"People build brands as birds build nests, from scraps and straws we chance upon."

Thus Jeremy Bullmore, one of the advertising greats of the previous century, once wrote. The metaphor is a powerful one to illustrate that people come to conclusions about brands as a result of an uncountable number of different stimuli.

Some of the greatest global advertising campaigns of the 20th century did just that, create powerfully emotional stimuli which even today still resonates with consumers. Both in brand recall as well as remembered entertainment.

Here are just a few of the brands we believe really deserve their place in the 20th Century's Greatest Global Campaigns Hall of Fame.

Apple Computer's "1984"

Year: 1984

Agency: Chiat/Day

This commercial for Apple was designed by the advertising agency Chiat/Day to introduce Apple's Macintosh computer and was directed by Ridley Scott, who had just finished his science fiction classic Blade Runner. It was flighted only once during the famous Super Bowl halftime slot and has never run again (on TV). Looking back, its true power lies in the fact that few commercials on their own have ever been more influential in shaping a brand's destiny and future. Advertising Age named it the 1980s' Commercial of the Decade.

Avis' "We try harder"

Year: 1963

Agency: Doyle Dane Bernbach (DDB)

Probably one of the most recognised phrases in business today, The Avis manifesto headline, "We Try Harder" has gone down in advertising history as one of the longest-lasting and most respected taglines. The origination of the slogan was not to create a cute gimmick, but instead it was - and still is - a business philosophy that every Avis employee holds true. 'We Try Harder' has helped Avis earn a reputation as one of the most admired businesses in the world."

Johnnie Walker's "Keep Walking"

Year: 1999

Agency: Bartle Bogle Hegarty (BBH)

BBH London crafted the truly global branding platform, ''Keep Walking'', for Johnnie Walker in 1999. Featuring the iconic Striding Man logo (which was also quietly turned around for this campaign to face from left to right after having always faced from right to left since inception),  ''Keep Walking'' embodied the idea of personal progress; the perpetually walking Striding Man signified the determination necessary to realize one's dreams and goals. In print ads as well as TV spots such figures as the actor Harvey Keitel, as well as artists, poets and philosophers, were embraced to illustrate the long-established connection between success and scotch whisky. Testament to the success of this campaign is the fact that it has effectively broadened the definition of success to span worlds beyond the previously traditional business platforms and has redefined whisky advertising forever.

Nike's "Just Do It"

Year: 1988

Agency: Wieden & Kennedy

Nike created one of the most memorable advertising campaign slogans in history: " JUST DO IT ". It was agency co-founder Dan Wieden who coined the now-famous slogan "Just Do It" for a 1988 Nike ad campaign, which was chosen by Advertising Age as one of the top five ad slogans of the 20th century and enshrined in the Smithsonian Institution.  Wieden credits the inspiration for the slogan to "Let's do it", the last words spoken by Gary Gilmore before he was executed. Today " Just Do It" has become a global rallying cry to get things done, to start things, to get in the zone, to power up and to WIN.

Marlboro's "Marlboro Man"

Year: 1955

 Agency: Leo Burnett 

It doesn't get much more iconic than the Marlboro Cowboy. AdAge.com wrote of this legendary ad campaign, "The most powerful - and in some quarters, most hated - brand image of the century, the Marlboro Man stands worldwide as the ultimate American cowboy and masculine trademark, helping establish Marlboro as the best-selling cigarette in the world.

De Beers' "A diamond is forever"

Year: 1948

Agency: N.W. Ayer & Son

An advertising campaign still going strong after 65 years. In 1947 a young copywriter called Frances Gerety was working with De Beers and was given a brief to compose a line that encompassed and expressed the physical attributes and legends surrounding the diamond. The understanding is that she worked late into the night on the challenging brief and, about to admit defeat, she then scribbled the sentence which would later be voted as the most iconic advertising slogan of the twentieth century - A Diamond Is Forever. Books and films of cult status have been named after this tagline, and who can forget Shirley Bassey's timeless theme song for James Bond's "Diamonds are Forever".

Absolut Vodka's " Absolut Bottle " Campaign

Year: 1981

Agency: TBWA

Absolut Vodka's advertising campaign is one of the world's longest-ever uninterrupted advertising campaigns. Much of Absolut's fame is due to this advertising campaign, created by advertising agency TBWA. Based on the distinctive bottle shape having started around 1980 with photographer Steven Bronstein, this campaign frequently feature an Absolut bottle-shaped object in the center and a title "ABSOLUT ____." at the bottom. The original idea for the campaign came from South African art director Geoff Hayes who reported that the idea for the first Absolut ad, Absolut Perfection, came to him in the bathtub. To date it comprises over 1,500 original ads, with more added each month.

Sources: CNBC.com , You Tube, Advertising Age