The oft-forgotten Super bowl commercial gems.

Around this time of year, practically everyone puts out a list of the "best" superbowl commercials. Or the worst. Two things these lists have in common include getting the year the ad aired wrong (no, really it happens a lot) and then 85% of the ads on their carefully chosen lists are identical to the ads on everyone elses list. ;) So here's our twist on the lists, possibly most forgotten superbowl ads. It doesn't mean that they're bad, in fact some show up on other fun lists of good ads - people just don't seem to recall that they too were once superbowl ads. Lets start at the beginning shall we? Way back in 1969 super bowl III commercials this Gillette - Techmatic adjustable ad could make me forgive all the other terrible Gillette ads if they just put this one back on the air. Please, pretty please Gillette, do it just once!

In the 1973 super bowl VII commercials, Joe Namath is so exited becaause "he's gonna get creamed" by none other than Farah Fawcett. I don't know what Joe thinks "creamed" means, but I'm sure it's naughty. This is hilariously cheesy.

In the 1975 super bowl IX commercials McDonald's test people on their jingle for the Big Mac, and they all fail. Sing it with me! Two all beef patties special sauce lettuce cheese pickles onions on a sesame seed bun. Now down a vodka and do it again faster! This should be a drinking game.

In 1979 super bowl XIII, Jim Fixx tries his hand at running puns. The whole ad is one running pun.

Back in 1981 super bowl XV, when long distance phone calls cost a fortune, the ad-men working on Indiana Bell somehow turned this to their advantage in "the kids are fine". Sneaky.

In 1984 super bowl XVIII, when everyone was being wowed by the Apple 1984 ad, Atari had Alan Alda put together a computer in 26 seconds. Not a bad idea, but then Apple had Ridley Scott on their side so Atari was pretty much screwed and this ad soon forgotten.

I'm only pointing at the 1987 super bowl XXI Footlocker ad because the art directions is like a New Order video without the Art, or direction.

John Cleese has been pretty good at selling out, on pretty funny projects. He is after all, John Cleese. In this 1992 super bowl XXVI advert he shilled Magnovox by telling us all to go away.

Remember this back in the 1995 super bowl XXIX ? Every time I see this I don't think it's the equipment he uses, but rather the equipment he hits that makes all the difference... ;)

Also in 1995, when jeans were the ugliest things on earth, you can see a young Keri Russell play the girlfriend while her man hides in the anonymous mans room.

Which reminds me that you can see Sean Hayes (now famous as Will & Grace's "Jack McFarland") act out the same kind of scenario in a 1998 super bowl XXXII ad where there is a party in the petites.

There are plenty more where that came from, which ones are your favorite forgotten super bowl ads?

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caffeinegoddess's picture

Hah - I remember that 1998 Bud Light spot - but don't think I ever noticed that it was "Just Jack".

Imanaddy's picture

You have to do it with the Jazz Hands. Like this: "Just Jack". See?

caffeinegoddess's picture

haha yes! Is there an emoticon for Jazz Hands? I think someone ought to create it.

Dabitch's picture

No.. Can't do only the Jazz Hands,but I can do the whole Jack dude doing his over animated dance around it with Jazz Hands around face at step four.

.o; o o (o) o o o ,
`| `|> `-|-' | '-|' ,|) )<
< \ < \ < \ < \ < ' / > < \

caffeinegoddess's picture

I had thought of this:

*[o[*

or

*\o/*

but none of them look quite right.

Mets82's picture

I think I submitted this in the wrong post but I said in the comment section for the Sean Hayes spot that I think he was in another spot in Super Bowl 32. Wasn't he in the Doritos spot with Ali Landry? I think the spot was plugging Doritos 3-D.

adlib's picture

*\o/*

looks like pom-poms. what about:

^\o/^

?

Allan1's picture

How about:

|O|

??

Allan...
"Remember, no matter where you go... There you are." (Buckaroo Banzai).
"Hey, barkeep, 2 Rock Over Hip-Hops and 1 Bach Over Vivaldi with ice."

MaryWills's picture

That Gillette spot is fantastic. Shame all their most recent Super Bowl ads are complete drek in comparison.

Dabitch's picture

I know! It breaks my heart when they did an ad that good while everyone else was doing predictable drek. It's fantastic! It's quirky and funny and it makes the product advantage really clear. What's not to love?

adlib's picture

Budweiser "fred is great" deserves to be on this list. It's funny and forgtten.

Budweiser - Fred is Great (2000) - 0:30 (USA)

Dabitch's picture

True, Fred is great is great.

Also - JAZZ HANDS!

Robbotman's picture

I love this post. I love this thread. That is all.