Ask and Answer: What’s Your Favorite Super Bowl Spot?
Revisiting memorable ads throughout the years
Sunday is the big game, but if you’re part of the advertising industry, it’s also a night of vindication, no matter which team wins or loses. On this one night, people sitting at home will actually be paying attention to commercials, instead of channel surfing through them. In 2019, marketers collectively spent $412 million on Super Bowl advertising, according to Forbes. That’s only three million dollars less than the combined budgets of eight out of the nine films nominated for “Best Picture” at the Academy Awards this year. As actress Taraji P. Henson recently told Adweek, “The Super Bowl is literally the Oscars of commercials.” Cannes Lions may disagree, but that spend speaks for itself.
We have many Super Bowls behind us, and therefore, many ads we’ve seen, loved, hated, and grew up wanting to make ourselves. Below, some people from Project Worldwide and its agencies shared what ads of years past were most memorable to them, starting off with one from 2014 where a few guys get some wings. And no, we don’t mean the buffalo variety.
Super Bowl XLVIII — Volkswagen “Wings”
Brian Martin, SVP, marketing and communications, Project Worldwide: “The idea twists a famous line from the film It’s a Wonderful Life: ‘Every time a bell rings, an angel gets its wings.’ Instead of a bell and an angel, we get a VW and a German engineer. Every time the car hits 100,000 miles, the engineer gets his wings, often in inconvenient and humorous circumstances. Just as fun as the conceit of the spot was watching it come to life from within the network [from ARGONAUT]. It was thrilling to see it air in the big game, and especially rewarding to see it ranked as one of the top spots that year.”
Super Bowl XLIV — Google “Parisian Love”
Katie Miller, CMO, ARGONAUT: “Maybe it’s just because of my advertising upbringing at Leo Burnett where I was surrounded by so many talented, soft-hearted copywriters so early in my career, but I quite like the Super Bowl spots that don’t rely on slapstick humor, gimmicks, or star power. I’d have to say my favorite spot in recent memory was Google’s ‘Parisian Love’ from 2010. It was such a simple storytelling technique that was as effective at communicating new product features as it was emotionally powerful. And I’d be willing to bet it was the most cost-effective spot produced that year!”
Super Bowl XLIX — Always “#LikeAGirl”
Alexa Abdalla, marketing manager, Project Worldwide: “This commercial is one of those videos I go to watch whenever I can use a good cry. I remember the first time I saw it, I had such a complex emotional reaction — shame, anger, regret, pride — and all in the span of 60 seconds. Sure, the link between the message and the product was tenuous, but I didn’t really care. And I still don’t. It revealed a problematic truth, without solving it, which is I think a pretty brave thing to do, especially when pretty much everyone who is watching the Super Bowl just wants to feel good. I don’t actually feel like it empowered me — I feel like it challenged me. I was so used to fighting against being told I did anything ‘like a girl,’ that I gave power to the stereotype that it was a bad thing. It showed me I had unconsciously incorporated sexism into my way of seeing the world, and motivated me to take back the phrase and use it proudly. Basically, it did the work of a college-level course, in 60 seconds. I don’t really know how you get better than that.”
Super Bowl XLV — Volkswagen “The Force”
Fiona Bruder, EVP, client success, George P. Johnson: “This resonated with me so strongly. Likely because it was so relatable in that my son was 10 and Star Wars-obsessed at the time of its release. The ad itself was so impactful as it truly tapped into the magic of childhood: innocence, imagination, and resilience. I still smile thinking of the spot.”
Spence Trierweiler, group creative director, Motive: “Super Bowl media often times is a playground with no rules — where shock value, oddity, and nonsense appear to be the creative approach. The 2012 Passat commercial rebuked that notion, and instead chose to create a true story, leveraging, of course, the cultural touchstone of Star Wars. This was a film many of us could see ourselves in, and one that even remained a bit quieter in its presence when stacked against other iconic spots. However, the tension, plot, and payoff proved to be masterful — creating a swarm of online chatter with fans, and a win for creative storytelling, versus creative absurdity.”
Super Bowl XIV — Coca-Cola “Hey Kid, Catch!”
Scott Schneider, CCO, Praytell: “There is something about the 1979 Mean Joe Green ad that still really resonates with me. Maybe because I was eight and not too far off the age of that kid. But I think it connects in a special way today because the nature of celebrity back then was not like the celebrity/influencer crazed internet of today. In those days, your chance of connecting or hearing from a celebrity or athlete (outside the news or endorsement) was close to nil. The idea of bumping into your hero in a stadium tunnel was a magic one-of-a-kind moment. And to take that moment, and have your product be the bridge and reason for the magic — that was the brilliance of that spot that still works today. They nailed the innocent and poignant moment, to deliver something memorable and impactful, even 40 years later.”
Super Bowl LI — Squarespace “Who is JohnMalkovich.com?”
Eric Mayville, cofounder, Wondersauce: “It’s so good and it had a great digital tie-in with the website. It was a great way to introduce a brand that people might not have understood greatly prior.”
Super Bowl XLVII — Ram Trucks “Farmer”
Wayne Leeloy, executive director, music and marketing strategy, G7 Entertainment Marketing: “‘Farmer’ is my favorite Super Bowl commercial because it’s honest, powerful, inspiring, beautifully shot, and speaks truth to the spirit of America. This is the perfect example of leading with emotion, narrative, and purpose and, for me, sets the bar for what a commercial could be. It still gives me chill bumps when I see it!”
