It’s true – for many Americans, the Super Bowl party is for watching the commercials, and the football is for taking a bathroom break or grabbing more wings. On Feb. 6, many Americans will claim prime spots on the couch, hoping to catch that super-funny commercial as it’s aired for the first time. In the spirit of Super Bowl XXXIX, I’ve compiled my list of the Top Ten Super Bowl Commercials of all time.
10. “Yo” by Visa, 2003 – Both Yao Ming and Yogi Berra correct a clerk saying “yo.” I’ll admit most of the other 2003 Super Bowl ads were awful, so it’s tough to compare.
9. “Flashdancing Guinea Pig” by Blockbuster, 2002 – A flashdancing, animated guinea pig claiming to be more entertaining than Blockbuster is funny to watch-also a big hit with kids.
8. “Cedric’s Hot Date” by Bud Light, 2001 – This commercial is worthy of a quick recap. Cedric the Entertainer is hanging out on the couch with a lady friend, when he gets up to quickly grab two Bud Lights. She tells him to hurry back, so Cedric does his “happy dance” after grabbing the drinks from the fridge. He then returns to the couch and pops open a bottle, releasing an insanely unrealistic amount of shaken-up beer into the face of his date.
Sure to go down in advertising history.
7. “Mosquito” by McIlhenny Tabasco, 1998 – A guy sits on his porch loading his pizza with Tabasco hot sauce. He watches as a mosquito lands on his leg, sucks up some blood and flies off. The mosquito promptly explodes in a sizeable ball of fire. This ad is noteworthy because Tabasco is running another ad during this year’s Super Bowl that promises to be equally entertaining.
6. “Monkey” by E*Trade, 2000 – Two flannel-wearing men sit on chairs in a garage. A monkey with a white E*Trade shirt pushes a button on an old boom box and proceeds to dance on a large garbage can as the men clap along to “La Cucaracha.” “Well, we just wasted 2 million bucks,” flashes onto the screen, quickly followed by, “What are you doing with your money?” Parodies the cost of Super Bowl advertising while simultaneously getting the point across-genius!
5. “Crazy Legs” by Levi’s, 2002 – A kid listening to music walks down the street with crazy-moving legs. Gotta admit, I laughed out loud. It looks good.
4. “Hungry Bear” by Pepsi, 2004 – Apparently, all it takes for a bear to buy some Pepsi is to put on some flannel, a hat and sunglasses. Then he looks just like a hairy hunter and can complete his meal with a quality beverage. Good to know.
3. “Louie the Lizard” by Bud Light, 1998 – The series of Louie the Lizard ads were designed as a response to the overplayed Budweiser frogs of 1995. Louie hires a ferret as a hit man to kill off the “Budweiser” croaking frogs and the commercials are absolutely awesome as they recount the failed attempt.
2. “Replay/Jackass” by Budweiser, 2003 – My personal favorite Super Bowl commercial of all time! Check this one out at http://www.superbowl-ads.com.
1. “1984” by Apple, 1984 – I didn’t actually see this one, but it deserves props because it is widely considered the first true Super Bowl commercial-the one that inspired them all. The ad alludes to George Orwell’s book “1984” and begins with a scene in which virtually-identical participants march into a giant auditorium.
As they sit mesmerized by a large screen, a solitary lady, dressed in normal clothes rather than the prison-like uniforms of the rest, sprints slow motion into the room, just barely escaping capture by guards wearing face shields. She stops, having reached the auditorium, and launches a sledgehammer discus-style into the screen. The movie bursts into light and a male voice announces, “On January 24th, Apple Computers will introduce Macintosh. And you’ll see why 1984 won’t be like 1984.” Pure advertising genius and an immediate success. Enjoy the commercials and football!
Anderson can be reached at janderson@campustimes.org.
