Past clips of comedic advertising build hype for annual showing
As this unseasonably warm January has finally wound its way to a close, many Americans are already starting to stock up on a variety of Tostitos, seven-layer dips, chicken wings and homemade chili. But all of this stashing is not for a winterlong hibernation — it’s for Super Bowl Sunday. On Feb. 5, millions of viewers will tune in to see the long-awaited matchup between Wisconsin’s own Green Bay Packers and the Denver Broncos. Just kidding. But whether you pull for the Giants or you just want to see “Handsome Tom” Brady of the Patriots lose, it’s worth it for that special thing that comes only once a year: the Super Bowl commercial. Here’s some of the best of the best.
2007: Budweiser “Fist Bump”
Long before President Barack Obama was snapped giving the first lady a playful fist bump on the campaign trail in 2008, our friends at Budweiser had deemed the fist bump passé. Its replacement? The face slap. The commercial featured everyone from brides to car shoppers giving the palm in celebration. The last bit even showed an overzealous employee opting for the slap over his boss’s offered fist bump — though we wouldn’t recommend that one.
2008: Pepsi, Justin Timberlake Pepsi Magnetic Attraction
When we combine the words “Justin Timberlake” and “Super Bowl,” many of us often flash to the infamous “wardrobe malfunction” that accompanied his 2004 Super Bowl halftime show performance with Janet Jackson. But in 2008, Timberlake made it up to America with his hilarious Pepsi commercial. The 60-second clip showed a shocked Justin being dragged over the bridge and through the woods (and against walls, cars and one very unfortunate mailbox) as a fan sipped her way to music download freebies. It may not have made up for the halftime stunt, but it sure helped.
2003: Reebok, Terry Tate Spends a Day in the Office
Have you ever wondered what would happen if you put a monster linebacker in a cubicle for the day? Well, wonder no more — Terry Tate is here to tackle (literally) all of your office woes. Based on a line of short films produced by Reebok in 2002, the commercial spot featured fictional football player Terry Tate as he chased down staff and enforced every policy from cover sheets (“You know you need a cover sheet on your TPS reports, Richard!”) to time on the clock (“Break was over 15 minutes ago, Mitch!”). We were all just hoping our boss didn’t put Terry on the payroll.
2009: Bud Light, Conan Goes Swedish
Ever since Jay Leno booted Conan for his time slot, you’ve been able to find O’Brien hosting his own late-night show on TBS. But thanks to the brilliant minds at Budweiser, you can also find him as the star of his own Swedish Bud Light commercial. The ad features the famously ginger-haired funnyman begrudgingly agreeing to a foreign commercial for the brew, on the basis that it would never be shown in America. Right. Cut to the ad on display in Times Square, where O’Brien is soon mocked by his fellow countrymen at the sight of him in too-tight pants and bare-all red mesh top. And yes, there’s even a fluffy white cat. Lesson learned, Conan.