV. It's RCA, however, who made Nipper a true icon. In 1991, the company added a younger Chipper, featuring real-life versions of both dogs in TV spots. Nipper continues to represent the company to this day.

Microsoft Windows "Start Me Up": Before it failed to "wow" the public with its Vista campaign, Microsoft had a hit that was borrowed directly from Mick Jagger and company. Rumors at the time put the rights to The Rolling Stones' song at anywhere from $8 to $14 million. Small potatoes, compared with the $300 million campaign currently waiting in the wings.

Intel, "Pentium MMX": For a computer component manufacturer, Intel sure had some solid branding campaigns in the 90s. The five-note jingle and the "Intel Inside" logo both helped make the company a household name, but it was the dancing employees in boiler suits that helped put a face on the chip manufacturer. And, of course, a disco classic from Wild Cherry didn't hurt either.

Verizon, "Can You Hear Me Now": The simply named "Test Man" from Verizon's successful ad campaign is played by New York stage actor Paul Marcarelli. The horn-rimmed actor continues to play the role to this day. Seems safe to say that he got a pretty good reception.

Honorable Mentions:

Segway, "It": This largely word-of-mouth campaign promised to deliver a new gadget that would effectively change transportation and city planning as we know it. Then it turned out to be a scooter.

Nintendo, "The Wizard": For all intents and purposes, this "film" was really a 100-minute commercial for Nintendo, notable not only for the first public appearances of the Power Glove and Mario 3, but also for co-starring roles from Fred Savage and future Rilo Kiley frontwoman Jenny Lewis.