These Are the Most Memorable Food Super Bowl Ads in History
1992: Pepsi and Cindy Crawford
Supermodel Cindy Crawford made young boys drool in this 1992 Super Bowl commercial for Pepsi. Was it her flawless figure that drove them wild or was it the redesigned Pepsi can that made them swoon? Let’s be real: between Crawford’s short shorts and her form-fitting white tank top, no one was looking at the soda can.
2000: Budweiser “Whassup?” ad
This Budweiser ad had everyone from your 6-year-old nephew to your grandmother saying “whassssuppp!” for most of the early Aughts. The campaign, directed by filmmaker Charles Stone III, aired during the 2000 Super Bowl, and featured Stone and his friends excitedly greeting each other with the catch phrase. The award-winning ad, spawned several parodies, and was inducted into the Clio Hall of Fame, which honors advertisements, in 2006.
1979: “Hey Kid, Catch!” Coco-Cola ad
This 1979 ad for Coca-Cola featured Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle “Mean” Joe Green and a small fan who offered the injured player a Coke. The ad, created by McCann-Erickson, was part of the beverage company’s “Have A Coke and a Smile” campaign, and won a Clio Award in 1976. It was also adapted in several countries featuring star players in their native regions, and expanded into a movie for NBC featuring a young Henry Thomas, who later went on to star in “ E.T.”
1998: Doritos Ali Landry ad
Ali Landry launched her Hollywood career seducing two dudes (one of them was “Will & Grace” actor Sean Hayes) in a laundromat for this Doritos ad during the 1998 Super Bowl. It was the actress and former Miss USA’s first commercial, and more people remember Landry’s somersaults and sultry moves more than the new line of Doritos 3D chips the company was promoting.
1992: McDonald’s "Jordan vs. Bird” showdown
NBA hall of famers Michael Jordan and Larry Bird went one-on-one in this series of McDonald’s ads during the 1992 Super Bowl. After Jordan walks onto a basketball court with a Big Mac, Bird challenged the Chicago Bulls star to an extraordinary game of horse for the burger.“No dunking!” Bird declared. In 2010, Bird, along with LeBron James and Houston Rockets star Dwight Howard, starred in a remake of the legendary ad for that year’s Super Bowl. This time, Howard won the bet by dunking so hard he shattered a backboard.
2010: Snickers and Betty White
In the midst of a career comeback, ageless comedian Betty White plays tackle football with hungry whipper snappers in this Super Bowl 2010 ad for Snickers. The “Golden Girls” actress works up an appetite so ferocious she gets tackled in the mud and throws insults to teammates before its revealed she’s really a guy playing soft because he’s hungry for a Snickers.
2015: Carl’s Jr. ad with Charlotte McKinney
Model Charlotte McKinney burst onto the scene by appeared naked in a steamy ad for Carl’s Jr. during last year’s Super Bowl. The voluptuous Florida native continued Carl’s Jr.’s tradition of featuring America’s sexiest models in their campaigns. Other stars who’ve flaunted their assets in their ads include Paris Hilton, Padma Lakshmi, Heidi Klum and Kate Upton.
Besides the star athletes or the halftime show, the biggest attraction each year during the Super Bowl are the ads. Super Bowl commercials are big business: a 30-second spot during Super Bowl 50, which airs Feb. 7 on CBS, is selling for as much as $5 million. Some of the world’s most popular products have been introduced during the annual NFL Championship game, including Apple’s groundbreaking Macintosh personal computer, released to the world via the computer company’s legendary “1984″ ad.
Aside from launching products, brands also want to create viral moments fans will be talking about and sharing with friends long after the game ends.
Car makers, beer breweries, and snack products hustle hard to sell their goods and create those viral moments, using the likes of talking animals, scantily clad women, and celebrity stunts to get consumer’s attention. This year, Aerosmith is set to star in a Skittles ad, comedians Amy Schumer and Seth Rogen will pal around for a Bud Light commercial, and Taco Bell is planning to reveal “its biggest food creation ever” during the game. Before the new ads air, let’s reflect back on the most memorable food commercials from year’s past during the Super Bowl.
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