Best Super Bowl Commercials of All Time
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Go ahead, admit it. You watch the Super Bowl as much for the commercials as the action on the field. In fact, for some people, it’s 50-50 that they tune in for the ads. Period. Now you know why some corporations paid in excess of $7 million to hawk their brands for 30 seconds during Super Bowl LVII in 2023. That didn't include production costs and all the other expenses that go into making a commercial. You think Anthony Hopkins does this for free?
It wasn’t always this way, of course. In 1967, when the AFL-NFL World Championship Game (as it was known) kicked off at the half-empty Los Angeles Coliseum, the average commercial cost a mere $40,000 for a 30-second spot. As pro football swelled in numbers and popularity, so did its television ratings and impact and ad rates.
Now advertisers have as much of a stake in the game as the teams (115 million fans watched Super Bowl LVII), and they go to great (ridiculous?) lengths to leave an indelible impression on us. Over the years, we’ve been wooed by animals and babies, super-vixens and old women, celebrities and famous athletes, and just about anything you can imagine.
These are the best Super Bowl commercials of all time. And a few famous, old Super Bowl commercials you may have forgotten.
25. The Run — Heineken (2005)
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Game: Super Bowl XXXIX
Date: Feb. 6, 2005
Location: TIAA Bank Field, Jacksonville, Florida
Result: New England Patriots beat Philadelphia Eagles 24-21
Why It's Entertaining: The Run — Heineken (2005)
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Technically, this isn't an official Super Bowl ad. Because Anheuser-Busch had exclusive ad rights from opening kickoff to final whistle, Miller Brewing had to purchase time on local stations instead.
And it wasn’t just any 90-second bit, mind you, but the best performance in Brad Pitt’s interminable, torturous career.
After Pitt stares into an empty fridge, he leaves his high rise for a beer run while "Gimme Shelter" plays in the background. An army of Pitt-parazzi follow in hot pursuit, yet somehow the photographers are unable to close ground, and Pitt is able to escape from Ron’s Market through a backdoor.
Pitt is paid $4.5 million to utter unforgettable lines such as "Yikes!" and "Hey, Bob" and "Hey, can you pick me up?" That’s $50,000 per second for those of you scoring at home.
So Brad it’s good.
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24. True Colors — Dove (2006)
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Game: Super Bowl XL
Date: Feb. 5, 2006
Location: Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan
Result: Pittsburgh Steelers beat Seattle Seahawks 21-10
Why It's Entertaining: True Colors — Dove (2006)
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A red-haired girl loathes her freckles. Another girl thinks she’s ugly. A dark-haired girl wishes to be blonde. One fears that she’s fat. Meanwhile, a chorus of Girl Scouts sing Cyndi Lauper’s "True Colors" in the background.
The XL-sized message: Don’t fret about what you could be, but make the most of what you are.
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23. Alexa Loses Her Voice — Amazon (2018)
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Game: Super Bowl LII
Date: Feb. 4, 2018
Location: U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Result: Philadelphia Eagles beat New England Patriots 41-33
RELATED: Greatest Super Bowl MVPs of All Time
Why It's Entertaining: Alexa Loses Her Voice — Amazon (2018)
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Alexa loses her voice, and when hopelessly overmatched replacements (Anthony Hopkins, Cardi B, and Gordon Ramsay, among others) don’t have the answers, her immense value becomes obvious.
OK, Alexa, say, "Ad Meter rates me as the most-watched commercial of Super Bowl LII."
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Why It's Entertaining: The Force — Volkswagen (2011)
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A young Darth Vader wannabe tries to sic the force on the family clothes dryer, the family dog and his sister’s doll without success, while ominous "Star Wars" music blares in the background.
Everything changes when the Star Wars powers are applied to the family Passat, which his dad secretly triggers with a remote engine starter much to the kid’s amazement.
The 45-second spot arouses more than a little curiosity around the country. The company reports more than 2 million internet hits just one day later.
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21. Mosquito — Tabasco (1997)
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Game: Super Bowl XXXI
Date: Jan. 26, 1997
Location: Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
Result: Green Bay Packers beat New England Patriots 35-21
Why It's Entertaining: Mosquito — Tabasco (1997)
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Some giddy jamoke slams down pizza on a porch chair, a slice in one hand, a bottle of hot sauce in the other. When a mosquito lands on one of his legs, the addict is too preoccupied to think anything of it.
No sooner does the invader take flight than it explodes like a mini-grenade. The tomato face nods in approval, further proof that you don’t have to utter as much as one word to make a loud point.
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20. Replay — Budweiser (2003)
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Game: Super Bowl XXXVII
Date: Jan. 26, 2003
Location: Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California
Result: Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat Oakland Raiders 48-21
Why It's Entertaining: Replay — Budweiser (2003)
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While two teams of horses (think: Colts versus Broncos) wait intently on a range, a real zebra reviews the previous play.
"This referee’s a jackass," one cowboy fan drawls to another on the sideline.
Strange, but the guy doesn’t sound like Pete Carroll.
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19. When I Grow Up — Monster.com (1999)
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Game: Super Bowl XXXIII
Date: Jan. 31, 1999
Location: Pro Player Stadium, Miami, Florida
Result: Denver Broncos beat Atlanta Falcons 34-19
Why It's Entertaining: When I Grow Up — Monster.com (1999)
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A bunch of kids talk about what not to do in the future, saying things like:
"I want to claw my way up to middle management."
"I wanna have a brown nose."
And "I want to be a yes man."
Hey, wait, those are my ex-bosses!
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18. Laundromat — Doritos (1998)
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Game: Super Bowl XXXII
Date: Jan. 25, 1998
Location: Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California
Result: Denver Broncos beat Green Bay Packers 31-24
Why It's Entertaining: Laundromat — Doritos (1998)
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This day is significant for two reasons — beauty queen Ali Landry becomes the Doritos Girl, and the Broncos beat the Packers in a rare close game.
A couple of wannabes attempt some sleight-of-mouth to score points with Landry in a laundromat, only to make fools of themselves. Then she shows them how it’s done with an assortment of impressive flips. She even does splits while chips are shot out of a dryer and into her mouth.
Rest of the story: Landry was a former dancer-gymnast who performed her own stunts.
At first, Landry was nervous about what critics might say, "But the next day, like everything changed."
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17. Hilltop — Coca-Cola (1971)
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Game: Super Bowl V
Date: Jan. 17, 1971
Location: Orange Bowl, Miami, Florida
Result: Baltimore Colts beat Dallas Cowboys 16-13
Why It's Entertaining: Hilltop — Coca-Cola (1971)
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In one of the earliest Super Bowl commercials that anyone can remember, a melting pot of young people assemble on a hilltop in Italy to sing "I’d like to buy the world a Coke" in perfect harmony.
The ad was the most famous in the world at the time. And at $250,000 — 150 grand over budget — the most expensive one, too.
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16. New Can (Two Kids) and This Is the Pepsi — Pepsi (1992, 2018)
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Game: Super Bowls XXXVI/LII
Date: Jan. 26, 1992/Feb. 4, 2018
Location: Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota/U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Result: Washington Redskins beat Buffalo Bills 37-24/Philadelphia Eagles beat New England Patriots 41-33
Why It's Entertaining: New Can (Two Kids) and This Is the Pepsi — Pepsi (1992, 2018)
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Amazin’ Cindy Crawford debuts in a white tank top and red Lamborghini on a, um, very hot day.
Oh, wait, there’s more.
Crawford makes a Pepsi stop along a country roadside, while two young boys drool over ... the new style can? Uhhh-huh.
Twenty-six years later, Crawford re-enacts her iconic drink pose, as talented as ever, only with her 18-year-old son-model Presley this time. Very cool.
Watch(1992 commercial) and Watch(2018)
15. Terry Tate, Office Linebacker — Reebok (2003)
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Game: Super Bowl XXXVII
Date: Jan. 26, 2003
Location: Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California
Result: Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat Oakland Raiders 48-21
Why It's Entertaining: Terry Tate, Office Linebacker — Reebok (2003)
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Felcher & Sons hires crazed office linebacker Terry Tate (actor-wrestler Lester Speight) to increase productivity.
"You know you need a cover sheet on your TPS report, Richard! That ain’t new, baby!" Terrible Terry shakes a mean fist at a co-worker who quivers on the floor.
Too bad the Raiders didn’t sign Tate before the game. By the time the spot aired in the third quarter, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had a 34-3 lead and the Vince Lombardi Trophy.
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14. Big Mac Song — McDonald’s (1975)
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Game: Super Bowl IX
Date: Jan. 12, 1975
Location: Tulane Stadium, New Orleans, Louisiana
Result: Pittsburgh Steelers beat Minnesota Vikings 16-6
Why It's Entertaining: Big Mac Song — McDonald’s (1975)
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A bunch of kids, grown-ups and seniors attempt to say, "Two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame-seed bun."
The Big Mac was born across the United States seven years earlier, in 1968, but it is not until this ad campaign that the product becomes America's calorie-oozing, sodium-spewing, artery-clogging addiction.
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13. Crossroads — Pepsi (2004)
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Game: Super Bowl XXXVIII
Date: Feb. 1, 2004
Location: Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas
Result: New England Patriots beat Carolina Panthers 32-29
Why It's Entertaining: Crossroads — Pepsi (2004)
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An 11-year-old Jimi Hendrix buys a bottle of Pepsi and a guitar in Seattle on his way to stardom. He could have picked a Coke and an accordion, of course, in which case "Purple Haze" would have sounded a tad different.
Can’t wait for Coke’s payback: Frankie Yankovic buys a Pepsi then dies of a drug overdose while playing the "Too Fat Polka" on a ukulele.
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12. Stanley Cup — FedEx (1999)
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Game: Super Bowl XXXIII
Date: Jan. 31, 1999
Location: Pro Player Stadium, Miami, Florida
Result: Denver Broncos beat Atlanta Falcons 34-19
Why It's Entertaining: Stanley Cup — FedEx (1999)
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The staid NHL always has handled the Stanley Cup with white gloves — literally — but FedEx execs finally convinced the old fogies that it can be marketed in a fun way and not smudge its legacy.
The spot begins when a rival courier mistakenly ships the Holy Grail of hockey to rural Bolivia of all places. When it’s time to hoist the Cup in Detroit, real Red Wings players and fans are outraged to find a bag of donkey feed and not the big prize in an oversized box that’s three days late to arrive. "Next time send it FedEx and be absolutely sure."
Score this one a Super hat trick: FedEx receives bang for its bucks, puckheads get their fix, and the NHL threatens to enter the 21st century.
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11. Save It — E-Trade (2013)
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Game: Super Bowl XLVII
Date: Feb. 3, 2013
Location: Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
Result: Baltimore Ravens beat San Francisco 49ers 34-31
Why It's Entertaining: Save It — E-Trade (2013)
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There was no middle ground with the Talking E-Trade Baby. Either you couldn’t get enough of the cutie or threw up at the sight of him.
In his farewell appearance, E-Babe warns that investors can lose millions on hidden fees. "This is just tragic, man." Then he suggests better ways to blow their fat stacks of cash.
"Or just go to E-Trade and save it — boom!"
Just dumb or plain brilliant? The day after E-Babe’s Super Bowl debut five years earlier, the company opened more new accounts than it had in its history.
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10. Joe Namath — Noxzema (1973)
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Game: Super Bowl VII
Date: Jan. 14, 1973
Location: Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, California
Result: Miami Dolphins beat Washington Redskins 14-7
Why It's Entertaining: Joe Namath — Noxzema (1973)
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Joe Namath gets his face creamed by tempestuous Farrah Fawcett for 30 seconds, which leaves the quarterback, panting like a butcher’s dog.
"You’ve got a great pair of hands," Super Joe finally can’t resist.
Lucky bastard.
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9. Where's the Beef? — Wendy’s (1984)
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Game: Super Bowl XVIII
Date: Jan. 22, 1984
Location: Tampa Stadium, Tampa, Florida
Result: Oakland Raiders beat Washington Redskins 38-9
Why It's Entertaining: Where's the Beef? — Wendy’s (1984)
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This 30-second spot produced more than a few yuks. It also gave us a catchphrase that would soon become part of American culture.
Three elderly women marvel at the size of the hamburger bun in front of them, only to be put off by the puny piece of meat between it. Take that, Whopper and Big Mac.
If only the Washington Redskins had been this intense against the Oakland Raiders on the field.
"Where’s the beef?" one white-haired woman says the magic words.
Even Walter Mondale quotes the famous slogan in a political debate a few months later.
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8. It's Halftime in America — Chrysler (2012)
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Game: Super Bowl XLVI
Date: Feb. 5, 2012
Location: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indianapolis
Result: New York Giants beat New England Patriots 21-17
Why It's Entertaining: It's Halftime in America — Chrysler (2012)
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Can’t think of a Super Bowl ad that commanded our attention more than "It's Halftime in America," the pep talk that golden oldie Clint Eastwood delivered to "ordinary Americans" in the midst of the Great Recession.
If you can get past the politics — some consider this to be a shameless plug for the government bailout of the auto industry — it’s hard to argue that no spot packs a more passionate message. Who better to give it than the 81-year-young Eastwood, who personifies Red, White and Blue?
The two-minute spot was the longest in Super Bowl history and required NFL permission to exceed the 90-second limit.
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7. The Showdown — McDonald’s (1993)
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Game: Super Bowl XXVII
Date: Jan. 31, 1993
Location: Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California
Result: Dallas Cowboys beat Buffalo Bills 52-17
Why It's Entertaining: The Showdown — McDonald’s (1993)
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In this off-the-expressway-over-the-river-off-the-billboard-through-the-widow-off-the-wall-nothin’-but-net showdown, NBA all-timers Larry Bird and Michael Jordan play H-O-R-S-E for a Big Mac and fries.
Sure was a hell of a lot closer than the Cowboys-Bills game.
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6. Security Camera — Pepsi (1996)
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Game: Super Bowl XXVII
Date: Jan. 28, 1996
Location: Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Arizona
Result: Dallas Cowboys beat Pittsburgh Steelers 27-17
Why It's Entertaining: Security Camera — Pepsi (1996)
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After the Cheatin' Coke Guy stocks a store fridge with his brand, a security camera shows him discreetly pulling out a can of Pepsi from the one next to it. Except the thievery touches off a chain reaction that scatters dozens of cans across the floor.
The CCG returns the evidence before he sheepishly leaves the scene, while startled customers wear what-the-hell-happened looks on their faces.
All the while Hank Williams Jr.’s "You’re Cheatin’ Heart" plays in the background.
Something like this must have happened somewhere, right? That hint of reality made the spot even better.
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5. Wise Guy — Diet Pepsi (1990)
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Game: Super Bowl XXIV
Date: Jan. 28, 1990
Location: Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
Result: San Francisco 49ers beat Denver Broncos 55-10
Why It's Entertaining: Wise Guy — Diet Pepsi (1990)
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After the great Ray Charles sings praises about his favorite soda, he pauses for a swig of it. Except that stagehands have placed that other brand in front of him.
Brother Ray may be blind, but he’s not dumb.
"Hmmm. All right, now who’s the wise guy?" Charles wants to know.
After a few laughs, Charles tries again.
"Now that’s the right one, baby!"
Charles called this campaign, which ran until 1993, one of the highlights of his career. Who among us would argue?
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4. Frogs — Budweiser (1995)
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Game: Super Bowl XXIX
Date: Jan. 29, 1995
Location: Joe Robbie Stadium, Miami, Florida
Result: San Francisco 49ers beat San Diego Chargers 49-26
Why It's Entertaining: Frogs — Budweiser (1995)
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Bud has given us dogs, lizards, lobsters, Dalmatians and Clydesdales, naturally, but it’s the three frogs who burp "Bud," "Weis," "Er" in sequence that outdo them all.
(Full disclosure: "The Simpsons" sequel is even better — the Bud frogs are eaten alive by an alligator that chides "Cooooors" with a full mouth.)
The spot is especially popular among minors — the lip-syncing is amazing — but critics complain its alcohol-related message goes too far. Three years later, the Bud frogs croak for good.
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3. Betty White — Snickers (2010)
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Game: Super Bowl XLIV
Date: Feb. 7, 2010
Location: Sun Life Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida
Result: New Orleans Saints beat Indianapolis Colts 31-17
Why It's Entertaining: Betty White — Snickers (2010)
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When 88-year-old golden girl Betty White gets slammed flat on her back in a mud football game, that’s enough to make the list right there.
"Mike, you’re playing like Betty White out there!" a teammate pleads in the huddle.
"That’s not what your girlfriend says," White, er, Mike shoots back.
After a friend steps in to offer a Snickers bar, the old gal suddenly becomes jacked-up young Mike again. Then it’s 88-year-old actor-turned-quarterback Abe Vigoda who gets sacked instead.
Touchdown.
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2. 1984 — Apple (1984)
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Game: Super Bowl XVIII
Date: Jan. 22, 1984
Location: Tampa Stadium, Tampa, Florida
Result: Oakland Raiders beat Washington Redskins 38-9
Why It's Entertaining: 1984 — Apple (1984)
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When a female jogger (Apple) knocks down Big Brother (IBM) with a sledgehammer ("And you’ll see why 1984 won’t be like '1984'"), Mac computers are born, and Super Bowl sales pitches are never quite the same again.
(Fun fact: Two hundred extras shaved their heads for 125 bucks per day.)
Ridley Scott ("Alien," "Blade Runner," "Gladiator") directed the Orwellian classic that aired only once, in the third quarter. The Raiders-Redskins blowout was so void of drama by then it became that much more memorable.
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1. Early Showers — Coca-Cola (1980)
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Game: Super Bowl XIV
Date: Jan. 20, 1980
Location: Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California
Result: Pittsburgh Steelers beat Los Angeles Rams 31-19
Why It's Entertaining: Early Showers — Coca-Cola (1980)
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When a 9-year-old kid (Tommy Okon) reduced the baddest, greatest Pittsburgh Steeler ever (Mean Joe Greene) to a puddle, who knew it would still rank as the greatest Super Bowl ad five decades later?
"The people that wrote it wrote a great commercial," Okon explained years later. "It really tells a story."
Indeed, who can forget when the kid offers his bottle of Coke to the gimpy, sweaty Mean Joe on the way to the locker room, only to have the future Hall of Famer offer his game-worn jersey in return?
"Hey, kid — catch!"
"Wow! Thanks, Mean Joe!"
You, too, kid.
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Related:Super Bowl Rankings l Super Bowl Commercial Costs l Best Football Food
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