Super Bowl ads didn’t become Super Bowl ads until the 1970s, and they’ve come a long way since Apple’s iconic “1984” spot aired in, well, 1984.

The commercial seared the computer company into the public’s consciousness, while not actually telling people what it did. It was, as they say, a talker.

And that’s what you want out of a Super Bowl ad – something memorable that creates not only conversation, but conversation about your brand, said Derek Rucker, a professor of marketing at Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management.

Take a look back at 50 years of Super Bowl ads — and how much they cost

“You have to break through the clutter in an interesting way,” said Rucker, who along with MBA students will grade this year’s crop of Super Bowl ads Sunday for Kellogg’s annual Super Bowl Ad Review.

The first Super Bowl ads were really just regular ads, sold at the discount price of $85,000 for a 60-second slot during a football game executives weren’t sure would catch on.

A 30-second ad that will air during Sunday’s Super Bowl 50 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., will be more than 1,000% more expensive, reportedly $5 million. And the commercials have become an industry of their own, generating as much publicity as the game itself.

“There’s a big change in the culture around Super Bowl advertising, the culture around consumers,” Rucker said. “Culturally, it’s more than just another advertising opportunity.”

Weeks before the Carolina Panthers meet the Denver Broncos, commercials were already being shared on YouTube. (For his part, Rucker appreciates teasers rather than the full commercial.)

If a company is spending a small country’s GDP on an ad, “I’m going to put it out now and get PR about it,” Rucker said. “It’s not about 30 seconds anymore.”

Still, even if an ad is funny or charming, Rucker said, “do they do enough for the brand build?”

You might recall a silly 2009 ad in which a woman surprises her cooking boyfriend as he cleans up spilled tomato sauce, while holding a knife and a sauce-covered cat. Funny, for sure. But do you remember who made it? (It was Ameriquest.)

Or Volkswagen’s Darth Vader kid spot of 2011. Remember what car it advertised? (The Passat.)

The best kind of Super Bowl ads present a strong strategic goal, strong branding and have a positive resonance with consumers, he said. That’s why we remember Apple’s “1984” spot, Xerox’s hilarious 1975 ad featuring a lazy monk and even MasterLock’s 1974 ad in which not even a speeding bullet can break a lock.

Lastly, he said, don’t be a downer. Nationwide’s infamous “dead kid” spot last Super Bowl was heart-wrenching, but the discussion following it was more about mourning the death of a Super Bowl party’s vibe than the death of a child.

The modern Super Bowl ad campaign is more than 30 seconds during a football game. It’s a pre-game rollout on YouTube, hashtags and second- and third-screen experiences before, during and after the game.

“Brand strategy has evolved,” he said.

All for the low price of $5 million (for now).